I am sure that the development of the textbook was done with good intentions, however my personal preference is that they were banned from existence in the classroom. The majority of these sinful creations are no more than a compilation of disjointed facts which supposedly provides a basis for teaching. Unfortunately they have become a Bible for many teachers, who cling to them as though their lives depended on them. Rather than using them as a reference for background knowledge, many teachers systematically make their way through textbooks, evaluating their success by the timely completion of the various sections of the text by the end of the academic year (and let's not forget those wonderful questions at the end of each section or those pre-written chapter assessments). The current obsession with standardized testing has convinced some administrators and teachers that they only way to prepare students for these tasks is to buy into a pre-packaged program which claims to cover all of the essentials.
Students do not learn via lecture and textbook work! They need to be provided with opportunities to take information, manipulate it, and apply it through the creation of their own products. "And they don't just create these products in solitude for their own satisfaction, but for interaction with real audiences of peers, teachers, families, and communities - people with whom these products and performances can be shared, discussed, and used." (p. 27 Daniels and Bozar) Human beings are social by nature therefore it is absurd that many students are still expected to adhere to the rigid structure of schools which were created to meet the demands of the Industrial Era. Why are we allowing classrooms to continue to exist where students are continually subjected to a lecture and bookwork? I thought that we were the educated ones....
Harvey, Daniels,, and Marilyn Bizar. Teaching the best practice way methods that matter, K-12. Portland, Me: Stenhouse, 2005. Print.
4 weeks ago
I agree textbooks are hindering education especially outdated ones. I wonder how many textbooks still have Pluto listed as a planet. I think if more teachers used the idea of "constructivism" allowing students to apply what they are expected to learn to their own lives and experience would make what they learn more relevant to them in the real world. Aristotle said it best when he said, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” If a student cannot relate or feel what they are learning then they are not taking anything from it. Instead we are pushing industrialization on them saying we have to push through this book and do A,B, C and D before we can leave this grade.
ReplyDeleteLove the concept of "constructivism"! I believe we learn best when we are interested in something and apply to our life directly. We most certainly do not do enough of this in education. Text books serve a purpose but most certainly should not be the center piece for instruction.
ReplyDeleteThe district I teach in is currently on the hunt for providing teachers and students with a core curriculum for teaching literacy. It is a valiant effort to create an equitable opportunity for students across a district with 5 K-3 elementary schools, however, along the way I hope that we can be mindful of exactly what you are talking about. Textbooks may be, and this could even be a stretch, a good reference tool but they should not be the soul instrument for teaching. I am especially concerned that in an attempt to find this "perfect, all encompassing program" creativity will all but completely disappear, because when you purchase such a curriculum and then people supplement with their own style or what have you, the program is not being used to its full intent and then you are back where you started. (Which I do believe is a good thing. Teachers shouldn't be on auto-pilot when it comes to teaching. It isn't engaging.) :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with only using text books as a reference - where are the real life connections? Do most teachers know how to have/make a meaningful, relevant assessment of student knowledge?
ReplyDeleteOuch...you touched a nerve here, Tricia. Interesting that textbooks were never meant to be used as the sole classroom resource...with students plodding through them word by word, chapter by chapter. They were meant to be a resource.
ReplyDeleteWith the Internet, I think that textbooks will be relics of the past. When we have access to so many prime sources...why use a text.
One other criticism of textbooks is that they contain way too many concepts for any one person to handle.