deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,...271,00.html (2005 - old story, but interesting)
My personal view, is that the US education system is held hostage by the scam of textbook publishers.
Do 1st graders really need 9 textbooks and 4 workbooks?
From what I have seen, teachers rely too heavily on textbooks in schools, and very often take the lazy way out with the convenience of 'turn the page to the next lesson' mentality.
It's a cop-out and hardly inspires a love of learning.
In Australia, we do not have textbooks AT ALL, until 8th grade, and teachers are required to write their own lesson plans, do their own research, and write their own follow-up materials, based on student outcomes for all subject areas.
Sure it takes time, but compared to the US, it is an enriched syllabus, that has teacher input, and is based on problem-solving and critical thinking.
I am aware that textbooks provide material that is a great reference resource, but less textbooks and more teacher-written materials that require independent thinking, may just move schools toward a more challenging and effective learning environment. And ofcourse there is also technology....
My personal view, is that the US education system is held hostage by the scam of textbook publishers.
Do 1st graders really need 9 textbooks and 4 workbooks?
From what I have seen, teachers rely too heavily on textbooks in schools, and very often take the lazy way out with the convenience of 'turn the page to the next lesson' mentality.
It's a cop-out and hardly inspires a love of learning.
In Australia, we do not have textbooks AT ALL, until 8th grade, and teachers are required to write their own lesson plans, do their own research, and write their own follow-up materials, based on student outcomes for all subject areas.
Sure it takes time, but compared to the US, it is an enriched syllabus, that has teacher input, and is based on problem-solving and critical thinking.
I am aware that textbooks provide material that is a great reference resource, but less textbooks and more teacher-written materials that require independent thinking, may just move schools toward a more challenging and effective learning environment. And ofcourse there is also technology....
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SF Bay Area
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Re: Textbook-less teaching
Wed, February 14, 2007 - 4:41 PMIn mathematics, at least at the university level, there are some textbooks well worth reading.
Unfortunately, they're often not the ones actually used in class. At least in the US. But if you're lucky, you stumble across them anyway, over time.
Being a huge fan of books, as well as computers and advanced tech, I like to use both whenever possible.
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Re: Textbook-less teaching
Thu, February 15, 2007 - 4:24 AM"it is an enriched syllabus, that has teacher input, and is based on problem-solving and critical thinking."
Well, will have none of that here in the good old US of A where the system is much more interested in producing mindless sheep than a public capable of true critical thought.
What really has my goat is the trend to teach to the various examinations that have been promulgated in the name of standards and accountability. In my kids' middle school in Annapolis, Maryland, the school district instituted a second period of English instruction focused on reading skills - seemed like an OK idea on the surface until they fired all the music and art teachers who were no longer needed since the period used for the arts (all the arts - which was bad enough to begin with) was now the second period of English.
For a time I lead a little rebellion urging parents to keep their children home during the state-mandated tests. My thought was that since test data is aggregated and is used - supposedly - only to measure the "achievement" of schools, keeping home good students would hurt the school's score. Some parents did participate in this, but not enough to really have the desired effect of pulling scores down significantly.
Well - not really the topic at hand - but I do feel better for having ranted!
J
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Unsu...
Re: Textbook-less teaching
Thu, February 15, 2007 - 1:41 PMYou have the planning time for that? I always end up having to cover classes. We are told to ask higher order questions and do complex group activities; then we get no time to even make photocopies.
I very seldom use the textbook. We did almost all of the last unit, Astronomy, as independent research projects and group presentations. They did the work putting together the materials; I basically trained them how to teach themselves. We used the internet, video presentations (even the movie "Apollo 13"), in library references.
But then again, I love astronomy. -
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Re: Textbook-less teaching
Thu, February 15, 2007 - 4:10 PMAbout whether or not the textbook companies are subverting our practices,,, well I'd say it's really bigger than that. I'd say it's the system, and ultimately our society and what we give importance. And maybe that's just localized to the US, but I'd have a hard time believing it's just in the states.
As teachers, we certainly need to model cognitive thought. Obviously, having textbooks in my classroom doesn't mean that I have to use them all the time,, or even that I have to use them at all! Yes, it may drive the curriculum, but I have no qualms at all with our Science curriculum, and there's a great deal of leeway in which I can work many supporting concepts. There are questioning strategies, grouping strategies, like Bruce's posting, homework strategies, and teaching pratices that make a nice smooth running operation get everyone from point A to B without everyone wanting to shoot themselves.
But, I think the author of the thread is right if she implies that a cognitive thinker wouldn't use a text book as the sole curriculum source or main knowledge base. So there you go,, maybe a way to separate the good teachers from the rest. But, then, the "good" teachers need to share their wealth and be the leaders in their schools. That's the best thing we can do "within" this sometimes corrupt and inept system. -
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Re: Textbook-less teaching
Fri, February 16, 2007 - 11:51 AM>teachers need to share their wealth and be the leaders in their schools. That's the best thing we can do "within" this sometimes corrupt and inept system.
Exactly. That's why open-source teaching materials are springing up all over the Internet, and will be the way of the future, all too soon. -
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Re: Textbook-less teaching
Sat, February 17, 2007 - 3:19 AMI agree about the publishing world occasional scam.
TESL gets also hit with these bandwagon changes where methods get abruptly ditched.
Running later classroom tests that prove the new method operational simply shows that teacher adapted that new material to make it more efficient.
The changes can be unnecessarily expensive.
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