Nov 27 Reflection on Textbooks

Looking at these examples from the lens of a teacher, I would look out for/be aware of the language used in the textbook and that it can influence student engagement and understanding. Some textbooks are quite old and isn't up to modern times. For instance, some textbooks have instructions on using the CD that correspond with the it on the first pages. This may make students feel like the knowledge presented in the textbook is old and cannot connect it with modern technologically advanced times. Old textbooks can be easily damaged and become dirty over the many years. I would also look out for textbooks that are very guiding, like a story that takes you on a journey exploring a topic. There is an introduction, examples, solutions, and practice problems with different levels of difficulty (practise, apply, extend). Having lots of pictures is helpful too. I think cartoon drawings are more fun for students compared to real life pictures, so there should be more creative drawings. But real life pictures are necessary because it should give a sense of skills learned being applied to the real world. Personally I was never a fan of textbooks. I found that the teacher's notes were sufficient for my studying. Textbooks were cumbersome objects taking up space in my locker. In fact I used my grade 11/12 physics textbook as my laptop stand (I coincidentally got the same physics textbook in gr 12 as in gr 11). My teachers never assigned homework questions out of textbooks. Even in university, I never used math textbooks (but still kept PDF copies for reference). In terms of textbooks being handed out in schools, I think textbooks should still be used as a handy reference for students to self study/learn off of. However they should be updated after a few years, as information presented may become obsolete, eg. some data and statistics regarding world informations. Textbooks should be an engaging/interactive way to connect students to the subject. Some teachers may assign homework questions from the textbook. It really depends on the situation, like how much emphasis a teacher uses them for the class. For the most part, textbooks should be an optional resource for students in case they feel like they want more practice.