Dear Paula
My comment was based on Kay's assertion that Reading First was connected to
Scholastic - please remember that I am in Australia and I have to rely on
the accuracy of the statements on the list (although in a court hearsay is
not acceptable blah blah blah). And thank goodness our society is not yet
as litigious as others.
There is no use-by date embedded in the software - it is in their
big-picture marketing strategy, and all the companies do it. I know because
I was involved in the production of one such program here in Australia.
Before we even wrote it, the publishing firm knew that it had a shelf-life
of x years. Have a look at the thousands of commercial schemes that have
come out over the years and how many still exist and are supported, and how
many have been superceded or revamped or whatever, requiring continuous
dollars to maintain them. Anyone still running their computer on Windows
3.1?
It's how companies make their money - just as you buy a new iron because it
takes more money to get the old one mended. I think the business term is
something like "planned obsolescence".
And I still believe that we need teachers who can teach without expensive,
prescripted commercial products and administrators who have the courage to
let them. Works for me.
Barbara
Barbara Braxton
Teacher-Librarian
Palmerston District Primary School
PALMERSTON ACT 2913
AUSTRALIA
T. 02 6205 6162
F. 02 6205 7242
E. barbara@austarmetro.com.au
W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au
"Together, we learn from each other."
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