Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think that teachers use these resources in order to look "impressive." Although I have not used them much myself, my understanding is that teachers use them as part of their preparation of a given topic, and then use them in class if it will add to the lesson. I also believe that if a teacher does indeed “lift" the entire lesson from another resource, it is to the benefit of the student for the teacher to quote it - what a wonderful message to send to our students that we do not know everything, are constantly learning, and that we are humble and do not take credit for ideas that are not our own.
Regarding your second point of "why do students need us," my experience has been that the manner in which the content is presented in these resources is not always the most pedagogically sound way to present it to our high school students. Therefore, even if the students have access to these resources, they are likely to gain much more from them if we reorganize the materials in a way teaches them not only interesting content, but skills as well.
Tova Warburg Sinensky
Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls
