I am completely for using
web-based resources instead of textbooks.
Throughout all of my clinical observations, my host teachers never
taught from a textbook. During my student
teaching and my long- term sub jobs I rarely have used a textbook to
teach. The only time I use a textbook is
for the students to read their reading story.
Everything else I do is hands-on.
Some of the things I use are manipulatives, laptops, iPads, experiments,
and group work. I like to do a lot of
project-based learning. I feel my
students learn so much more from hands-on experience, and I am able to better
assess whether they understand what I am teaching them.
2. What
opportunities are there for the development of information literacy skills for
students if they begin to learn without textbooks?
A lot of students find
textbooks boring, which can hinder them from reading and conducting research
from the beginning of schooling. On the
other hand, if we start them out reading other sources, such as web pages or
iPads, they might have a more positive outlook on reading and research. For most students reading from a textbook
feels like a chore, whereas using a laptop or iPad to read is fun and engaging.
3. How do
these articles change or support your stance on using Wikipedia as a learning
resource in the classroom?
These articles support my
stance that Wikipedia is a good resource to get students started on
research. My students definitely prefer
doing research online instead of using a textbook. They find the textbooks uninteresting, but
they like when we do web quests where they have the opportunity to look through
different web pages for information. I
would advise them to use Wikipedia to search for other resources, but only
after I have taught them how to evaluate a web page for reliability.
4. Find an
image that relates to information literacy and schooling. Embed the image in you blog and provide
proper attribution.
Ansary,
Tamim. A Textbook Example of What’s Wrong With Education. (November 2004).
Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/muddle-machine
Ruth,
Geoff. No Books, No Problem: Teaching Without a Text. (February 2005).
Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/teaching-without-text
First of all, I think the image you picked is cute. I'm glad that you never had the experience of observing a teacher who taught straight from the book. There is so much you can do when you leave the textbook on the shelf. I don't even use it when I have a substitute, which would be easier on me. I really enjoy not having the restraints of a textbook. I use it more as a guide, especially when I need a refresher of all the subcategories included in a topic.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting/exciting that you have little experience with teachers who teach from a book... I think that must be part of the culture of the schools you have worked from because that has not been my experience locally. I'm curious to know what is it that you think is different about the environment that you work in that this is the norm?
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to hear all the Fairmont state grades moving away from textbooks. It's a pedagogy also reflected in the common core!
ReplyDelete