April
26, 2006
Teacher examines
textbook pricing issue
Tom Laichas, co-editor
of World History Connected (http://www.worldhistoryconnected.org),
and world history teacher at the Crossroads School in Santa Monica,
California, examines the price of textbooks and offers some solutions
(a favorite of TAA's: "Don't resell examination copies. If cost is a
moral issue, putting exam copies on the market earns the seller a long
visit to one of the warm middle levels of Dante's hell."), in his online
essay, "On My Desk: Why are textbooks so expensive?" Read the full article
here.
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Direct Instruction
author earns award
Textbook author
Siegfried "Zig" Englemann, developer of the Direct Instruction method,
was awarded a Pride of SRA Academic Recognition Award for Lifetime Achievement
in Education from SRA/McGraw-Hill. He is the author of 18 books, 20
reading programs, eight spelling programs, 18 math programs and 13 language/writing
programs. Some of his best-known Direct Instruction programs include
Corrective Reading, Horizons, and Reading Mastery.
Englemann's philosophy
is that all children can learn when taught well. He has dedicated the
past 40 years to advancing the theory and practice of instruction. His
career began with a philosophy degree from the University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign. After a brief career in advertising, Engelmann's focus
shifted to education in the 1960s, including empirical research and
field-testing of instructional techniques.
Through the teaching
of his own children, Engelmann developed the Direct Instruction teaching
method, which he refined and tested through field work with thousands
of children. His work for the U.S. Office of Education led to the Bereiter-Engelmann
Preschool Program, which demonstrated that well-crafted instruction
could boost cognitive skills. Engelmann was involved with the U.S. Office
of Education's Project Head Start as well as Project Follow Through,
referred to as the largest controlled comparative study of teaching
methods in history.
In a study by the American
Institutes for Research's Comprehensive School Reform Quality Center in
1999, Direct Instruction was one of two programs out of 22 that showed
evidence of positive effects on student achievement. In 1994, Engelmann
was honored with the Fred Keller Award of Excellence by the American Psychological
Association.
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Book reseller
defends its practices
TAA Executive Director
Richard Hull recently e-mailed a letter to book reseller etextshop.com
asking the company to stop its practice of reselling desk copies to
students. "When book resellers offer to buy desk copies from faculty,
they are engaging in a practice that subverts the publisher's intentions,"
wrote Hull. "Such copies, if they make their way into circulation among
student users, never earn the publisher a profit or the author any royalites."
etextshop.com responded
by e-mail, saying that postal code law defines desk copies as gifts,
and states that once given to professors, they are free to do whatever
they wish with them. "Therefore with all due respect book buying is
legal and until it becomes illegal we will keep buying the unsolicited
textbooks the publishers unload on professors," the company wrote.
Hull replied by
e-mail saying: "Do note that I did not anywhere say that you are engaged
in an illegal activity." Rather, he said, for TAA, the reselling of
desk copies is a question of respecting the integrity of both publishing
and authoring, and of the classroom.
He went on to tell
the company that a number of colleges and universities have banned the
practice from their campuses, forbidding their faculty from selling
desk copies to book resellers. A number of state legislators, he wrote,
have passed legislation prohibiting state employees from reselling gifts
they receive in their capacities as state employees. "For those states,
the question of whether postal code law or state employee law trumps
is a real issue," wrote Hull, asking the company to at least assure
him that it does not solicit sales by state employees of textbooks in
states where the practice is prohibited by statute.
He added: "You
would gain a great deal of good PR and appreciation if you would desist
entirely from the practice of purchasing faculty desk copies and content
yourselves with trading in used student-owned textbooks."
The company replied:
"Your request is noted." They went on to say that they honor requests
from schools "wishing to be ommitted from our services," and that they
are aware of "those schools who are not into selling books and we do
not contact them." Their primary business, they said, is "to provide
an alternate means for students who wish to sell back their books when
their bookstore is no longer purchasing their book because the text
has not been re-adopted, or the price the book store is paying to buyback
their books is too low."
(Original
letter to etextshop.com from Richard Hull)
Gentlemen:
A member of our
organization has sent your solicitation to us for reaction.
