NY Times: “Flexbooks” displacing textbooks

Lewin reports that “Textbooks have not gone the way of the scroll yet, but many educators say that it will not be long before they are replaced by digital versions — or supplanted altogether by lessons assembled from the wealth of free courseware, educational games, videos and projects on the Web.”

This is interesting in many ways. For one thing, it underscores the necessity of having teachers who understand their subjects well. “Flexbooks” could greatly increase the importance of the teachers relative to state boards and legislatures.

Science Ed master’s degree from “creation science” institute?

Inside Higher Ed reports that the Institute for Creation Research is seeking approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to offer an online masters degree in science education, and that the Texas Board’s decision might be complicated by as state supreme court ruling that warned the board against applying secular values in the accreditation […]