Lesson Plans for Sale
The Internet’s resources are vast. Almost anything can be found and purchased on the World Wide Web.
It is the largest marketplace in the world with websites like eBay and Craigslist which are two of the leading marketplaces on the net today. Teachers Pay Teachers is the top site for selling lesson plans.
Millions of dollars are spent purchasing items on these sites and many others. Even teachers have begun to cash in using the electronic market by selling something they had previously given away for free.
Lesson plans are being sold online. Plans as basic as grammar to as hard as understanding and effectively teaching Calculus are being sold and purchased by millions of teachers.
Educational tips are easy to access online. There are many well known stories and incidents that have sparked this controversy. One of the first stories shared with the public took place in Vancouver. A high school discovered that their football coach was selling his playbook and an instructional DVD of his methods for a couple of hundred dollars. Another time a teacher half way across the country was found to be selling her own algebra plans via the internet. This new trend has no actual rules or regulations because it is such a complex issue.
Philosophically, lesson plans for sale only cheapens what teachers spend their time putting together and further undermines the effort that goes into such an extensive task. On top of it all, there are websites that allow teachers a forum to exchange and discuss ideas and plans freely. The sale of such lesson plans makes it difficult for this idea to thrive.
Pros and Cons of Lesson Plans for Sale
Some teachers are using the funds from their entrepreneurial sales to purchase books and supplies for their classroom. When budgets get tight, this extra money is used for the good of the children. In this way, teacher plans for sale can be a very advantageous resource.
On the other hand, some teachers are using these funds to travel and pay for their own personal needs, like a vacation, house payments or credit card bills. School officials have stated that if the resources of a school were used to write these lesson plans then all or some proceeds should be given to the school in question. Many teachers have responded that what they write is done on their own time and with their own resources. If anything, the school should pay them for their labor. Essentially, because these plans are written to aid public school classrooms should these schools be awarded or compensated for them?
There is much diversity in opinion over this matter. One that is more complicated than it seems. There is much effort and time in writing and developing daily curriculum. Many teachers do not have the resources whether it be from their own pockets or the school’s, to write these plans. Being able to purchase lessons online makes it much easier and much simpler. There is also the issue of writing a plan for a topic or subject that has been taught already. Teachers are finding it useless to, essentially, rewrite what has already been written. Instead of wasting time writing these plans why not reuse and modify ones that are already in existence?
The Real Controversy
The biggest controversy surrounding lesson plans for sale is whether a plan from one individual is effective for other another. Can these lesson plans suffice for everyone and for every student?
People learn and teach in different ways. Lesson plans that were written years ago may not be accurate or effective in today’s world. Many teachers express that purchasing and using lesson plans developed by more experienced individuals in the field makes the lesson more effective. Many plans have been written by retired and older teachers who want to share their knowledge and years of teaching to others. There is also the advantage of comparing lesson plans to see if it is an appropriate fit to the classroom in which it will be taught. Teachers are given the opportunity to adapt each lesson to fit their class and teaching methods more appropriately, while learning themselves. Lesson plans for sale are only a point and click away and makes it easier for inexperienced teachers to gain knowledge for their class and customize these lesson plans for their students.
Finding Solutions
Many teachers have suggested that school officials put more time and energy into streamlining this new craze. Whether it be to regulate it or enhance it. These lesson plans can be both advantageous and disadvantageous depending on how it is utilized and what is is ultimately used for.
Some teachers find it necessary to supplement their lives with the funds they make from their effort. Some use it to better their classrooms and use it to help their students. Some enhance and modify the lesson plans that are bought to make them more suitable for their students.
Experienced and retired teachers are using their years of knowledge to help the students of this age. This matter has both pros and cons. Lesson plans for sale if used correctly can be the best things for the students and children of this time.
