Fall 2013 I’ll be teaching English 50 again, which I haven’t taught since Summer 2011. Besides the fact that I’m a bit rusty, I’ve also adopted a new textbook. To complicate matters, I worked with a publisher’s rep on creating a “cost-effective” version of the text. To complicate matters even further, I went ahead and agreed to include an online learning system called Aplia, bundled as part of the supposedly less expensive text. So now, the students need to purchase the loose-leaf text (to save money), but then also purchase a one-inch binder to contain the text, then learn how to register for Aplia, and then actually begin working with the Aplia exercises, in addition to whatever I assign them this semester.
All to save them a little money and me a little time?
We shall see. In the meanwhile, I feel utterly unprepared for the new semester while I juggle all these new materials and try to determine whether or not the bookstore got the order right. So far, it’s not looking like they did, but my textbook rep says he’s on it.
We shall see!