Text and Academic
Authors Association opposes the practice of purchasing textbooks obtained
from faculty who have received them as desk copies and reselling them
to students.
Publishers send
desk copies of textbooks to faculty for adoption consideration. Publishers
do so in anticipation that the faculty member will either adopt the
text and use the desk copy to support teaching, or not adopt the text
and either pass the desk copy along to a colleague for consideration
or to the departmental or university library, or return it to the
publisher. Such books are an investment by the publisher in the marketing
of the work.
Some desk copies
are additionally annotated with answers to quizzes and with other
material that supports the teacher side of the relationship.
When book resellers
offer to buy desk copies from faculty, they are engaging in a practice
that subverts the publisher's intentions: such copies, if they make
their way into circulation among student users, never earn the publisher
a profit and the author any royalties. Annotated copies further corrupt
the integrity of the classroom by encouraging students merely to turn
in text exercise answers without working them out and learning the
material.
Therefore, TAA
asks that you immediately cease your solicitations from faculty members
in all schools, and return the textbooks you have acquired to either
those who have unwittingly sold them to you or to the publishers of
the books.
Kindly notify
me when you have ceased these offensive practices so that I can, in
turn, notify our members of your cooperation.
Richard T. Hull,
Ph.D.
Executive Director, Text and Academic Authors Association
and Text and Academic Authors Association Foundation
3241 Heather Hill Lane
Tallahassee, FL 32309
(First
response from etextshop.com)
Sorry Richard,
But we can't
help you here. There is a postal code law that is in place that defines
desk copies as gifts. It further states these copies once given to
professors are there sole property and they can do whatever they want
with the books.They are defined as a gift in this case. Therefore
with all due respect book buying is legal and until it becomes illegal
we will keep buying the unsolicited textbooks the publishers unload
on professors. We completely respect the wishes of those professors
who do not wish to sell their books and we when ever contacted by
them , we remove their names from our data base, for future mailings.
warm regards,
etextshop.com
(Response
by Richard Hull to etextshop.com)
Dear etext.com:
Thank you for
your prompt reply.
Do note that
I did not anywhere say that you are engaged in an illegal activity.
It is for us
a question of respecting the integrity of both publishing and authoring,
and of the classroom. Selling regular textbooks that have not been
first purchased from a publisher deprives both publisher and author
of revenue; selling annotated textbooks to students undermines the
integrity of the system of homework and examinations.
However, you
surely know that a number of colleges and universities have banned
the practices that you are involved in from their campuses, and that
a number of state legislatures have passed legislation prohibiting
state employees from reselling gifts they receive in their capacities
as state employees. For those states, the question of whether postal
code law or state employee law trumps is a real issue.
Can you at least
give us the assurance that you do not solicit sale by state employees
of textbooks in states where the practice is prohibited by statute?
You would gain
a great deal of good PR and appreciation if you would desist entirely
from the practice of purchasing faculty desk copies and content yourselves
with trading in used student-owned textbooks.
Thank you for
your consideration.
Richard T. Hull,
Ph.D.
Executive Director, Text and Academic Authors Association
and Text and Academic Authors Association Foundation
3241 Heather Hill Lane
Tallahassee, FL 32309
(Second response
by etextshop.com)
Hi Richard,
Your request
is noted. And as we had stated in our previous email we honor requests
to those schools wishing to be ommitted from our services. We are
also aware of those schools who are not into selling books and we
do not contact them. Our primary business is to provide an alternate
means for students who wish to sell back their books when a) their
bookstore is no longer purchasing their book because the text has
not been re-adopted, or the price the book store is paying to buyback
their books is to low. Thank you for taking the time to contact us.
We appreciate your point of view.
warm regards,
etextshop.com
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TAA asks book
buyer to stop purchase, resale of desk copies
While TAA Executive
Director Richard Hull applauded Squirrel River Books for their refusal
to purchase and resell annotated textbooks in a recent letter to the
company, he implored them to cease their practice of purchasing and
reselling other desk copies.
