Get Schooled

By Tony

September 19, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this

There are no textbooks that align completely with any state’s curriculum. Texas and California are the states that truly drive textbooks because they are the largest purchasers. But textbooks really should not be the sole source of information in a classroom anyway.

Teachers should relish the thought of helping students learn how to find information that is accurate and relevant. In our rapidly changing world, this idea is even more important than ever before.

Textbooks are written by the large publishing companies who also want to sell us more tests. These companies have a lot of influence over what is taught and what is tested in our country.

Textbooks are useful tools but should not be the supreme source of information in any classroom.

By bearcasey

September 19, 2008 9:22 AM | Link to this

TONY is right-on. 31 year veteran of both public and private schools here. Texts are a “racket!” They are incredibly expensive. Texts may have made sense in the pre-internet days but not now. Some teachers and courses may still need them. Math comes to mind. But, mindlessly ordering uber-expensive books for all teachers and courses is simply stupid and an insult to teachers. The knowledge and skills needed now do not magically jump from a book into students’ minds. I salivate at the thought of how I could use the money often wasted on boring texts!

By Teachman

September 19, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this

Tony, I’d wager that most teacher DO relish the thought of helping students learn to find that information. The problem is when school district administrators block access to the information. I taught high school science for several years, and almost every time I tried to use helpful biology sites, they would be blocked. I had to fill out a request to have the site unblocked, and it would take weeks to get that done, if it ever got done at all. Sometimes I never ever heard back on the request.

By decaturparent

September 19, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this

I agree with bearcasey. I don’t have a high schooler yet, but all the way through middle school, we don’t use textbooks in Decatur schools. My kids may have a math workbook or textbook that they use a little, but other than that ……it’s all original sources or hands on work. It seems to work fine here.

By SallyB

September 19, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this

In my county, teachers were routinely asked to look at texts that were under consideration and choose the one that would be adopted. Then , the county would adopt something else…or, as in the case of my subject a few years ago, they bought the one the teachers chose, but didn’t buy the accessories that had made it so attractive to teachers and helpful to students.

WE always thought they adopted the texts from the company that offered the biggest KICKBACKS. No proof, of course.

By jakesdad

September 19, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this

there is absolutely no need for textbooks in the era of DLP projectors in classrooms, html/PDFs/powerpoints/(God help us)flash & google. there IS value in standardized curricula but there’s absolutely no need for taxpayers to be shoveling money to publishers to needlessly kill trees. I wonder if a wikipedia-like model would work for this - restrict it to teachers and qualified SMEs (ex. MDs could edit anatomy content). the end product would be a central repository of content schools around the country (or world) could use free of charge. you’d probably have to checkpoint it (re: freeze) so teachers could plan lessons and the content isn’t a moving target for the students but it could work.

what do the professional educators think?

By FG2

September 19, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this

I have told my teachers that if the textbook is driving their instruction then they are wrong. The instruction is to be driven by the Georgia Performance Standards. If you are looking at the textbook and not the standards you are wrong.

By HS Teacher, Too

September 19, 2008 11:06 AM | Link to this

Maybe this is the problem: “This teacher is also the parent of a high school sophomore. She tries to help with his homework, but his textbooks are too confusing.”

Hmm. I don’t know about anyone else on here, but I’d sure like to know what, exactly, she thinks is so confusing. I’ll make a big assumption: I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess it’s either a math or science textbook. My response to that is that while it’s true there are some bad texts out there, most of the books I’ve used (without any say in what schools adopted, mind you) have been fine — assuming that you start at the beginning of the section, read it through, work the examples with the book, and really try to make it make sense. Simply going to the problems and trying to work backwards won’t work if you’re already confused.

But that’s right — let’s blame the lack of understanding on the books because it must be someone’s or sometthing’s fault. Sheesh. At least she didn’t blame the teacher.

jakesdad, as a high school teacher I will say that parents and students alike both want the comfort (if nothing else) of having a textbook to “follow along.” Many of the complaints I have gotten, or have heard about other teachers, have in some way connected back to textbooks. For example, “He doesn’t use the book. She doesn’t follow the book. He jumps around in the book.” That kind of thing. Parents and students find it confusing and ultimately, I think it comes down to using the book as a syllabus/security blanket. There is always this third-party resource out there. Now, I don’t think that we need to perpetuate the security blanket, but I think any transition away from a book would need to be gradual. More pragmatically, kids — who are not the most organized creatures — need a centralized place for all their information. If they lose their worksheets, their computer is down, the links are broken, etc., etc., they need a book to go back to, even if it serves only as a skeletal representation of what was actually done in class. (Simply saying they can put their handouts in a binder doesn’t achieve the same goal.)

