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More textbook talk

In response to Jenny D's post last night (early this morning?):

I'm sure there could be a better textbook - but I'm not sure that it could be supported by schools, especially monetary way. Publishers offer lots of bells and whistles, but are they worth the money? Could the money be better spent on more teachers, more aides, curriculum specialists? Heck, I could even argue that it would be better spent on a self-cleaning bathroom. The greatest textbook in the history of mankind won't amount to a hill of beans to the student fixated on the fact that he/she does not have consistant access to a toilet.

That having been said, I don't think textbook publishers are "stuck in 2nd gear." They respond to what the market wants. Do we really want the publishers to be the educational dvelopers? I would hope not. I think there is a little too much emphasis on running a school like a business as it is. Schools (and hospitals) aren't businesses. We're already seeing the effects the business of two class medicine on our population... how long is it before the two class education system is entrenched as well?


There's an old saying, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink - you can however, put salt in the oats." No textbook, no tool, no technology, no matter how fantastic, can put salt in the oats for every single child.

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