What’s the Deal with Textbook Costs?

I mean to publish regularly in December, but I got caught up in the mad dash to get all my papers graded for all my classes.  That will probably happen in May and again next December.  Now that the semester is over and the holidays are just about over, I’m once again thinking ahead to the next semester.

I am simply thrilled that this semester, we do not have new editions of the textbooks I use for my classes.  I know there’s a need to update information, but in the 10 years that I’ve been teaching, every 1 ½ to 2 years, we have to totally revamp our classes because the publishers come out with a new edition of the textbook.  They’re sneaky.  Sometimes all they’ve done is change the order of the chapters.  Sometime, they make more extensive changes – this bother me less.

Everyone is in to make money.  I don’t blame publishers for that, but they realized that the used book market was taking revenue away from them, and their solution is to come up out with new editions of books more frequently.  Now, many of them are realizing that they need to embrace the e-book market as well.

What does that mean for students?  It means less opportunity to benefit from saving money by buying used books.  And as any college student knows:  textbooks are very expensive.  They were expensive when I was in college.  I can’t imagine what my book bill would be today if I was a full time student.

Although the used book market has shrunk, student can now begin to make use of the e-book market. 

Here are some benefits:

·         Savings:  Students can save as much as 25% or more by purchasing an e-book.

·         Portability:  Students can save their backs, since many books can be uploaded to the same e-reader.

·         Readability: No, I’m not talking about text size – although that can be adjusted.  I’m talking about lighting – they can be read in any lighting conditions.

There are some disadvantages too:

·         E-books need an e-reader:  There is the upfront charge of purchasing an e-reader in order to download your e-book.  At least it’s a one-time charge.

·         E-books need to be charged:  Unlike a traditional book, an e-book must be kept charged.

·         Textbook e-books have an expiration date:  Many college e-books have an expiration date. The expiration often is 180 days from date of purchase.  This is probably not an issue for a general education course, however, it may be for books in a student’s major.

·         E-books may not match up page for page with traditional textbooks:  Depending how the book is created, the pagination of the e-book may not necessarily match up.  As time goes on, I’m sure instructors and students will work this out.

·         Not all textbooks are out as e-books:  The market is growing, but now all the textbooks are offered as e-books.  The market is growing, but a student may not always be able to get all books as e-books.

Even so, the disadvantages may not matter when it comes to the money a student can save by going the e-book route.

  Here are some e-book sellers:

http://www.coursesmart.com/

http://www.pearsonlearningsolutions.com/career-schools/ebooks.php

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/Catalog/other/eBooks_Find_Your_eBook

Are Online Classes for You?

Are online classes for you?  That’s a question that only you can answer, but I can share some thoughts and ideas that may help you make up your mind about that option.

You see, I teach online credit classes for two local community colleges.  Each semester, my classes begin relatively full, and every semester, I have at some five or six out of twenty fade away during the semester.  Why do they fade away?  Am I boring?  Are my classes too hard?  I don’t think either of those are the reasons, although I can’t say that I’m snazzy online, I’m thorough and methodical.  I do know that my classes aren’t too hard.  The reason those students fade away is that the online environment is not for them.

An online student needs to be organized:  You do not need to be the most organized individual, but you need to be organized enough that you meet deadlines.  You have to be able to keep track of assignments and be aware of due dates without an instructor reminding you.

An online student needs to be independent:  If you are rather shy, an online class may be for you.  Online classes allow students to plan their responses.  There’s not speaking in front of people off the cuff.  Social people can do well in online classes too, but if you’re the type who needs face to face social interaction and immediate feedback from the instructor, online classes may not be right for you. 

An online student needs to be motivated:  If you need someone to stand over you and constantly remind you that assignments are due, online learning is not for you.  But if you are one to complete tasks that are assigned to you independently and without reminders, then online learning works very well.

An online student needs to be comfortable with computers.  You do not need to be an expert, but you need to be comfortable using computers, the Internet and basic software and willing to try new things on your own.  If you barely know how to turn on a PC and are anxious every time you try something new, consider a traditional course instead.

Online learning isn’t the same as being in a classroom, but it does offer an equally good education if it comes from an accredited institution.  In fact, online learning requires more of students in terms of independent study because the student needs to read and study on his own a lot more than one who attends a class and gets to hear the instructor speak.

Online learning is wonderful for those with full lives and erratic schedules provided that they can meet the requirements I mentioned above.  Many of my students are nurses who work nights, people who travel frequently for work, and even parents of young children who can’t afford babysitting and tuition.  My students come from all walks of life – that’s the beauty of online learning.  So, are online classes for you?

