Should teachers sell lessons online?

A New York Times article raises some interesting questions about teachers selling lessons they created online:

• Does profiting from these materials undermine the free exchange of ideas so popular in the education community, or are teachers finally just getting the recognition (and some extra financial compensation) they deserve?
  
• Should schools share in some of those profits, or are the lessons solely the property of the teacher who created them?
  
• Since many teachers pay out of pocket for resources, classroom supplies, and other materials for their students, should they be able to fund some of these expenses by selling lessons they created?
• If buying lessons online saves teachers some valuable time and prevents them from having to "reinvent the wheel," is that justification enough for the sales? Don't students also benefit from this greater variety of material?
  

As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic, so please leave your comments on the blog.

Edutopia's top 10 ideas for teaching with new media

For some great tips on integrating new media into your classroom, fill out the form here to be emailed Edutopia's article. While you're at it, browse their website and learn more about this great educational resource.

The revolution begins

Everyone with a young child in their life is bombarded with tons of "quick fix" ideas for helping children get ready to read. From the latest-greatest programs for teaching little ones (18 months or younger) to pressure tactics based on the myth that easier is always better, parents and teachers alike are faced with difficult choices. In this world of so many "ultimate solutions", we certainly need a guide. What is the best way?

Focus on three basics, according to literacy expert, Cathy Puett Miller, author of Maupin's new titles Anytime Reading Readiness and Before They Read. Rather than relying on "latest-greatest" programs, the answer lies in turning to science AND building partnerships to promote reading as a tool for life. Miller has seen in her years of literacy consulting with teachers and with families "that a focus on often overlooked basics can have a tremendous impact on the number of children who come to school ready to read".

WHAT ARE THESE THREE BIG IDEAS?

Researchers such as Dr. Catherine Snow, Dr. John Guthrie, Dr. Marilyn Adams, Dr. Michael Pressley, and a host of others all tell us that it starts with oral language development. Without that foundation of being able to use and understand the language orally on a rich level, children come to the reading table with few tools. The process of learning to read doesn't start at kindergarten; it begins much earlier as children learn how out language works in speech.

Along with oral language, exposure to print and how it works in our world is also essential. That's why the simple act of having reading materials available and exploring books and print from our world (signs, labels, menus and maps, etc.) with young children is another essential part of the three big ideas behind getting ready to read. But that too is only a piece of the puzzle.

The final big idea, one that has been studied extensively as we have learned how most children acquire reading skills, is phonological awareness (PA). Many first became aware of this set of early literacy skills through the release of the National Reading Panel's 2000 mega-analysis. Scientists and researchers have determined that between 70-80% of our children learn to read best through a phonics method (one used in virtually all U.S. schools today so a phonological foundation is key. The good news is that PA doesn't have to be developed through route drilling or strict lessons in order for children acquire this sense of how the sounds and patterns in our language work. With consistent exposure through games and fun activities, most children move into this more abstract level of thinking about language quite easily.

This week Maupin and Miller have partnered to bring educators and families a wide variety of "take and use tomorrow" ideas for supporting these key areas in Anytime Reading Readiness (for families) and Before They Read (for educators). Included in Maupin's free downloads are book club guides for both titles and a sample activity to complement use of these titles. "When we build partnerships between both preschool and kindergarten educators, and between families and teachers, using these three big ideas, we can guarantee that more children will come to the reading table with enthusiasm, excitement and core foundational skills. For more on building such partnerships, visit Mrs. Miller's columns on Educationworld.com.

And just read what others are saying about this dynamic duo approach:

This book [Before They Read] is chock full of great suggestions for helping children learn how to read. It includes all you need to put together a wonderful research-based program—a must-read.”
—Susan B. Neuman, former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education

“If you want to turn your preschooler into a lifelong reader, you need Anytime Reading Readiness. It skillfully guides parents as they create a pressure-free love of language and learning in their child.”
—Susan Newman, Ph.D., social psychologist and author of Little Things Long Remembered: Making Your Children Feel Special Every Day

Teaching Copyright: Learning from the Google Books Settlement

About the Google Books Settlement:

For those of us in the book business, the Google Book Settlement is a hot topic. And the issues surrounding the Google Books project have riled up more than a few authors and publishers. Here's some background information on the settlement and an explanation of the latest developments surrounding the proposed agreement as explained by Ashby Jones in the Wall Street Journal Law Blog article, "The Google-Books Settlement: A Lawsuit Ripe for...Congress?":

The Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers sued Google 2005, claiming the company’s Google Books project — an effort to digitize huge volumes of books and ultimately make them publicly available — violated their copyrights.

The parties then spent two years negotiating a sweeping digital-books settlement. (Click here, here and here for earlier posts about the settlement.)

