Is anyone who's watched the "man with the tan and no plan" for the last 7 years at all surprised by this latest fiasco?

Typical Dale Fail.

233 to go.

I did not feel the social studies pilot with the on-line textbook was a success. It was time consuming to 'page' through the book. The entirety of facing pages could not be seen on the screen which took away from graphics and all the information that is hightlighted in the margins. My son found it frustrating to study from the textbook and I believe he spent less time using it than a paper textbook and although history had been one of his favorite subjects he enjoyed it much less. Another point that needs to be considered is that many teachers do not really use the textbook so any pilot program needs to ascertain how much the textbook is used before it can truly determine if the online text is effective and supports learning. I understand the cost benefit but the online textbooks I have seen used in FCPS are lacking in ease of use and discouraged rather than encourage learning.

I have to agree with the other poster on this issue. In my house, the online social studies textbook was a complete failure. The textbook was not user-friendly at all. There was no searching for topics and reading from a desktop computer was just not pleasant. I ended up going to Amazon and purchasing a hard-cover book for my son to use at home.

I am unimpressed with the online textbooks my daughter has used. It is difficult to navigate within them and search functions are not easy to find. In one book, two pages displayed on the screen and we couldn't zoom in, making the text virtually illegible. I am also concerned about the access isue for lower income students - providing a computer to a child who has no internet at home doesn't help.

Change is hard folks but we are in the 21st century. Print edition books are so 19th and 20th century and an expense that public education officials will have to consider in the years of budget cutting ahead. High school and college students have made the transition on their own to rely on technology to access the content they need to complete coursework. Maybe elementary and middle school students will need a hybrid form of electronic and print media that enables them to access the content and practice exercises necessary for skill mastery and learning. Hats off to public school officials for initiating efforts to experiment with transitions in learning that reflect the technological advances that are now a part of business and everyday living in our society. Many models will be tried with some being better having scaffolded and improved upon the less liked models being criticized here.
Interesting that the bond measures for Library improvements in Fairfax County passed when the whole world of print media is transitioning into the 21st century. We should watch to see if "improvements" at the libraries reflect more computer and technology resources for citizens and school age children lacking internet access at home or whether the bond money is spent on maintaining the traditional library of the past.

I agree with prior posters that online textbooks are hard to use and hard to read. You can't flip through the pages quickly to find information - navigation is difficult. I also think reading from an electronic screen is harder on your eyes. Plus I find it ridiculous that there is no way to access this material if you are in an area with no internet service. My kids try to make the most of their valuable time by bringing their schoolwork to their sports activities, so they can study while waiting for their events. Electronic textbooks have made that impossible to do. Most of the kids I know hate the electronic texts. Plus one teacher I know said they don't even save money, they cost just as much as the hardcopies. If that is true, then FCPS has wasted an awful lot of money. Perhaps electronic texts will eventually be the way to go, but it is clear that in this case the design is not adequate to the task. There should be a way to download things to individual e-readers that don't require internet access. I suspect that the publishers of the math text, rather than designing materials specifically suited for e-texts, simply took the paper text and just tried to adapt it. If e-texts are to become accepted, the materials must be suitable and be properly designed so that students benefit. To just switch to e-texts because it seems "cool" is foolhardy and a waste of taxpayers money.

Some book publishers, neither want anyone to copy their material to another computer or to print the page(s). If you want it you will have to hand write the material into your own notebook. It is still against the copyright!!!!!! Read the copyright notification in the flyleaf of the book!

That is the whole truth of the situation.

As a math tutor, I do not like the online books! Students need to learn how to use their math book as a reference book and they are not bothering doing that with the online one because it is a bother to use!

Interesting story. The software seems to be for some reason designed to prevent printing. If that’s going to be the case, the software has got to address the navigation issues that everyone is seeing. The measure of merit is not the technology it is presented on, it is the real learning imparted. For that, this particular software program gets an “F”. Fortunately, since it is software, the fixes can be made by the vendor and distributed at no cost to the school. If, on the other hand, the vendor will not stand in back of his product, the entire program should be scrapped before it does more damage in this school year. But don’t lose the lesson: Any future foray into computerized teaching must be carefully evaluated by the teachers. Not blindly picked by the School Board.

