I have been really intrigued by all this conversation on the topic of the effectiveness of textbooks. I enjoyed the points brought up in the D and Z chapters 3 and 4.
In chapter 3, I especially agreed with the fact that textbooks are badly designed. I have found this to be the case with the Spanish textbooks that we use at the school that I'm interning in. The text will introduce a certain grammatical tense, but only the regular form of the tense, then 5 chapters later return to the same tense to then introduce the irregular forms. It doesn't make sense to me, or to other teachers I have talked to. For this reason, I think one of the wise decisions in using a text could sometimes be to use it as a tool, but as a tool that one can "jump around" in, as the teacher sees fit. I think the point on page 40 that talks about textbooks being exceedingly hard to read could be changed to say that they are boring to read. The graphic organization of information on a textbook page can actually be quite helpful and easy to read, but simply not interesting. Both can be true.
I too have experimented with my Mentor Teacher with not having a text for a portion of our class. Instead, we have used supplemental materials that she has collected, as well as a simple novel to drive the grammar review (in a story context) for Spanish II. I've really enjoyed this. I think it's refreshing to have a break from the textbook. I personally find it quite boring. Some of my students have voiced a similar opinion, while others, like one particular young man yesterday, ask "When are we going to go back to the textbook in this class? I learn better from the textbook". Thus, I think it really varies according to learning style and preference.
Putting together all these extra materials and resources takes lots and lots of TIME and ENERGY. Sometimes I think it works out really well, and sometimes it doesn't. As long as there is balance and accountability. I personally believe most teachers are qualified enough (better qualified, in fact) than textbook publishers to tailor and design a curriculum for their students, whom they know well.
The nice thing about putting these things together, is that it leaves room for a wide variety of genres, as discussed in chapter 4. I love the variations that are recommended in this chapter. Scanning the internet for sources is a wonderful idea. I have really enjoyed using some more modern "authentic texts" that students read everyday in the context of my Spanish class, such as Tweets in Spanish or Facebook status updates. One of the greatest challenges that come with this is time constraints in finding all these amazing resources, and fitting them into the curriculum without losing time with what we really need to "get done" before the EOC.
In chapter 3, I especially agreed with the fact that textbooks are badly designed. I have found this to be the case with the Spanish textbooks that we use at the school that I'm interning in. The text will introduce a certain grammatical tense, but only the regular form of the tense, then 5 chapters later return to the same tense to then introduce the irregular forms. It doesn't make sense to me, or to other teachers I have talked to. For this reason, I think one of the wise decisions in using a text could sometimes be to use it as a tool, but as a tool that one can "jump around" in, as the teacher sees fit. I think the point on page 40 that talks about textbooks being exceedingly hard to read could be changed to say that they are boring to read. The graphic organization of information on a textbook page can actually be quite helpful and easy to read, but simply not interesting. Both can be true.
I too have experimented with my Mentor Teacher with not having a text for a portion of our class. Instead, we have used supplemental materials that she has collected, as well as a simple novel to drive the grammar review (in a story context) for Spanish II. I've really enjoyed this. I think it's refreshing to have a break from the textbook. I personally find it quite boring. Some of my students have voiced a similar opinion, while others, like one particular young man yesterday, ask "When are we going to go back to the textbook in this class? I learn better from the textbook". Thus, I think it really varies according to learning style and preference.
Putting together all these extra materials and resources takes lots and lots of TIME and ENERGY. Sometimes I think it works out really well, and sometimes it doesn't. As long as there is balance and accountability. I personally believe most teachers are qualified enough (better qualified, in fact) than textbook publishers to tailor and design a curriculum for their students, whom they know well.
The nice thing about putting these things together, is that it leaves room for a wide variety of genres, as discussed in chapter 4. I love the variations that are recommended in this chapter. Scanning the internet for sources is a wonderful idea. I have really enjoyed using some more modern "authentic texts" that students read everyday in the context of my Spanish class, such as Tweets in Spanish or Facebook status updates. One of the greatest challenges that come with this is time constraints in finding all these amazing resources, and fitting them into the curriculum without losing time with what we really need to "get done" before the EOC.
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI think that you picked a great set of chapters to do a blog post on. I'm glad to read your point that you took away from chapter three: it might not be hard; it could be just plain boring. I totally agree with you here. I think a lot of times students do not read the text because it is boring. This may come off to the teacher as they did not read it because it was difficult for them instead of realizing that it is just plain boring! I'm glad that you and your mentor teacher are changing things up in your Spanish II class, and I think this hits homes with chapter four from this text. Students need variety!! It shocks me that your student wants the textbook, but we have to realize that some students learn that way and others do not. Tailoring this need is a part of our job no matter what the time and energy spent is. Time is of the essence, and we do need to be cautious of it. I think using authentic texts is great when necessary because it really brings the students into what you are teaching, but I would not recommend doing this for every topic.
Great insight, Hannah!