Last Tuesday the Secretary of Education said “I think we should be moving from print to digital absolutely as fast as we can over the next couple of years. Textbooks should be obsolete.” He was clear that he sees the digital transformation in schools as a “critical game changer” for…
Quick – what percentage of your iTunes library is produced by amateurs? For that matter how many books on your eReader of choice are self-published works? If you are like most people the answer to both questions is “slim to none.” The point is that quality matters in any medium.…
These are grim days for the world of education. Funding cuts past, present, and future loom over schools and districts. Class sizes are swelling, essential services are being trimmed, and any spending decision that can be delayed is sitting in limbo. The companies that serve schools are feeling the pinch…
I’ve been on a bit of a blogcation since June. It has been a crazy summer both personally and professionally* and something had to give. I’m back. The K12 market has been in full meltdown since last November. Schools are struggling with state finances post stimulus, the Feds are not…
iPads in the classroom are all the rage in the education publishing market – somedays the oxygen for discussing anything but learning tablets has been sucked out of the room. As we move beyond the giggling crush stage there are a couple of points to consider that might give publishers…
We Are Teachers has a bitter sweet post up about the funny things people say to teachers – with appropriate responses. Here is a sample: The comment: “Johnny NEVER misbehaves/has trouble paying attention/hits other kids/acts out at home. I wonder what you’re doing in the classroom to make that happen.”…
In 1972, deep in the generational culture wars, Will the Circle Be Unbroken was released as a 3 LP set. A that time I was a budding 14 year old banjo player. It was refreshing to hear the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band fusing their hippie sensibility with the mastery of…
My last post, Apple’s iPad Textbooks Cost 5x More Than Print, touched a live wire. The majority of comments were positive. The general tone was support for iPads in the classroom (a position I share) but an appreciation for the realistic view of what it will cost to implement the…
From a Publisher’s perspective Apple’s iPad textbook initiative is a decent 1.0 release with promise. I’ve had a few weeks to play with iBooks Author and iBooks2 and discuss them with colleagues. I’ll write about the many positives in future posts. But there is a worm in this apple. All…
UPDATE: For those who took offense at this graphic know that as I saw it the teachers’ drinking was a result of the cycle, not the cause. I interpreted this graphic as a slag on parents (myself included). If you are a teacher and were offended please accept my apology.…