[Textbook-l] Introduction - California Open Source Textbook Project

[Toby Bartels]

Sanford Forte wrote in small part:

>Jimbo wrote:

>>For your purposes, what kinds of textbooks would be most useful to you
>>as as 'pilot that proves the concept'?  Choose wisely, because you may
>>find yourself in two years holding a copy of whatever book you request
>>of us!

>Wow! This is what I like...action!

>I would start by taking a look at the math frameworks
>http://www.cde.ca.gov/cdepress/math.pdf

Despite that they define "mathematics" as
"using abstract symbols to describe, order, explain, and predict",
I think that we could do this.

The introduction says that the framework is about "content"
as opposed to "pedagog[y]" -- which means that it won't tell us
what sort of pedagogical approaches that they're looking for.
So we may have to copy from existing textbooks at first,
if we want to ensure that we're acceptable to State bureaucracy.
(Naturally, we should avoid paranoia along these lines too. ^_^)

Mathematics divides into grades K-7 and grades 8-12 (beginning with algebra),
not into grades K-8 (Sanford says avoid) and grades 9-12 (Sanford says do).
To maximise our applicability while minimising the K-8 conflicts,
we might start with Mathematical Analysis (aka Precalculus),
last in the main sequence that most students are made to take,
and work our way both down and up from there.


-- Toby