access codes for mentor textbooks

wacky6

Would anybody have access codes for Planet and People corebook and workbook. Am teaching LC geography but not allowed to change textbooks due to expenses involved. Can t access codes unless it is on booklist.

wingnut

If you are only given access if they are on the booklist then I am pretty sure the codes shouldn't be posted on a public forum.

I slice the spine off my books and scan them in as a PDF using the copier - legal for my own use as I have the original books (cannot be given to anyone else).

rainbowtrout

wingnut wrote: »

If you are only given access if they are on the booklist then I am pretty sure the codes shouldn't be posted on a public forum.

I slice the spine off my books and scan them in as a PDF using the copier - legal for my own use as I have the original books (cannot be given to anyone else).

Would agree with this. Have a textbook published myself and don't see why I put hours and hours of effort into online resources that some people pay for through purchase of the book for their class and others expect to be able to use for free.

wacky6

Have purchased both books. if you cant change the books on the booklist due to the cost involved for students. what can you do? I am also willing pay for the codes, resources available but this does not seem to be an option.

rainbowtrout

wacky6 wrote: »

Have purchased both books. if you cant change the books on the booklist due to the cost involved for students. what can you do? I am also willing pay for the codes, resources available but this does not seem to be an option.

Any teacher can buy their own personal copy of a book. Most of the publishers will send them a free copy if they ask. So if they were to be given the access codes then they would just use all the resources without buying a class set and the author is back at square one, earning nothing for their hard work.

I'm all for sharing of resources normally but when they are created on a commercial basis I expect (in my case) that I should expect to earn something from them. If every teacher only bought one copy of the book/got it for free from sales rep so they could get access to the resources then no class sets would ever be bought.

Create your own resources, see what else is available online through the PDST or the book you currently use, and in the meantime enquire in the school about changing the book in the future, for next years fifth years perhaps.

wingnut

Everyone needs to join the open source textbook project. School books should be free!

jonseyblub

wingnut wrote: »

Everyone needs to join the open source textbook project. School books should be free!

I totally agree with this. Or the main books should be a lot cheaper.. Just look at the exam paper prices over the last couple of years. That new company came in and sold them for €2.40-2.60 and all of a sudden the main suppliers could cut their prices by €2-3 and do the same.It shows you how much profit they were making before!! Parents are being fleeced for books in this country. The worst scandal is the project Maths books. It's not the book company's fault here but the fact that kids needed 2-3 books over the last couple of years and then will not be able to sell them on was a disgrace. The government should be initiating an open source textbook scheme for every subject.

bdoo

jonseyblub wrote: »

wingnut wrote: »

Everyone needs to join the open source textbook project. School books should be free!

I totally agree with this. Or the main books should be a lot cheaper.. Just look at the exam paper prices over the last couple of years. That new company came in and sold them for €2.40-2.60 and all of a sudden the main suppliers could cut their prices by €2-3 and do the same.It shows you how much profit they were making before!! Parents are being fleeced for books in this country. The worst scandal is the project Maths books. It's not the book company's fault here but the fact that kids needed 2-3 books over the last couple of years and then will not be able to sell them on was a disgrace. The government should be initiating an open source textbook scheme for every subject.

It would cost very little and have a massive impact. If the govt funded subject associations to produce the goods they could charge 5euro per subject for books and have the money back in a year.

It would reduce costs for parents and be cost neutral.

jonseyblub

Just came across this today. It's a group of Finnish teachers coming together to produce a Maths book over the weekend. Great Idea.
http://linja-aho.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/a-group-of-finnish-math-teachers-write.html