Comments on: How Much Longer For EFL/ESL Textbooks? http://blog.english-attack.com/news/how-much-longer-for-eflesl-textbooks/ Pedagogical Innovation and news from the world of teaching English Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:24:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Adam Evans http://blog.english-attack.com/news/how-much-longer-for-eflesl-textbooks/comment-page-1/#comment-188 Adam Evans Sat, 25 Jun 2011 16:40:20 +0000 http://blog.english-attack.com/?p=376#comment-188 it's all about Strategic Drift amd the issue lies in the hands of management. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twPj1lDpSHE&NR=1 it’s all about Strategic Drift amd the issue lies in the hands of management.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twPj1lDpSHE&NR=1

]]> By: phil http://blog.english-attack.com/news/how-much-longer-for-eflesl-textbooks/comment-page-1/#comment-98 phil Mon, 03 Jan 2011 23:38:19 +0000 http://blog.english-attack.com/?p=376#comment-98 Many schools are now using their own materials as part of blended learning and their own produced online courses. Yes, many students do now choose just to learn online, such as the 1000s of Chinese who prepare IELTS on a gap year online. They use virtual books and materials. However, those who choose to attend a school or University often want more face contact with the teacher. As an exam teacher I do see the benefits of doing speaking and writing in class on paper as it prepares students for paper-based exams. BUT there are now online versions of FCE/BEC etc so then it would seem fitting that we also use computers for reading and the other skills. Students will go to work one day and use computers to read, write and even have meetings. They will probably rarely have paper-based work to do so as teachers we should help prepare them for this reality. If we don't the class will be left behind the real world and students will face a large 'transition bump'. Many schools are now using their own materials as part of blended learning and their own produced online courses. Yes, many students do now choose just to learn online, such as the 1000s of Chinese who prepare IELTS on a gap year online. They use virtual books and materials. However, those who choose to attend a school or University often want more face contact with the teacher. As an exam teacher I do see the benefits of doing speaking and writing in class on paper as it prepares students for paper-based exams. BUT there are now online versions of FCE/BEC etc so then it would seem fitting that we also use computers for reading and the other skills.

Students will go to work one day and use computers to read, write and even have meetings. They will probably rarely have paper-based work to do so as teachers we should help prepare them for this reality. If we don’t the class will be left behind the real world and students will face a large ‘transition bump’.

]]> By: English Attack http://blog.english-attack.com/news/how-much-longer-for-eflesl-textbooks/comment-page-1/#comment-56 English Attack Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:12:22 +0000 http://blog.english-attack.com/?p=376#comment-56 Couldn't agree more Nick. We often see this when industries go through technology-driven change: the older players are too busy protecting and trying to extend the lifecycles of their legacy platforms to really focus all their energies on the new opportunities. That's why the industry leaders in "old" media like TimeWarner, News Corp and Bertelsmann are being eclipsed by "new media" juggernauts like Google, Apple and Facebook. We'll see if the publishing giants go down that route, or if instead they decided to really invest in the future at the cost, no doubt painful in the short / medium term, of seeing a decline in their overall revenue streams. Couldn’t agree more Nick. We often see this when industries go through technology-driven change: the older players are too busy protecting and trying to extend the lifecycles of their legacy platforms to really focus all their energies on the new opportunities. That’s why the industry leaders in “old” media like TimeWarner, News Corp and Bertelsmann are being eclipsed by “new media” juggernauts like Google, Apple and Facebook. We’ll see if the publishing giants go down that route, or if instead they decided to really invest in the future at the cost, no doubt painful in the short / medium term, of seeing a decline in their overall revenue streams.

]]> By: Nick Jaworski http://blog.english-attack.com/news/how-much-longer-for-eflesl-textbooks/comment-page-1/#comment-55 Nick Jaworski Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:38:47 +0000 http://blog.english-attack.com/?p=376#comment-55 Yeah, I definitely agree paper textbooks should become a thing of the past. The main issue I find is that no one in the publishing community is really that techno-centric. They're either not interested, too old, or too used to doing things the way they've been done. Some text books are trying to release digital formats, but it's basically just a searchable textbook with a bit of multimedia thrown in. Reminds me of Encyclopedia Britannica CD's that came with computers in the early 90's. There need to be some innovative thinkers that really know how to not only create actual online interactive content, but who know how to market it to be profitable as well. We'll see what happens on that front. Yeah, I definitely agree paper textbooks should become a thing of the past. The main issue I find is that no one in the publishing community is really that techno-centric. They’re either not interested, too old, or too used to doing things the way they’ve been done.

Some text books are trying to release digital formats, but it’s basically just a searchable textbook with a bit of multimedia thrown in. Reminds me of Encyclopedia Britannica CD’s that came with computers in the early 90′s.

There need to be some innovative thinkers that really know how to not only create actual online interactive content, but who know how to market it to be profitable as well. We’ll see what happens on that front.

]]> By: Wetware Assets Go Rogue « That'SLife http://blog.english-attack.com/news/how-much-longer-for-eflesl-textbooks/comment-page-1/#comment-53 Wetware Assets Go Rogue « That'SLife Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:01:39 +0000 http://blog.english-attack.com/?p=376#comment-53 [...] post by Paul Maglione examines where ELT textbooks may be going in the not-too-distant future, with refernces to [...] [...] post by Paul Maglione examines where ELT textbooks may be going in the not-too-distant future, with refernces to [...]

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