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February 11, 2006
Lordie. Pie.
From: luap_123@yahoo.com
Subject: Sell Your Original Course Materials to Other Teachers
Date: February 11, 2006 12:47:19 PM EST
To: rehoward@syr.edu
Reply-To: luap_123@yahoo.com
Dear Potential Teacher-Author,
A group of teachers has developed a new model for educational publishing,
one that has evolved over the past few months. Initially, we were going to
review, edit and approve all submissions for our new website called
TEACHERSpayTEACHERS.com, a marketplace for original educational resources
(lesson plans, lectures, examinations, worksheets, complete courses,
thematic unit plans, projects, syllabi, etc.). What such a process does,
though, is turn us into a dictator of style and substance, an idea to which
we have become averse.
Therefore, we are instead creating an open marketplace that will be
regulated by ratings and comments, sort of like eBay for teachers/professors
and teacher-created materials. It will be ready in about six weeks. The
exciting thing is that everyone (in K-12, higher and adult ed, either
current, former or retired) who believes they create high quality materials
can join, create a personal and professional profile, upload
documents/products, write descriptions, set prices, manage their catalogs
and access sales data. Essentially, you will be starting your own small
businesses. The royalties rate is very high: 85%, to be paid on a quarterly
basis, and teacher-authors will maintain the intellectual property rights to
their work. Purchasers of products will receive instant downloads and will
rate and write comments about their purchases. Eventually, the cream will
rise to the top and the best teacher-authors will make the most money.
In the long run we think that our site will accumulate the largest
collection of teacher-created, teacher-tested, practical materials in the
world. New teachers will save time. Experienced teachers will improve their
techniques. Great teachers will make lots of supplemental income. And the
ultimate winners will be students.
If you are interested in participating in this new endeavor, please reply in
the affirmative to luap_123@yahoo.com. You are not committing to anything
and there is no risk. If you don't like the site once you see it, you don't
have to take part. For those of you that DO respond, I will allow you to
join a few days before our actual launch date and enter you in a drawing for
a free iPod. (We need to get off to a good start!) To date, I have enticed 7
former state Teachers of the Year to participate... so a high standard of
quality will be our foundation.
Sincere Regards,
Paul Edelman
Founder, Teacher Synergy Inc.
TEACHERS pay TEACHERS . COM
(under construction)
Posted by senioritis at February 11, 2006 03:08 PM
Comments
But what makes this any different than publishing your course material in a book or journal? Does this hinder or hurt the integrity of the material?
Surely the original author's work will become retextualized or used somewhat differently than originally intended?
Is this a great move on the Paul's behalf? Maybe. Whatever the result, the bottom line is that Paul stands to make a good deal of money.
Posted by: Spiced at February 12, 2006 09:39 AM
What makes this different is that this is a money-making scheme only, and it also stands to disrupt one of the last bastions of communally shaped ideas and practices in higher ed. Maybe I am naive to say that, but very few of my teaching practices did I dream up in a room alone. With a room full of students, maybe. But most often in colloquia or hallway chats or grad training seminars.
And I have never, ever had an offer by a journal or textbook company to have my name entered into a drawing for an i-pod. Pie, indeed.
How about this one: States pay teachers.org? Or Federal government pays teachers.org? These would not be .coms, and that would be the point.
dh
Posted by: dhawhee at February 12, 2006 11:21 AM
Do you think the aversion to "dictating style and substance" is related to the hours and hours editing would require?
clo
Posted by: clo at February 15, 2006 06:57 AM
Or you could contribute your materials on Wikibooks!
Posted by: BradP at February 15, 2006 03:18 PM