Help: Does anyone know about "Teacher Created Materials, Inc."

[Bonobo]

My daughter brought back some very Christian-oriented sounding text in her history book and the publishing company is "Teacher Created Materials".

Does anyone know anything about these guys or anywhere I could look to read up on some critical analysis of their textbooks?

Many thanks in advance from a concerned parent.

[ray of light]

1. Don't know but google it. also check out homeschooling source guides.

[seriousstan]

2. What was the very Christian-oriented sounding text in her history book ?

They appear legit.

[Bonobo]

3. Here is one passage:

This is on a 3-page handout for 7th graders entitled "Emperors of the Pax Romana and Beyond"

"...Augustus ordered all citizens of the Empire to return to their place of birth to be counted and taxed. The Bible says that a "decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed". It was this decree that caused Mary and Joseph to leave their home in Nazareth and return to Bethlehem where their son Jesus was born."

I guess I was just surprised that suddenly Jesus leaped up out of nowhere in a history section about the Roman Empire. I don't really see that Jesus (if he existed) had much to do with Roman History.

Certainly Mary and Joseph are not regarded as historical figures now, are they?

[seriousstan]

4. I'm not sure if the Jesus, Mary and Joesph sentence was necessary but the Bible is a historical book

It is the basis for much ancient archeology. Numerous towns, villages, locations and items that are only mentioned in the Bible have been found and excavated. Perhaps they stretched that to include the characters mentioned in those stories.

They didn't say Jesus was God, did they?

[Bonobo]

5. Jesus is not mentioned in any source material other than the bible.

The bible is a religious book, not one which was written for the purposes of accurate history-keeping.

[seriousstan]

6. That's not true, there are several contemporary authors that mentioned Jesus, in one form or another

Try Googling "Historicity of Jesus". There are plenty of room for argument and interpretation, but he definitely is mentioned in other books. Especially if you count reports about his followers. The reasoning being, who were the Christians following if not Christ.

Putting aside the question of "is he the Son of God", it does appear a person named Jesus or something very similar lived and influenced a number of people.

As per my OP, as a religious book, it makes an unbeatable archeology source. This is no contemporary book that comes close.

[Bonobo]

7. I am well aware of the importance of the bible in discovering cities and the like.

I am a self-taught student of "biblical archeology" (a bad name).

Have you read Finkelstein?

[seriousstan]

8. Nope, I'm busy with "Le Morte D'Arthur" currently.

I'll leave my opinion of this author at that, lest this thread is swept into the I/P sewer.

[joeglow3]

14. I don't think there is a lot of doubt if Jesus existed

at least not as much as there would be for any person from 2,000 years ago. Now, if he was the son of God is a different issue altogether,

[rayofreason]

11. Josephus mentioned Jesus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus_on_Jesus

[LWolf]

9. You can find lots of TCM stuff in your local teacher supply store.

I don't know anything about the company's background. They are one of the companies that develops and publishes supplementary materials for teachers and home schoolers.

The market is not limited to public education. Private schools and home schoolers are an important market for companies like this. Public school teachers may spend some of their own money, or allotted district or site funds on supplementals, but the big money in public school goes to the adopted text books.

You'll find plenty of TCM materials that are not at all religious in nature. Materials created with the private or home school market in mind WOULD be, since religious education is a goal of many who choose those schools.

To be frank, I've never seen a TCM "textbook." I suppose they could have one for the home/private school market. :shrug: You can browse their website, and download a full catalog, here:

http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/

[rayofreason]

12. I found the website

http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/

I took a look at the "research" section. Weak is an understatement. No peer-reviewed papers, and the things they posted are far below the level of what I consider research. Also, not mention of or connection to finds from cognitive science that are relevant for issues of teaching and learning. So I conclude that the materials at best are going to be hit and miss, with no real field testing or quality control.

I'd take a pass.

[LWolf]

13. That's about business as usual

for that segment of the industry. Most of those publishers aren't marketing to school districts, and they aren't offering anything that would go through the kind of evaluation that any formal adoption would. It's all supplementary, and isn't supposed to be considered "curriculum." Just some lessons and activities that might be used as is, or modified, to support what's already happening with curriculum.

My points here are that:

1. I wouldn't expect anything coming from this company, or any similar company, to be high quality material. Some of it can be, but no teacher should depend on stuff like this to BE curriculum.

2. As a commercial company marketing products to individual teachers, private schools, and home schools, they have to know that there IS a market for xtian-based materials. It's about the market, and making a profit. It's not about public education.

[mzteris]

10. is this a PUBLIC school?

If so, I'd definitely protest this book and this company. If has NO PLACE in the Public classroom. Or maybe even Private depending on what you were expecting when you enrolled.

They are a Christian-oriented company. Note, the name has recently changed to Teacher Created Resources. (Evidently Ms. Mary Dupuy Smith and Rachel C-something decided to go their separate ways.)

If you're a hs'er, then it's up to you, of course. Quite frankly I'd choose another resource.

[doni_georgia]

15. I've used some of their units

The company is basically what it says - a publisher that publishes educational materials created by teachers. Some of their resources are good - some are not. They are basically workbooks, thematic units, etc. created by teachers. They are available online and at any teacher supply store.