"Your refusal to
purchase and resell annotated textbooks is helping to keep the integrity
of the classroom from being corrupted by the circulation of test bank
questions and answers, as well as answers to exercises, among students,"
he said. "Nonetheless, we still have a problem with your purchase and
sale of other desk copies, as they have not been initially sold with
the consequent earning of profits for the publisher and royalties for
the author."
Hull asked that
the company immediately cease their solicitations from faculty members
in all schools and return the textbooks they have acquired either to
"those who have unwittingly sold them to you or to the publishers of
the books."
From the Squirrel
River Books Buying Policy posted on its website:
"Please Note! If
the word "Annotated", "IAE", or "AIE" appear anywhere on the covers
or bindings, we cannot buy that book."
"We accept Free
Copy, Complimentary Copy, Professional Copy and Instructor Copy textbooks,
study guides and workbooks are acceptable and will be considered in
the representative condition quoted by Squirrel River Books."
From:
"Richard Hull"
Date: Tue May 2, 2006
To: SquirrelRivierBooks@comcast.net
Subject: Purchase of faculty text books
Gentlemen:
A member of our
organization has sent your solicitation to us for reaction.
Text and Academic
Authors Association opposes the practice of purchasing textbooks obtained
from faculty who have received them as desk copies, and reselling
them to students.
Publishers send
desk copies of textbooks to faculty for adoption consideration. Publishers
do so in anticipation that the faculty member will either adopt the
text and use the desk copy to support teaching, or not adopt the text
and either pass the desk copy along to a colleague for consideration
or to the departmental or university library, or return it to the
publisher. Such books are an investment by the publisher in the marketing
of the work.
Some desk copies
are additionally annotated with answers to quizzes and with other
material that supports the teacher side of the relationship.
When book resellers
offer to buy desk copies from faculty, they are engaging in a practice
that subverts the publisher's intentions: such copies, if they make
their way into circulation among student users, never earn the publisher
a profit and the author any royalties. Annotated copies further corrupt
the integrity of the classroom by encouraging students merely to turn
in text exercise answers without working them out and learning the
material.
We note with
pleasure your refusal to purchase and resell annotated text books,
and applaud your ethics in that regard. You are helping to keep the
integrity of the classroom from being corrupted by the circulation
of test bank questions and answers, as well as answers to exercises,
among students.
Nonetheless,
we still have a problem with your purchase and resale of other desk
copies, as they have not been initially sold with the consequent earning
of profits for the publisher and royalties for the author.
Therefore, TAA
asks that you immediately cease your solicitations from faculty members
in all schools, and return the textbooks you have acquired to either
those who have unwittingly sold them to you or to the publishers of
the books.
Kindly notify
me when you have ceased these offensive practices so that I can, in
turn, notify our members of your cooperation.
Richard T. Hull,
Ph.D.
Executive Director, Text and Academic Authors Association
and Text and Academic Authors Association Foundation
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Procrastination,
perfectionism: Are they all that different?
Dr. Dominique T.
Chlup, an assistant professor of adult education, and the director of
the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning (TCALL),
at Texas A&M University, believes that there is a close relationship
between procrastination and perfectionism, and explores that relationship
in her Writer's Block column, "Cutting the E-mail Cord: One Writer's
Recognition of the Relationship between Procrastination and Perfectionism."
Read it here.
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TAA awards seven
Textys, three McGuffeys
Seven textbooks
have been selected for 2006 Textbook Excellence Awards (Textys) and
three textbooks have been selected for 2006 William Holmes McGuffey
Awards (McGuffeys) in 2006, TAA announced.
Two textbooks,
Criminology, A Sociological Approach, by Steve F. Barkan, and
Criminal Justice: Mainstream & Crosscurrents, by John R.
Fuller, tied for the college level humanities/social sciences Texty.
All the winners were college level.