But the Justice Department raised concerns about the settlement, echoing voices of others who charged the deal was inconsistent with copyright law. Others raised objections on antitrust grounds, alleging it could allow publishers to charge higher prices for their works.

The modification to the settlement, unveiled on Friday, creates an “independent fiduciary” that would oversee the unclaimed works. That fiduciary would be allowed to license the books to third parties, “to the extent permitted by law.”

Though the settlement is far too complex to be explained fully in a few sentences, teachers should understand what the settlement means in terms of access, copyright, and the future of books.

Visit the Google Books Settlement FAQ page to learn more about the proposed agreement.

Recognize this as teachable issue...

Though many controversies surrounding the settlement terms exist, educators can use the issues surrounding this groundbreaking agreement to teach students about copyright, licensing, fair use, public domain, and the future of digital books. TeachingCopyright.org is an organization dedicated to educating students about copyright, plagiarism, fair use and digital rights, and provides educators with free curriculum guides and teachable handouts. After teaching your students about copyright, ask them to form their own opinions about the Google Books project and have them write an essay defending their position.

Do your students think about their digital footprints?

Tech facilitator and author Steve Johnson "created this video after reading information released in June, 2009 by Harris Interactive about employers' use of social networking sites to screen candidates. More info here: http://oregonbusinessreport.com/2009/..."

Ready to show your students about their digital footprints?

Paying for grades?

According to an Education Week article, a school in North Carolina replaced ineffectual bake sales and candy bar fundraisers with paying for grades (two ten-point additions on two different tests). Is this sending the wrong message to students, or is it merely an attempt by strapped schools to secure the funds they need? Please share your thoughts by commenting on our blog.

LEARN Act Aligns with CraftPlus® Writing Program

About the LEARN Act:

Last week, the The Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation (LEARN) Act was introduced into the House and Senate. The comprehensive literacy bill was designed to enhance the federal government's role in promoting literacy across the K-12 levels and in all disciplines.

NCTE provides an excellent summary of the LEARN Act legislation and discusses the importance of literacy education:

Research demonstrates that a high-quality, literacy-rich environment is an important prerequisite for academic success. To be successful, students must develop oral language, reading, and writing abilities. The Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation (LEARN) Act will ensure that all students receive high quality literacy instruction beginning in early childhood and continuing through high school graduation. The LEARN Act responds to the clear need for literacy instruction and high quality support for students at all age, development, and grade levels.

The LEARN Act provides for a strong federal investment in high quality literacy instruction that will help states improve programs to strengthen the literacy skills of all students. The Act supports comprehensive state and local literacy programs to ensure that children from birth to grade twelve have the reading and writing skills necessary for success in school and beyond. Specifically, the bill would:

• Provide federal support for literacy programs (authorizing $2.35 billion for comprehensive literacy programs)
  
• Enhance each state’s role in improving literacy instruction
• Support the creation of local high-quality literacy programs in schools

Read NCTE's complete summary of the LEARN Act here.

The LEARN Act and CraftPlus®:

Not only does Maupin House support this legislation, but we join in our nation's commitment of spreading unified literacy and professional development programs in elementary and secondary classrooms. Maupin House proudly offers the K-8 CraftPlus® Writing Program--the nation's first craft-based writing curriculum. CraftPlus® aligns flawlessly with the LEARN Act's criteria of supporting the creation of local, high-quality literacy programs in schools by providing:

• Daily support for your teachers
• A school-wide differentiated approach to writing workshops
• An easy and economical solution that meets state writing standards

The CraftPlus® Approach:

CraftPlus® teachers explicitly teach and allow children to practice clearly modeled Target Skills that divide skills into organizational, composing, and conventions, taught within the writing workshop that uses the writing process. These Target Skills represent the same techniques that all good writers use. CraftPlus® systematically teaches these skills and promotes lots of student practice to master and internalize them.

Besides providing a spiraling K-8 writing curriculum, CraftPlus includes many instructional techniques for effective writing workshop. These include several types of modeling, writers’ and teacher’s notebooks, effective student response, and ways to maximize all stages of the writing process. CraftPlus

• Creates informed teachers of writing who understand how to teach writing and assess it objectively, just as they teach and assess any other subject.
• Focuses on informational writing genres because, as developer Marcia S. Freeman says, “Informational writing comprises 99 percent of what 99 percent of us will do during our lifetimes.”
• Emphasizes an 80-20 split between practice of skills and assessment. It focuses on formative assessments for the practice and periodic summative assessments after a unit is completed.

To learn more about CraftPlus®, visit Maupin House's website.

For more information on the LEARN Act, visit NCTE's website.

The LEARN Act was written by a collaborative coalition of seven literacy organizations, including the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE), the Alliance for Excellent Education, the International Reading Association, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the National Middle School Association.