Subjects Matter-Why Textbooks Are Not Enough

This chapter of the book is dedicated to exploring the role of textbooks in the classroom and addresses conditions that promote literacy development. Most schools issue one textbook for each subject and these textbooks play a central role in classroom practice and school budgets. Some teachers are privileged in the fact that they can help select their own classroom text and how they use that text in their classroom, where as others may have less of a choice and more of an imposition. Regardless of your personal freedom regarding textbooks, they are here to stay and it is important that teachers look at these books with a critical eye. Daniels and Zemelman write, "What we want to figure out is: how can we teach our content better, so that students learn, remember, and care about our subjects? How can we use textbooks properly and effectively so kids get the most out of them?" Chapters 5 and 6 offer specifics on activities to help students understand the textbook, where as this chapter focuses on the specific troubles with textbooks and some of the ways we as teachers can use textbooks more effectively.

The first problem posed by textbooks is that they are superficial. Most of today's textbooks are over a thousand pages long and because of that they include a lot of facts, figures, data, etc. but since they are so long the books only cover the basics of important topics, in essence they have too much material. When too much material is present key concepts are not emphasized enough for students to truly understand them. The second problem posed by textbooks is that they are exceedingly hard to read. "School textbooks belong in the same category with encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses. They don't attempt to provide the kind of coherent narrative you get in a Time magazine article or a good popular biography or expose." Reference books are great when they are used to find specific information, but in schools they are used as novels that students need to memorize. Teachers ignore the fact that textbooks are not novels and as a result content overload takes over the students minds causing both confusion and frustration. The third problem with textbooks is that they are poorly designed. With students focus on video games and their reliance on technology in general, publishers have been forced to spruce up the design of the typical textbook. Most modern textbooks include new graphic designs, but these designs are having a negative impact on students and their learning. Instead of focusing on the important concepts of a text, the students are distracted by the bold titles and diagrams. "It seems that when textbook publishers try to imitate hypertext, the results are more hyper than text." The fourth problem with textbooks is they are authoritarian. In most schools and subjects, one textbook is used for the entire curriculum, but by doing this students are only learning about specific content information from one source. "Mature readers use multiple sources to get a balanced view, to hear the alternate theories, to make up their own minds." By restricting the resources available to students we are also restricting their learning. The fifth problem with textbooks is they are often inaccurate. Although publishers work hard to stay up to date with their information, it is not humanly possible to keep current on every fact and even if they do stay up to date the information is not always accurate. Inaccurate, old information is one of the problems with single source authority and textbooks. The sixth problem with textbooks is that they are not written for students. Most of the textbooks in America come from two states; Texas and California. Since the information is based on two states standards, students across America are taught different standards then their own state's standards.  The final problem with textbooks is that they cost too much. Textbooks often cost so much that all of the schools resources go into the one book per subject which limits the ability to pay for alternative instructional materials from different perspectives.

As teachers there are some ways we can free up the budget to provide a myriad of resources to students. Teachers can order a classroom set of books instead of one book for every student, this would require less books purchased and allow more freedom in homework assignment because the students can't take the books home with them. Teachers can also delay getting the latest version of texts for subjects that do not have a lot of new revolutionary breakthroughs. Finally, some teachers can stop having textbook centered courses.

 "Perhaps not it is clearer than ever why we must change not just how we teach reading but what we ask kids to read. We need to use textbooks more appropriately (and sparingly), as the reference books that they are, and also infuse the curriculum with authentic, real-world nonfiction-the kind of informational, expository, persuasive texts that adults really read."

Until next time...