Did I leave anything out?  Leave me know in the comments section below.

Fundraising for Kids

Fundraising is not my strong suit, and my daughter needs to begin fundraising in order to earn money for her Girl Scout’s Silver Project.  It was pretty easy coming up with the idea for the project.  My daughter chose to support a local organization’s fund drive for Easter baskets for needy children. She even came up with a pretty simple fundraising idea:  bake sale.  Of course, I waited too long to sign up for the craft shows this holiday season – I’m still waiting to hear as I write this.

While I wait to hear, I thought I would look around and see what other ideas are out there for children to fund raise whether they are working on a Girls Scout badge or a Boy Scout Eagle project.  After all, we have to come up with something to earn money.

These are a few I found that go beyond the car washes and other ones that you see frequently.

Personalized Ornament Sale – I like this one too.  I thought about making our own, but they suggested finding a vendor that will personalize ornaments and offers fundraising discounts to nonprofit groups.  Of course, this has to be planned ahead.

Lights / Ornaments Removal – Offer your services to remove ornaments from yards and houses after the holiday.  This one is really creative, and I can see some people really jumping at it – after all how many houses do you see with ornaments until spring?  This one is better for teens because of the climbing and heights that may be involved.

We Bake for You – Maybe this is one we should consider since we (I) waited so long to contact shows and fairs for the bake sale.  They suggest deciding on a list of about ten things that you bake well and can sell for a nice profit.  Create order forms – they say to time it for major holidays and sporting events.

Restaurant Fundraising Night – See if a local restaurant will give you a share of the proceeds.  Most often they will give you weeknights since those are lower turnout days.  Ask both local restaurants and chains. Remember that in order for this to be successful, you need to really announce, promote and pass out flyers.

Mom-O-Grams – Try your hand at making corsages for special times such as Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.  This is best done as a group with orders taken in advance.  If time and talent is an issue, see if you can work out a discount with a local florist – less profit but less time too.

Photo Scanning – This one is good if you’re handy with a computer. Offer to scan old photos and put them on CDs.  This one can be done throughout the year.  Decide if you want age limits on photos (not too old and fragile).

These are just a few.  Check the Internet for more.  In fact, here are a few Web sites that I found useful – yes, some of the ideas here came from them!

http://www.kidsforourtroops.org/ideasfromkids.htm

http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/ideas/

http://www.fundraising-ideas.org/DIY/

http://www.squidoo.com/fundraisingideasforkids

If you have useful ideas or know a site, share it here.

Kindness of Strangers

Sometimes, it is good to get off topic.  Today is one of those days.  Sometimes, I am struck by the kindness of strangers.

This week, while running errands with my children, my son inadvertently lost his IPod which he had had for less than two weeks.  Needless to say, I was upset and frustrated.  I had the kids look carefully through the van while I called the stores to see if it had been returned.  I wasn’t too hopeful because many people would simply pocket the thing if they found it.

I was thrilled when I called Target, and they said someone had returned it to their lost and found.  Apparently, my son had dropped it by the van in the parking lot.  It’s amazing that it wasn’t even scratched let alone smashed by another vehicle.  Someone was a really good person and simply did the right thing:  returned it.

Throughout the years, I’ve run into many people who were just plain kind to strangers. 

Years ago, when I was in college, two of my high school friends were visiting me in Baltimore.  We had spent much of the morning roaming through Inner Harbor and then we were planning to go to the Aquarium.  It cost more than any of us expected, and we stared at the sign with the fees, and among us, we didn’t have enough.   This older gentleman walked up to us.  We weren’t sure about him since it was the city, but he said he would pay for one of us to get in.  What?  Admission for free?  There had to be a catch.  We were young women and not totally naive.  No catch he said.  His wife had passed away some months ago, and he was lonely and still had his membership.  He said he came most days to the Aquarium just to pass the time, and he made a point to look around and choose someone deserving of a free admission.  Sometimes he would pick a young couple, but that day he picked us.  He said he could tell that we were in college and probably didn’t have enough money.  So he led us through the membership door, paid for one of our admission, tipped his hat and wished us well.

Then some years later, I was at the Bay Bridge heading to visit my parents and got my turn at the toll only to find that the person ahead of me had paid for me.  It was Christmas time.  After that, I’ve done that a few times myself.  It’s a nice gesture and doesn’t cost all that much.  Apparently it is done at lot at the Bay Bridge.

