Wednesday, April 18, 2001
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Wednesday, April 18, 2001 |
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Fayette School System to host statewide science textbook adoption conference As Georgia science educators prepare to undergo a statewide textbook adoption in the fall, they are coming to Fayette County to get a head start on the process. In order to help educators make the best choices when selecting new textbooks for their school systems, the Georgia Science Supervisors Association is hosting a statewide conference on the selection and review process of instructional materials at the LaFayette Educational Center April 23-24. More than 500 educators are expected to attend. In light of previous media coverage regarding mistakes in popular science textbooks being used by many school systems, this conference is important, local teachers say. Educators will get an advanced look at all of the science textbooks available for purchase. Participants also will receive training from experts on how to select the best science book for a particular school system's needs. "I don't think it is ever possible to have all books without errors, but the goal is to have errors that are as insignificant as possible," said Sharon Boyer, science coordinator for Fayette County schools. "We feel this conference will help our educators make informed decisions as they search for the materials that will best fit their needs." The first day of the conference will feature general sessions on such topics as the National Standard in Science, inquiry education and how to select the best textbooks or instructional materials. On the last day, 23 textbook publishers and vendors will provide more than 60 concurrent sessions to introduce curriculum directors and teachers to their materials. Educators will get a look at both traditional and nontraditional textbooks as well as everything in between, said Boyer. Nontraditional material includes books funded through the National Science Foundation, which are research based and field tested for accuracy. Fayette County School System will begin making plans for its textbook adoption process beginning in May with the first meeting of the Science Textbook Adoption Committee. Follow-up meetings with the committee will be in July and August. Review of proposed textbooks will begin after the 2001-2002 school year gets underway, according to Boyer. The Georgia Science Supervisors Association selected Fayette as the site for the textbook conference due to its central location and meeting facilities. "The association organized this conference as a service to school systems throughout the state. It is an honor for us to be chosen to host the event," said Boyer.
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