There’s a tremendous amount we can talk about related to your ideas and I don’t mean to shoot them down completely — really, at all — but that’s just a taste of where I think we’d run into problems. So, again, a transition would need to be gradual.

The wiki you propose, though — well, in the end doesn’t that just end up serving as an online textbook? It seems to me that if it is really done right, it’s just calling a rose by another name.

I always had the best success when I went to other resources as supplements, and for additional information; I never went to one single alternative source exclusively.

By Old School

September 19, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this

I use textbooks in my CTAE lab but I warn the students that, while the information is a good starting point, they should not believe everything they read or take the illustrations as gospel. I have several example texts that have poor color registration. Some students will actually try to make their drawings (I teach ED&D) exactly like the text. So…

I assign as many real world applications of the basic skills and rules as I can. And yes, my courses are GPS driven. For us, the best use of textbooks is as references.

By the way, I find it interesting that many of the CTAE pathways resources contain numerous references from Wikipedia. That can be scary since almost anyone can contribute information and it might not be completely factual.

By John McSame

September 19, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this

I’m a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight….

If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you’re ‘exotic, different.’

• Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers,— a quintessential American story.

• If your name is Barack you’re a radical, unpatriotic Muslim. — Name your own kids Willow, Trig and Track, you’re a maverick.

• Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.

• Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you’re well grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer,

become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, you don’t have any real leadership experience.

• If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you’re qualified to become the country’s second highest ranking executive.

• If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you’re not a real Christian.

If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and

left your disfigured wife and married heiress Cindy the next month, you’re a Christian.

• If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

• If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state’s school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you’re very responsible.

• If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family’s values don’t represent America’s.

If your husband is nicknamed ‘First Dude’, with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn’t register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, it’s much clearer now.

By SallyB

September 19, 2008 11:42 AM | Link to this

I spent hundreds of dollars buying materials for my middle school English class…because at least at that time,the majority of the questions on that section of the CRCT had to do with rules of grammar and usage…..AND the county HAD NO GRAMMAR BOOK!!! So in order to offer written rules of standard American English as well as opportunities for practice I bought many materials myself. I also went to the old book room and hauled grammar books from years before to my room. As you would guess, my students always did better….much better…than others on that section of the CRCT. It was really expensive for me, though.

By fer

September 19, 2008 11:44 AM | Link to this

When I taught, we were encouraged to use textbooks because they were standardized — each child had access to the same information and the books could be taken home. Using the Internet at home is still not possible for many of our students, and even when it is, it takes quite a while to teach students how to use it.

By HS Sp Ed Teacher

September 19, 2008 11:44 AM | Link to this

I have not had textbooks in years. Sp Ed almost always gets left out. For the first time in 28 years, I actually got a TE for Science as I co-taught with a regular ed teacher. It had a lot of helps, but was more of a guide; not something I taught from. Students actually learn concepts according to GPS, not memorize the textbook.

The classroom of the future will not be paper driven, but instruction will be on line. We already see that with Virtual HS classes. As a teacher, I am the facilitator, not someone who stands in front of the class and reads as students follow along, or listen and take notes as I lecture. That is so outdated!

By jakesdad

September 19, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this

HS,

you’re certainly in a better position than I to speak to the warm/fuzzy factor - I’m just coming from the perspective of someone w/a 20 yr IT background, the last eight at a major, well-known website so I know the technology definitely exists.

you’re right that what I’m describing does amount to an online textbook but it would be a FREE online, best of breed textbook. I don’t know what % of a school’s budget goes to buying textbooks but I have to intuitively belive it isn’t immaterial. the textbook publishers are a lot like the RIAA & MPAA in that they make a pile of money w/o adding any real value to the chain but the content for which they’re middlemen is at least original/creative/art (at least in some cases). textbook publishers don’t create and knowlege, they just aggregate, organize and distribute it with obsolete technology/methods. I have full faith that “the community” could produce materials for schools that would be of superior quality at next to no cost. that’s obviously debatable but it’s my position and what I advocate…

By Janine

September 19, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this

HS SpED Teacher Re{lecture. That is so outdated!] It is frowned upon in middle and high school….HOWEVER< it is still the way most college classes are taught. And many a freshman has been flummoxed because they only know the so called Hands ON methods with teachers as facilitators. Being able to listen and take notes is absolutely essential in most colleges.

By Janine

September 19, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this

Oh..I forgot…Most of the classes that I took in Education [only enough to get certified] were taught hands on. But other depts. except for labs were lectures.

