Speedlinking: The Textbook of the Future
From TEFLLogue Katie comments on and points to a post that I’ll be setting aside time to read: How the future of textbooks has to be
I just gotta say that I really loved the little I did read (Katie’s post) and would like to quickly add my two cents:
“if you train the students mainly to cope in real life tasks but then grade them on a grammar test they are going to feel they are being cheated and that you don’t really believe in the method you are using.” (Case)
Isn’t it odd how our classrooms tend to disconnect away from real life tasks?
Textbooks help provide a sense of direction and structure to class, but they are often a far cry from the student’s real life.
I think real life and classroom content should be mirrors. One should not look different than the other if we want to help our students succeed. What do you think?
Hey, I’m glad you liked the post! I should give all credit to Alex Case because I just wrote about his article…but it’s nice to know people are reading the tefl logue!
It’s an interesting point about books…I’m in Eastern Europe and books like Cutting Edge and Headway do seem fairly well-suited to what students need (not perfect but okay - some levels more than others). But tests in both of these books are still much more grammar-oriented than the focus of the class, and I think that needs to be addressed at a higher level than by each individual teacher finding some way around it…
Anyway - I look forward to seeing your post on this!
Comment by Katie — August 15, 2007 @ 2:16 am
Absolutely! When kids can make connection and find relevance in the curriculum, they experience richer learning experiences.
I often wonder if this lack of connection is the real reason why so many adults criticize public education and educators. Pedagogy has grown and evolved so much over the past few decades, and I wish that the naysayers could understand that.
Comment by Ms. Whatsit — August 26, 2007 @ 1:32 pm
I think books should not be a focus in the classroom because most students take the textbook out of content. I don’t teach from a book I make content relevant to real world situation as much as possible so when the students look at the book they get confused to what is being taught in class.
Comment by Kevin Crosby — September 30, 2007 @ 6:20 pm
I think textbooks are just one tool in education, and have a place in supporting the curriculum. Textbooks, as previously stated, should not be the the only focus of providing students with information on a subject.
Comment by Jennifer — October 20, 2007 @ 8:13 pm