Reading these chapters made me reflect on my own schooling. One of the many factors that drove me to want to become a teacher were textbook teachers. Teachers would pass out a textbook at the beginning of the year and center everything around it - quizzes, vocab and content. As a student, I knew I was not getting all of the information that my teacher could have provided me. Reading the chapters , it makes sense that the authors do not advocate for the use of textbooks as they are difficult for many students to read and they lack the depth and understanding of a subject and give more of a survey of the topic.
As a historian, I would never rely on one source to tell the story of an event. So why would I only use a textbook? I like the idea of using a textbook to cover the broader picture, but supplementing them with primary sources and other texts or media to show my students a variety of opinions and viewpoints. It makes me excited to think of the information I can show them using the technology we now have. It is also true that students may be excited if we "shake things up" and think outside of the textbook. It is essential that I teach my students literacy and writing, but I do not have to do that through boring texts!
No comments:
Post a Comment