By TheBlogger

September 19, 2008 11:58 AM | Link to this

A very very large percentage of the budget is spent on the textbooks and supplemental material. So, by golly, I am going to use them.

Are they perfect? No.

Do they included everything needed? No.

Is it a racket? Yes.

I will very often use ‘outside’ resources in addition to what is provided by the school system.

By lyncoln

September 19, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this

For college level textbooks, I had a friend who ordered his from India.

It is illegal, but he spent less money to get a nearly identical textbook in English. Maybe there are well written and cheaper textbooks out there for sale in other English speaking countries?

Another crazy thought, the print-on-demand features offered through the internet could allow teachers to author their own textbooks to cover their own curriculum.

By Mike D

September 19, 2008 12:07 PM | Link to this

Down here in clayton county we used our text books to build a fort to keep to crazy accreditation people away. Who need any edumacation any how?

By Professional Educator

September 19, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this

I think the answer to this question really depends on subject matters and levels (ES, MS or HS). I am mostly concerned about mathematics teaching at elementary and middle school level, and I think it is VERY important that we have a high quality textbooks that are closely aligned with the state standards. Writing a textbook is a HUGE task. When teachers (or teacher educators) say we shouldn’t use textbooks, they are probably basing their judgment on the poor quality of current textbooks. In elementary and middle school mathematics, research has shown that US textbooks are just horrible compared to places like Singapore and Japan.

I also don’t like when teachers say they don’t use textbooks because I don’t trust them (most of them) to have the deep knowledge of both the content and students as the learners of the content to be developing a high quality, well aritculated and coherent “curriculum” for the grade level. I have seen both Japanese and Singaporean elementary mathematics textbooks, and I think our elementary school mathematics instruction would be a LOT better if teachers followed the textbooks very closely than they created their own lessons.

By high school teacher

September 19, 2008 12:31 PM | Link to this

It’s kind of difficult to read literature without textbooks or some sort of anthologies. We didn’t use our textbook the first four weeks because we did a technical writing unit, and of course there is no technical literature in our textbook. I agree that we waste money on textbooks. However, English teachers need to have some resources to provide our students with reading materials. Not all stories are available online, and even so, I can’t imagine attempting to read a story by way of a data projector.

Oh, and I don’t like breaking the copyright laws either!

By HS Teacher, Too

September 19, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this

jakesdad,

I’m not opposed to eliminating textbooks. I don’t doubt the technolgy exists. I’m married to a 20-year IT guy myself. I know it’s out there, usually before it gets there. ;) In all seriousness, I believe we are on the same page, and I was just pointing out the concern I would have about resistance to a move to virtual books, wikis, etc.

My point was just that we need to be careful not to trade one FORM of a book for another FORM and end up just playing a semantics game; and second that there will be parent and student resistance that we’d need to factor into the transition.

I have never relied exclusively on a textbook — or even multiple textbooks — for a couse. I have always gone out and found countless supplements. But I can’t stand here (sit here) and say that textbooks are entirely useless.

AND, if we follow the money, I’m not sure that we’d necessarily save by eliminating textbooks and moving to another format. I’m a cynic, but I think the administration will find ways to shuffle paper and keep the dollars but just put them elsewhere. MY guess is that the dollars will find their way to administrative positions. (I live in Gwinnett, so I am pretty jaded!)

By Emma

September 19, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this

To everyone on this BLOG!!!!! This is the best one I have ever encountered!!!! I think everyone thus far has some valid points. There’s nothing for me to say because you guys have nailed it head on!!!!! WOW Have a good weekend.

By Emma

September 19, 2008 12:50 PM | Link to this

John McSame What the h#(( are you talking about? This blog is talking about TEXT BOOKS!!!!!!!!!

By College Physics Prof

September 19, 2008 1:03 PM | Link to this

In the area of physics and physical science texts, the American Association of Physics Teachers did a review a few years ago of the most widely used high school and middle school physics and physical science texts. What they found was that the books were riddled with misleading statements, statements that reinforced misconceptions and things that were just plain wrong on a factual level. When the authors of the study approached the publishers with their findings, the publishers said that their “experts” had said the books were just fine and refused to make any changes.

I can’t state with any certainty that similar issues exist in other fields of scientific study but it does lead one to wonder.

By evrlstngblogstalker

September 19, 2008 1:07 PM | Link to this

The point made about teachers adhering to the Georgia Performance Standards is right on target.