One benefit that has not been brought up yet are the additional resources available because of the online textbooks. A part of the resources includes online quizzes that automatically assign remediation problems based on the problems missed on the quiz, so students not only get immediate feedback, they also have additional instruction and practice tailored to their individual needs. There is a website, www.interactmath.com, that has an infinite number of practice problems for students to practice with. Within a problem, students can view an example or get help with the problem, allowing them a way to improve their skills even when no one around them can help them.

Don't get me wrong -- the online aspect of the book can be a pain. It is, howver the way of the future. I recently took a course at NVCC. The electronic book and access to the online testing site cost about $75 - $100 less than an actual textbook and access to the online testing site. It is a pain, but I would rather my child learn how to use an electronic textbook NOW when I can helpl them rather than in college when I'm paying thousands in tuition for a course.

L Pentek,
I agree that training the teachers is key to the success of any program. Teachers are like any other set of people with many resistant to change especially if new technical applications are dumped into their laps and they are expected to learn on their own in order to implement. I am a retired educator that has seen vast sums of public money wasted on grandiose technology and textbook products. I agree that early learners need the hands on print materials and suggested a hybrid approach to instruction that uses both formats in my earlier remarks.
Yes technology like textbooks is also expensive but then as I recall as a teacher in the trenches a few years ago, the cost for technology for my classroom was significantly higher than if I went out and equipped my home office with equivalent hardware and software. Public institutions are get raked over the coals in the procurement process because that has been the method of conducting business for decades.
In the system where I worked every High School and many middle schools were given expensive Polycom system to utilize for instructional purposes but there were no training workshops on use and implementation. Some educators were motivated to learn on their own while others put the equipment into storage rooms where it sat unused.
A colleague and myself developed a hands on science lab where students built and tested model wind turbines. We had to teach ourselves how to use the Polycom system and.....

L. Pentek cont. then had to train teachers at the schools how they would use the system while we conducted the lab from a remote location. We were able to set the lab up at several schools and conduct the same lesson simultaneously with 2 - 4 classes instead of the usual one class. As with anything new there were initial glitches but with perseverance they were solved and use of the technology was helping us reach a larger number of students than would have been possible otherwise. That translates into a cost savings in both time and equipment. Leadership and a clear understanding of expectations are what is lacking in bringing our education institutions into the 21st Century. John Dewey was instrumental in establishing the factory model educational system of the 20th century. We have yet to have a singular personality like Mr. Dewey to bring our educational system into the 21st Century.

I would like to reiterate, if we are to make the best use of online materials, then the publishers need to spend time developing course content that is geared towards more interactive use. Simply scanning a regular text and then adding links here and there doesn't do any good. Instead of page after page of written material, why not use electronics to engage students by making things interactive? Make things fun, make them interesting, and the students will learn more than if they are just sitting in front of a screen scrolling through pages of text.

I am both a parent of FCPS students and a teacher. At both levels, the online textbook switch has been a failure. As the parents have writtten, my child cannot access the textbook the majority of the time. I am continually asked if I know how to access the book and if I am putting in the correct password! His teacher now copies his Algebra II. His history teacher cannot access the textbook and now scans in articles and my son has to open up the PDF scanned document in Blackboard. It's very difficult to read as most of the articles are written in tiny font. Last year, his civics teacher had the same problem with the pilot program - it was not a success. Overall, it is extremely difficult to read and learn. Again,to scroll back and forth and have to look up words and then to be taking notes on the material has left my son frustrated and angry at not being able to succeed in a reasonable time frame and in an organized manner.

As an elementary teacher, my students areimpoverished and 80% do not own a computer. They do not even go to the public library because their parents do not own cars! The children do not know how to log onto a computer most of the time, let alone how to access an online textbook. To use the mobile laptops at my school is an enormous hassle. I would like to see the Board of Supervisors haul a computer cart with 16 laptops across a parking lot in the winter to a TRAILER! This is an utter fiasco. I copy, copy, copy.

I am a teacher and have 3 boys -- each in a different school. My 5th grader's teacher sent home the info on how to login to the textbook two weeks ago -- in other words, nearly a quarter of the way into the school year. This says to me she probably has not been using it. I have gotten no information for my middle school son, who says the only online textbook they are using is the social studies one.
As a teacher, we were hit right before school started with the new standards we are being evaluated on (so far, we have only gotten training in one of the 7 new standards) plus the online textbook. We had to watch a 2 hour video on our own time about using the textbook. You can't put in search terms to find things, and our computers automatically log us off after ten minutes -- right when we are teaching. No, we can't change that, it's a security thing. The really funny part is that THESE TEXTBOOKS ARE NOT ALIGNED TO FCPS STANDARDS. They are aligned to the core standards for math, which FCPS does not use. My fourth grade textbook has SOME lessons taught in fourth grade, but others that have nothing at all to do with Virginia's SOLs. Other standards I have to teach are in the third and fifth grade textbooks; teachers only have access to the textbook assigned to their grade, even if it does not cover everything they are required to cover. Many of my students have ONE home computer to share with siblings -- if all their textbooks are online it's impossible for them to work!

FCPS is using online textbooks at the elementary level, as well...I have a child in second grade where they are using an online math textbook and the teacher has to print lessons out of it for the kids if she wants to teach from a hard copy. And they are launching the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) to school, asking elementary aged students to bring expensive devices such as I-Pads, Kindles, and the like to school to supplement the computers accessible to students at the school. Many parents responded negatively at Back to School Night to both of these initiatives (BYOD and online textbooks) at such the elementary level.

I do not understand how this fiasco happened. Last spring, I (as a parent of 2 FCPS students) was notified that 2 different math book series were under review. I went to Gatehouse to examine both. Both were hard copy texts; no mention was made of anything online! I submitted my written comments about the one I preferred. I told my school board rep, who told me that both series were going to be used based on the school's preference. Clearly this did not happen.

231

As an elementary school teacher I can say that at my school the reaction to the new text has been very negative. Teachers are expected to teach math material in the order provided by the FCPS pacing guide. The online books are not ordered in the same way. Accordingly, for the first unit, the material in the text came from a chapter towards the end of the book which assumed many other things had already been taught. Many of the teachers at my school have decided that it is easier to create theiir own material or find material from other sources and have either abandoned the new online text or are using it sparingly. Another big complaint is that there was insufficient training of the teachers regarding the online text. A one hour video last June in no way prepared staff for the new materials, much of which did not arrive untilthe second or third week of school. I predict that math SOL scores will go down across grade levels.

This is just more of Gatehouse domination. How long has it been since these people were on the frontlines in the classroom--or were they ever? I hope the new Supe does a complete overhaul and listens to the teachers and parents.

When will Gatehouse learn that "new" does not necessarily mean "better"? Look at what they do--changing the report card to a cumbersome time intensive evaluation system requiring many extra hours-for mediocre results that are not understood by the teachers, parents, or students. Closing a successful "old" elementary school and shipping kids off to trailers in overcrowded schools that are further away.. Developing a teacher evaluation system that may or may not be better--but that is confusing and demanding to the teachers. Developing "new" testing for TJ that results in students who need remediation--but not changing the demographics.

Part 1:

Earlier this year I inquired of both my children’s history/civics teachers about getting an actual printed textbook vice using the electronic textbook. You see, both of my children have IEP’s and by the IEP’s very definition and nature, it is about accommodating learning styles. I was told that the School Board had made this decision and the electronic book was all they had. What was the basis for this decision? Could it be the direction of higher education in the Commonwealth of VA? After all, wouldn’t that be an FCPS student’s next venture? I sent an email to the admissions office of 20 Virginia colleges and universities as well as the military academies. (In my mind, these were the reasonable, logical higher education choices for the normal FCPS student.) Here are the results of all those who answered my October 16, 2012, email:
James Madison U: “Professors can decide whether they want to use electronic textbooks or not. . . . This was an option (you could rent/buy the book online or rent/buy it in print), but not required.”
Liberty U: “Liberty does not have specific courses that always use electronic text books, but it is an option for many students.”
Longwood C: “Even though we do not have a large database of ebooks, there isn’t really a way to predict specific courses or an amount of courses each semester for which ebooks will be an option.”

Part 2:

Old Dominion U: “Most all courses do offer electronic textbooks or hard copies; it is up to the preference of the student to decide.”
Randolph Macon C: “At this time, to my knowledge, there are only a few courses which use e-book exclusively. There are two this semester, one is a Math class (calculus, specifically) and an Intro. to Music class.”
USAF Academy: “The Air Force Academy does not use electronic textbooks.”
University of VA: “I am sorry for not being able to answer your questions … for we have not collected this type of information at this time.”
Virginia Commonwealth U: “Thank you for contacting the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Virginia Commonwealth University. We will respond to your inquiry within 5-7 business days.” (on 10/18/12)
Virginia Military Institute: “As of now, we do not have any classes using electronic textbooks.”
Virginia Tech: “I’ve spoken to the campus bookstore and they have presented that the electronic textbook availability varies based on the program of study that a student plans to pursue. Once your son or daughter knows their program of study, they can go to the campus bookstore webpage . . . .”

