[English] Teachers buy/sell lesson plans online

[Stephen Loosley]

----- Original Message ----- 

From: David <smith.david.m at edumail.vic.gov.au>
Sent: Monday, July 03, 2006 6:55 PM
Subject: RE: [English] Teachers buy/sell lesson plans online


> Doesn't seem right to me
> Dave
> 
>> This site seems to be attracting some interest ..
>> http://www.teacherspayteachers.com where teachers
>> can buy resources, and, sell lesson plans you've created.
>> Sellers pay an annual fee, set your own prices, and a 15%
>> sale commission ..

Fair enough Dave, and debate has been raging on the Oz-teacher
list also :) With respect and without knowing the exact nature of
your concerns regarding the website, may I support the principle?

For example, here's an email posted to Oz-teacher's list tonight ...

Hi Angela and all,

Well said, if I may say.. must say tho, I do have
perhaps a little more faith in the democratic free
market system whereby people buy and sell, in terms
of product-quality .. though giving and receiving
freely is of course always nice.

I'm not hard or unfeeling or anything, but I really
think things one buys are usually better than free
ones .. and I want the best for students. I agree that
kids are indeed money conscious today, and matters
such as kindness and charity are essential .. good on
you and your school for your efforts, I'm sure your
kids are marvellous people.. but they wouldn't know
where their lessons came from, and don't you want
the best for them? If sites like this take-off, then we
are likely to get just that .. maybe lesson specialists,
good local people who can easily work at it full time
and readily net publish for us. Isn't that a good idea?

In future, I can readily see a whole profession of self-
publishing lesson-plan & resource-finder-creator ppl at
home .. top experts writing curriculum materials for us
and to-order (eg what about the asbergers student in the
class.. can we order a special lesson extension for him?)\

Paying experts directly to work full-time on up-to-date
local ed curriculum and resources might become normal :)

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Angela
Sent: Sunday, July 02, 2006 2:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Oz-teachers] Teachers buy/sell lesson plans online

Hmmm . I think it would be wonderful to be able to access brilliant 
resources online - but I doubt if websites like this will be offering 
them (although am very happy to be proven wrong). I also know that people 
have every right to develop a site such as this and sell their lessons . 
just as everyone else has the right to not buy from them.

What I was objecting to was a reflection of the change I see within 
society where people have a need to put a $ value on everything.  What 
happened to philanthropy and volunteering something purely for the sake 
of helping someone? .. and yes, it does 'stick in my throat' when I see 
people trying to cash in on it in any small way they can - I see it as a 
reflection of what society is becoming.  In the school where I teach, we 
place a lot of value in helping others - and the more I see of the next 
generation, the more I think we need it.

Angela

....oooo000O000oooo.....