Textbooks No Longer Issued?

[Moonlight J]

Yes, that completely changes the situation and I agree is unacceptable.

It is done to protect Intellectual Property issues. For math, it shouldn't be that bad though. We have it in place for our reading books because so much of it is 3rd party work that districts request because of author namebrands. For math, it's a bit different but allowing full printing of textbooks would negate any residual sales.

ITC -- most publishers provide a PDF version of the textbook on CD to households that do not have the access at home.

ISD 11 isn't one of our districts as far as I can tell, so I can't help you out any further

[senorsheep]

Here's the rub. When you access the chapter's from the districts website, you cannot print the materials. The teacher even made the comment that you're unable to print from the website because they do not want kids going to the computer lab and printing the chapters out.

Yeah, I think they'd have to allow the computer-less to print the materials on the school's dime.

Sheep, yes, absolutely there is a computer lab. What does a kid do who has to be home to watch little brother and sister.

Go in during their free period and print the chapters? Place a print request with the lab administrator? These are high school students, not helpless babies. Do we really want to teach them to blame their circumstances and give up as soon as they encounter any sort of inconvenient obstacle?

[In the Corn]

ITC -- most publishers provide a PDF version of the textbook on CD to households that do not have the access at home.

And this was offered as well, but what if a family doesn't have a computer.

You're asking someone to invest several hundred dollars in what is suppose to be a "free education".

My family has a computer. Is it the most modern, no. Will it host the information. I'm sure it will. It is almost 10 years old. I don't anticipate having issues myself, but what if my computer decides one day it's done?

I guess my daughter or a child no can't use the dog ate my homework excuse, but now it's, "My computer crashed."

[In the Corn]

Go in during their free period and print the chapters? Place a print request with the lab administrator? These are high school students, not helpless babies. Do we really want to teach them to blame their circumstances and give up as soon as they encounter any sort of inconvenient obstacle?

Certainly don't want to baby them.

And I appreciate you're comment about their free period. I hadn't thought of that.

[OaklandA's]

In our school district in CA, many middle school and high school classes use electronic textbooks. However, the teachers keep a small set of textbooks (~10) available for those students who don't have internet access. They can be checked out each evening on a first-come first-serve basis. From what I have seen, a standard textbook is always available if someone needs it.

[senorsheep]

Certainly don't want to baby them.

And I appreciate you're comment about their free period. I hadn't thought of that.

You seem to have uncovered an oversight concerning the kids without computers. I hope that, rather than be pissed, you'll talk to the teacher and/or the administration so they can address it. 'Tis better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

[Kevin Seitzer]

26% of kids in the school are on free or reduced lunch. While this isn't a majority, it is still a significant number. My daughter's school service boundary is very interesting. It draws kids from one of the poorest suburbs of Minneapolis to one of the richest. The income stratus is crazy, and there is a definite divide (NIMBY) in the area.

KS, I'm kinda surprised this doesn't bother you.

I didn't say it didn't bother me. I need facts before I can be bothered or unbothered. How many kids are on free or reduced lunch doesn't tell me anything. If 60% of the general American poor kids had Internet access at home in 2005, what is it in 2011? What is it in a Minnesota suburb, as opposed to a Texas colonia or a holler in Arkansas?

If only 75% of the poor kids have Internet access at home, then yeah, that could be a problem. If 95% of the poor kids in your district have Internet access at home, the school could (and should) probably work individually with those that don't to come up with a solution. Without having a better idea of where on that spectrum things lie, I can't offer an educated opinion.

[Moonlight J]

And this was offered as well, but what if a family doesn't have a computer.

You're asking someone to invest several hundred dollars in what is suppose to be a "free education".

My family has a computer. Is it the most modern, no. Will it host the information. I'm sure it will. It is almost 10 years old. I don't anticipate having issues myself, but what if my computer decides one day it's done?

I guess my daughter or a child no can't use the dog ate my homework excuse, but now it's, "My computer crashed."

I know this is a broad paintbrush but the same family that doesn't have a home computer probably pays $80+ a month on cigarettes or puts their kids in overpriced shoes. I saw it all of the time as a teacher in a school with 88% free and reduced lunch. They'd cry poor about not being able to get their kids school supplies but the kids came into school with shoes nicer than mine and iPods and what not.

It's about priorities for some people.

The PDF version of the books are printable....even if it involves getting a free PDF unlocker program to print it out.

[senorsheep]

I know this is a broad paintbrush but the same family that doesn't have a home computer probably pays $80+ a month on cigarettes or puts their kids in overpriced shoes. I saw it all of the time as a teacher in a school with 88% free and reduced lunch. They'd cry poor about not being able to get their kids school supplies but the kids came into school with shoes nicer than mine and iPods and what not.

It's about priorities for some people.

See, now if I had said this...

I just got my daughter a used desktop for $100 at our local PC resale shop. It works great for her school needs.

[Wonderboy]

I need facts before I can be bothered or unbothered.

Hey, that doesn't stop the rest of us!

[Moonlight J]

See, now if I had said this...

I just got my daughter a used desktop for $100 at our local PC resale shop. It works great for her school needs.

but instead it's the uber-liberal dishing out the tough love

I guess it comes from being their first hand and witnessing f'ed up parental priorities. Get your kids what they need, not what they want.

[senorsheep]

but instead it's the uber-liberal dishing out the tough love

I guess it comes from being their first hand and witnessing f'ed up parental priorities. Get your kids what they need, not what they want.

My parents (and aunts and uncles and cousins) are teachers and school administrators and see the same things you do - one reason why my heart doesn't instinctively menstruate for the poor in these conversations. I need to know a little bit more about their particular situations - including their own contributory behaviors - before I'll weep for their poverty and throw money at them.

[B-Fly]

but instead it's the uber-liberal dishing out the tough love

I guess it comes from being their first hand and witnessing f'ed up parental priorities. Get your kids what they need, not what they want.

I agree that we need to speak tough love to parents, but at the end of the day in public education, for the long-term benefit of our communities and our nation, we need to do what we can not to visit the sins of the parents on the children. My heart doesn't menstruate (lol) for the parents either much of the time, but the worse the priorities of the parents, the more I want to try to change the game for their kids.

[TranaGreg]

I agree that we need to speak tough love to parents, but at the end of the day in public education, for the long-term benefit of our communities and our nation, we need to do what we can not to visit the sins of the parents on the children. My heart doesn't menstruate (lol) for the parents either much of the time, but the worse the priorities of the parents, the more I want to try to change the game for their kids.

Well said.

This why I respect organizations such as this one ... (we have similar groups up here) ...

"We take in about 20,000 computers a year and we're able to get 5,000 of those that meet our quality standards that we can put out for schools, not-for-profits and homes of at-risk children," said Willie Cade, founder, PC Rebuilders and Recyclers.

The family of any Chicago Public Schools student can purchase a refurbished computer for a starting price of $165. Non-CPS students qualify depending on the number of students in their school who qualify for free lunch.

"We actually give it a three-year hardware warranty. We also give them an 800-number that they can call when they have questions and problems and we put all the software on it that they would want as a beginning user," said Cade.

Most of the drop-offs come from corporations as they switch out old materials -- including TVs and cell phones. They often have a more computers on hand than they have schools and families requesting them.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sec...rticle-7260276

[heyelander]

I just got my daughter a used desktop for $100 at our local PC resale shop. It works great for her school needs.

and then you went out and bought yourself a nice new pair of shoes?