The
Texty winners:
Steve F. Barkan,
Criminology, A Sociological Approach, (Pearson/Prentice Hall
Publishing)
John R. Fuller,
Criminal Justice: Mainstream & Crosscurrents (Pearson Prentice
Hall Publishing)
Karen Timberlake,
Basic Chemistry (Benjamin Cummings/Pearson Education)
Maureen Burton
and Ray Lombra, The Financial System and the Economy: Principles
of Money and Banking (Thomson/South-Western)
William Stallings,
Computer Organization and Architecture (Prentice-Hall)
Barbara Waxer
and Marsha Baum, Internet Surf and Turf - Revealed: The Essential
Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, Finding Media, (Thomson Course Technology)
Dr. Laura Thalman,
Integrated Calculus: Calculus With Precalculus and Algebra (Houghton
Mifflin Company)
The
McGuffey winners:
Thalia Dorwick
(and inactive authors: Marty Knorre, Ana Maria Perez Girones, William
Glass, Hildebrando Villarreal) Puntos de partida: An Invitation to
Spanish, 7th edition (McGraw-Hill Higher Education)
Ron Larson, Bob
Hostetler and Bruce Edwards, Calculus, 8th edition (Larson
Texts, Inc; Houghton Mifflin)
Ann McHoes,
Understanding Operating Systems, 4th edition (Thomson Course Technology)
For more information
about TAA's Texty and McGuffey Awards, click
here.
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TAA members give
gift memberships
TAA member Myrna
Bell Rochester gave a gift membership to Eileen M. Angelini. TAA member
Jay Withgott gave a gift membership to Siri Carpenter and Anne Houtman.
TAA member Roger Flynn gave a gift membership to Prashant Krishnamurthy.
TAA member Al Shenk gave gift memberships to Jorge Calvo and James Coykendall.
TAA member Steven Krantz gave a gift membership to Harold R. Parks.
Thanks Myrna, Jay, Roger and Al and Steven; and welcome Eileen, Siri,
Anne, Prashant, Jorge, James and Harold!
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TAA members make
contributions
TAA members Andrew
S. Tanenbaum, David Ellenbogen, Robert Christopherson have made contributions
to TAA. Thank you all for your support!
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TAA members make
contributions to TAAF
TAA members Fred
Kleiner and Julia Lobur made contributions to the TAA Foundation. Thank
you both!
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TAA welcomes
new members!
TAA welcomes the
following new members: James G. Bralla, Jan Lyons, Ian Mahon, Jorge
Calvo, James Coykendall, Eileen M. Angelini, Siri Carpenter, Anne Houtman,
Prashant Krishnamurthy, Harold R. Parks, Frank Wilson, Tim Wilson
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Busy TAA people:
Frank C. Wilson
Frank C. Wilson,
a mathematics instructor at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, recently
published "Finite Mathematics" (Houghton Mifflin, 2006) and "Finite
Mathematics and Applied Calculus" (Houghton Mifflin, 2006). The books
are written in easy-to-read language and focus on teaching mathematics
in the context of real-life applications. The series' innovative Make
It Real projects motivate students to model data from their personal
lives and to use the models to better understand the world. Wilson's
"Brief Applied Calculus" will be published in 2007 and "Applied Calculus"
in 2008. Wilson's picture book, "Measure Up! A Bug Contest", was published
by Innovative Kids in 2003.
Click
here for recent Busy TAA people
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Staff photos
added to TAA web site
Want to know who
you've been conversing with by phone and e-mail all these years? Check
out the new staff photos added to the Staff Directory page on the TAA
website, click here.
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TAA mentioned
in editor's club's favorites list
The Western New
England Editorial Freelancers' Network, an association of self-employed
professionals who work with words, lists the TAA website as one of its
favorite websites under "Current Issues in Editing." Click
here to visit the web site.
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TAA member testimonials
TAA would love to
hear from members about what they find most advantageous about their
membership. What first caused you to consider joining TAA? What benefit
or service does TAA offer that you find most helpful? How has your membership
in TAA helped your authoring career? Why do you continue to be a member
of TAA? Please send your signed testimonials (include your name, title,
field, college/university, etc.) to Kim Pawlak, Publications Editor,
kmpawlak@centurytel.net.
Your testimonials may be used in TAA News Alerts, on the TAA website,
in a future TAA brochure, in a future issue of The Academic Author,
etc.
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Renew your membership
online!
TAA has just launched
a new online member form that will allow members to renew online using
a secure server. The form can also be used by new members. Check it
out in the TAA Member Center here.
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