While it doesn’t make up for all the meanness out there, those acts of kindness that pop up here and there give me some faith in humanity.  People have to remember that it’s the little things that matter.  Holding a door for someone coming up behind you.  Letting people off the elevator first before getting on.  Turning something into the lost and found instead of pocketing it.  It doesn’t take much, but it makes a world of difference.

Fiction Writing Contests

There are many contests out there on the Internet for writing contests.  Occasionally, I will list some of them here.  Today, I offer you sites that gives you compilations of contests for 2011.  When 2012 rolls around, I’ll update the pages and even add more:

·         Poets & Writers – Writing Contests, Grants & Awards (use their features to narrow the search scope.

·         Be a Better Writer with Pearl Luke – Creative Writing Contests

·         Writer’s Digest – Writing Competitions

·         Freelance Writing – New Writing Contests

·         Writers-Editors Network – Writing Contests

This list is short.  There are many sites out there that have writing contests.  When you submit to a contest, be sure to read all the information carefully.  For any contest that requires a fee, be sure to look at the sponsor of the contest to make sure they are reputable.  Some reputable contests do charge a few, but a lot of non-reputable do as well, so the only way to really judge is to look at the sponsoring organization.

The Elements of Style

Want a handy little book with gems of advice for plain, clear writing?  Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style is just that book.  It actually has a long history.  It was originally written by English professor William Strunk Jr. in 1918, and he privately published it for use at Cornell University.  It was formally published in 1935.  Then one of Strunk’s former students, E.B. White (yes, of Charlotte’s Web fame), was asked to revise it in 1959.  It has been revised a few times since then, but it is one of the best little books on helping someone write clearly and accurately.

I was first introduced to it by my college professor, and I have found it practical and useful.  It also helps that it is a slim little book and not expensive. You can easily slip it in a book bag or leave it on your desk.  And of course, now it’s available online as well.

What advice does it give?  Well, for one thing it tells you to make every word count.  If a word is unnecessary to the meaning of the sentence, take it out.  It also says don’t use two words when one word will do, and it gives you clear examples, so you understand exactly what they mean.  There are sections on commonly confused words and commonly misspelled words, as well as sections on how to phrase things so that they are clear.  You can read through the book straight through or you can use the index and refer to the sections you need.

There are plenty of detractors of the book (here’s one: "50 Years of Stupid Grammar Advice") because of issues with usage, but those people are serious linguists who take the time to learn English in detail.  Most people will never reach that level of English grammar.  I find enough useful explanations that I still recommend it.  I think most students who struggle with writing, who would never consider studying English, are better off with it than without out it.  If you know of a good style book that is as short and concise as this one, please post here and let us know.

At Bartleby.com:  The Elements of Style 1918 Edition (if you want to see the original)

Cursive or Not?

Yesterday on the Today Show I watched a segment about cursive and what it said about one’s personality and how it is being taught in school.  The elementary school that my children went to taught cursive and then they moved on, and the children never used it again.  Now my children are both in middle school and the 6^th grade has then practice it again.  The 7^th grade requires them to write most of their responses and essays in cursive as do most of the 8^th grade classes.  The 7^th grade teachers last year told us parents that they thought cursive did a lot to improve children’s spelling and test scores.  They think it does a lot to improve children’s cognitive skills based on articles they have read.  I agree, but I thought I should look at what some have published on the matter.

An article in Junior Scholastics from 2006 says, “According to the College Board, the company that administers the SAT, this year's test yielded some surprising results. Only 15 percent of nearly 1.5 million students wrote their essays in cursive. The remaining 85 percent printed their responses. Who scored better? The essays written in cursive had a slightly higher average” (“Should Kids Learn Cursive Writing?”).  This article goes on to say that children should learn cursive even with the packed full curriculum that teachers must teach these days.

Writes Michelle Manafy in her article “Dreaming in TXT,” “A study released by Vanderbilt University professor Steve Graham last November reports that a majority of primary school teachers believe that students with fluent handwriting produce superiorly composed assignments.”  She doesn’t necessarily agree, since she hated writing by hand and was taken to task in 5^th grade for horrible handwriting, but she at least acknowledges both sides.  I am not saying that everyone should be a superior writer or have beautiful handwriting, but I think there is something to writing by hand and in cursive whether pretty or not.

Some will say that with all the technology around that handwriting is less necessary than it once was.  That may be true, but I think that cursive does help with learning.  It does something in the programming of the mind.  I think there is something to learning a skill manually and then when it’s mostly mastered, it’s okay to use technology to make it more efficient. 

