[xmca] wikis and/as textbooks

From: Tony Whitson (twhitson@UDel.Edu)
Date: Tue Sep 12 2006 - 11:42:19 PDT


See
http://tonywhitson.edublogs.org/2006/09/12/wikis-textbooks/
for links

An article in Teachers College Press reports on the lack of adequate
textbooks in California’s public schools — especially in financially less
well-off communities. The authors have been sharply critical of
high-stakes consequences being imposed by NCLB on students in schools
without the resources needed for an education that measures up to the
state’s standards.

Meanwhile, NewScientist online reports that ‘Students in developing
countries are to get free textbooks written using “wiki” technology that
lets anyone add to or edit an online document.’

This suggests two possibilities:

1. Maybe California students would be better off ; and

2. Maybe all students would be better off if they could use wiki-style
textbooks developed by, say, scientists and science teachers, or
historians and history teachers, instead of the textbooks being marketed
by commercial publishers. There are people who would be terrified by this
prospect; there are also legitimate concerns.

What do you think?

Tony Whitson
UD School of Education
NEWARK DE 19716

twhitson@udel.edu
_______________________________

"those who fail to reread
  are obliged to read the same story everywhere"
                   -- Roland Barthes, S/Z (1970)

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