Washington and Lee U: “First of all, not many of the faculty here have adopted e-books as course texts. The University Bookstore said that the Biology and Chemistry departments each have a professor doing so . . . . In other words, the use of e-books is not a significant consideration at this time here at Washington and Lee.”
William and Mary: “While I would recommend contacting the bookstore, a lot is dependent on the professor’s choices of books and materials.”
I received NO responses from the following colleges and universities: U of Richmond, Mary Washington, Norfolk State, VA State, Bridgewater, Roanoke C, Hampden Sydney, West Point, Naval Academy, George Mason, or Christopher Newport.
I ask again what was the basis of FCPS School Board. Of the higher educational institutions that answered, none of them said that their governing board had decided that this school would use e-textbooks exclusively! Very interesting to me! My imperfect survey actually left me with more questions than answers regarding the FCPS School Board’s decision! What was the basis of the Board’s decision? And why can’t a child with an IEP be given a choice? (Or any other student in FCPS for that matter?)
I compiled this information because I intended to go before the FCPS School Board.

Why did this happen? Simple. Dale signed a contract without the school board's notice or approval, after the budget was approved, and the board was stuck with it. Very, very typical. (imho, should have been a firing offense.) Board session yesterday showed how irritated even those who always side with Dale are. Maybe they're seeing the emperor's real wardrobe now.

Isn't this another issue that would be looked at by an outside auditor? Signing contracts without competition, etc.,etc.??

229

can't go by fast enough

I am so very, very happy that my child is out of the big, clumsy, and bureaucratic FairfaX county school system. It broke the bank to send her to a private high school, but the quality of education and the overall educational experience my student received were both far superior...and there were no bungled on-line adventures, either!

And fiascos like this are starting to drive some great teachers to leave the profession. How sad for the county and the kids.....

226

hang in there Mr. B

I was a part of the online social studies textbook pilot. The article incorrectly refers to the social studies online pilot as a "success." Not ONE social studies teacher involved in this so-called pilot liked the social studies on-line book. The book was purchased and then "piloted." We were consultants for the company without being asked. What a scam!

Students should have the option to choose whether they work online or with a hard copy. I have two VERY, VERY tech-savvy college & high school kids who prefer to have papers copies of her textbooks. For my youngest daughter in elementary school, I have been buying my own hard copies of the online books - it is too hard for her to constantly scroll the page up and down and side to side to search for information in the on-line textbook - an assignment that should take 15 minutes is taking 30. Plus, she is very visual and the pics really pop off the page on paper. Schools should offer the option of both, especially since many kids either do not have access to technology at home, or share technology with multiple siblings. Online textbooks save money, but are not in the best interest of every child.

We got an ipad a couple of years ago, just got a new one as an earlier xmas present. I've been using the iBooks as well as the Nook app and was thinking how much i would loved e-textbooks as an option in high school and college - you can search, scroll, highlight, note, etc. the pictures are lovely! (The first ipad ibooks came with winnie the pooh - you can open the pictures and zoom in and they are still lovely)

I think e-text books would be an awesome option, if they actually work. BUT it sounds like these are just digital copies, not functional e-books.

From the teachers' and concerned parents' comments we clearly have a dog we bought that can't hunt. Sounds like real classroom teachers weren't involved. As the son of two late educators this reinforces my late parents' observations of what happens when a school district gets top-heavy with "specialists" and administrators....just like any bureaucracy. The question now is "How do we fix this quickly?" And we need to ask the teachers - and the parents - not the IT wizards who don't really teach every day.

I'm not sure I'm getting the whole story. There are no books, the online system doesn't work, and I don't hear about this until November? Seems to me there would have been an uprising by mid-September, no?

What is really going on?

It's interesting to see the claims from a couple of years ago.

Fairfax County schools to try out online textbooks for a year
Washington Post, August 5, 2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/04/AR2010080402849.html