Take math for instance.  Children should still learn how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, and then when they’ve mastered those skills, they can use calculators for the higher level math like algebra when it’s more important to put the equation together rather than show that you know how to multiply correctly.

I think writing by hand and then learning cursive and using it to write help with children’s development as writers.  Today, I mostly write on the computer, but there are times when I still write by hand.  Sometimes a computer isn’t handy or appropriate for what I have to write.  I have the skills to type, print or write in cursive, and I can switch quickly from one form to the other without so much as a thought. 

See How Much Plagiarism There Is on the Internet

There is a lot of plagiarism on the Internet.  Yes, I know my last blog dealt with how students plagiarized.  This one will show you how much is going on.

Try this exercise if you want to see just how much.  Go to Wikipedia.  Look up something scientific like “stem cell research.”  Then copy and paste a sentence from the article and put it in Google within quotations.  See how many sites come up with that exact same wording. 

For this blog, I search for “The practical definition of a stem cell is the functional definition—a cell that has the potential to regenerate tissue over a lifetime.”  My entire first page offered sites with the exact same wording.  In fact, I scrolled through ten pages, and all 92 results had this exact same wording.  Which one is the original?  I have no idea, but at least 91 sites plagiarized.  Who knows, maybe the original one on the Internet plagiarized from a print publication.

One exercise I have my online students do is find out just how many papers there are for sale.  An easy one you can try is Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.”  One search you can try is – papers “A Rose for Emily.”  Scroll through the first ten results, and you’ll see a variety of sties offering you papers for free and for a fee.  One site I see today actually tells you the grade you will potentially get for each paper offered. Plagiarism has become a business.

Why as a teacher would I post this information?  Won’t students go and use this advice on how to plagiarize?  Perhaps.  But as there are more ways for students to cheat, there are also more ways for teachers to catch cheating.  Most students will take this information and remember that they should not plagiarize and that there is a good chance that they will be caught.  I think education should involve the good and bad.  Students need to know what’s out there, even if they should not use it.

Ways Students Plagiarize

            Let me say first:  Most students are honest.  Still, we are in the middle of October, and I have already had at least one student who plagiarized his paper.  What a shame.  He could have earned a low passing grade if he had turned in his own work even if the quality wasn’t high.  Instead, he earned a zero, and now I will be watching him like a hawk.

            Plagiarism has become very easy in the age of the Internet.  The more that there is posted online, the more there is for people to copy.  But let me tell you one sad truth about plagiarizing: It takes as much effort to plagiarize well as it does to write the paper yourself.

            Here are some of the ways my students plagiarize:

1.      Copy and paste someone else’s whole essay/article into his paper.  This is the laziest method of plagiarizing, and there are two problems with it.  The first problem is that he is copying someone else’s writing.  What is the chance that what he is copying and taking credit as his own will match his style of writing?  Teachers learn styles from reading all assignments.  The second problem is that lazy plagiarist will not take the time to delete links from the paper.  Yes, I have caught students simply because the blue underline link was still in the paper.

2.      Copy and paste from a number of essays/articles into his paper.  While more effort has been put into this form of plagiarism, it still doesn’t work well.  Now the person has two or three or more styles of writing in his paper.  The result is a paper that often jumps around and changes styles from paragraph to paragraph.

3.      Copy and paste from a number of essays/articles into his paper changing just enough words to not get detected by automatic programs.  Most students do not do this well either because they insert words randomly without taking time to read and find the right words to substitute.  By the time a student does that, he might as well have just written the paper.  It ends up being about the same amount of time.

So, if you do have to write and you are nervous, then work through the nervousness.  Don’t plagiarize.  It’s not worth it, and you won’t get any better at writing by not writing.  Find someone to help you write.  If you are a college student, go to the writing center at your college.  Almost all colleges offer tutoring services in writing that’s included in tuition costs.

Izzy Is Finally Wired

I’ve been contemplating venturing into blogging for a long time.  What held me back was a theme.  I didn’t have a theme, and I felt that a theme is very important for a blog.  You see, I’m a dabbler.  I design Web sites and a whole host of other things that go with Web site.  I teach English at two community colleges.  I love trivia and learning all kinds of things – some practical but most not.  I wear a lot of hats and do all kinds of things.

I finally decided that if I waited to find a theme that fit me, I would never start a blog.  Today, I take the plunge and begin my blog. Maybe I’ll fill the blog with what I know – Web design and marketing, writing, and tips and tricks I find useful in life for whatever problem comes my way.

Welcome to Izzy’s Wired.