Teachers have to make use of whatever textbooks are provided by the schools, but we are not required to use them exclusively and, because these books do not correspond with GPS, it is necessary to research and make use of all other available options.

As a high school English literature teacher, I went through the standards and curricular outlines, looked up links to materials consistent with those standards and supplied the links to my students — who either accessed them at home or on the school library’s computers (or not at all). As such, it doesn’t seem to make any difference whether the lessons came from the books or from these online sources — my lessons followed GPS and the kids either read the material or they didn’t according to their own wills.

The textbooks provided in the classroom generally aren’t appealing to anyone, teachers and students alike, for a wide variety of reasons. But our primary responsibility as educators is to use what tools we have to impart knowledge and help our students develop the skills they’re going to need for success in their future lives. If that means using the books, or not using them, or integrating online or other sources into our lessons, then so be it.

By Reader

September 19, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

Last spring, we were told to use trade books to teach the new science and social studies standards, because either they are not included in our current textbooks or the grade doesn’t have a textbook for that subject.

This year we find out the media specialist has been told not to buy any books because there’s no money (thanks, Sonny!). Shameful.

By Steve

September 19, 2008 4:51 PM | Link to this

TO College Physics Prof. I teach physical science and I agree. I use the text book activities to teach physical science and show students - do NOT believe everything you read. There are so many errors - reading and activities that do not work, that the text is a major waste of money. As for the person worried about the teachers that do not have content knowledge - this might be true in some cases. I have found most science teachers would love to teach depth and not the breadth required by the GPS. Unfortunately, the GPS (in science) is so broa0d that it is not realistic to teach (what they have listed) so the student will truly understand. This means the state is handcuffing the teachers and they have to be superficial in the content. So we end up with kids having a superficial education and a CRCT that tests to depth. The end result is a low cut score so a certain percentage will pass. Then they raise the cut score and make the test easier but still to broad. So, systems institute pacing guides requiring this page on this date whether the student understands or not. All of this is determined by political agendas and driven by those that are not or haven’t been in the classroom for 20 years. Fortunately, I work for a person that trusts his teachers to do their jobs. I know I am lucky and I know a lot that are micromanaged by administrators, RESAs, coaches, master teachers (hah) etc. Is a textbook a necessity? No, it is resource and should be used that way. It should not drive the curriculum. It would be nice to able to teach kids to love learning and not to have to pacify extraneous forces.

By Mcgrace

September 19, 2008 5:24 PM | Link to this

In Gwinnett County teachers pilot new materials and then vote. One of the consierations is if it well enough aligned to the AKS and GPS. The math books that were adopted for this year though were written by someone who retired as the head of the Gwinnett County Math Department; hmm. Yes, she would know what needs to be taught but a little conflict of interest.

By Mcgrace

September 19, 2008 5:24 PM | Link to this

In Gwinnett County teachers pilot new materials and then vote. One of the considerations is if it well enough aligned to the AKS and GPS. The math books that were adopted for this year though were written by someone who retired as the head of the Gwinnett County Math Department; hmm. Yes, she would know what needs to be taught but a little conflict of interest.

By Maureen Downey, America's Shill

September 19, 2008 5:42 PM | Link to this

So America’s Shill, Maureen “blame teachers first” Downey is back at it again, advocating we take away a teacher’s right to hold elected office. What’s next Maureen, take away their right to vote? Make them wear a “T” on their clothing, so they can more easily targeted by the public for verbal abuse and brutal physcial assaults; just like they are in the regular classroom?

Notice when the media details story after story of brutal physcial assaults on teachers, time after time Downey is SILENT? Noticed that she has never advocated for teachers having more protection and more authority in the classroom in matters of discipline? Never advocated for teachers having protection against retaliation?

Guess “blame teachers first” is kind of hard if you have to acknowledge that one out of every ten teachers in this country has reported a physical assault on their person and that a full fifty percent of new teachers leave in five years, with lack of support always showing up as a key reason.

And what’s Downey’s lame, pathetic excuse for taking away citizenship rights of teachers? “Their interests don’t always align with students.” And administrator interests always do? Look at the one million discipline referrals in this state, and the lack of consistent response before you answer that. And parent interests always do? Again, look at the one million discipline referrals and ask who is raising these kids? Not the teachers, Maureen. And the business community’s interest always align with the students interests? Look at their silence on the one million discipline referrals before you answer. And what about your interests Maureen? When you steadfastly refuse to comment of physical assaults of teachers because it doesn’t serve the interest of constituencies the AJC wants to protect, it’s pretty clear that you have never been a true advocate for students.

Especially not those who come from at risk backgrounds where structure and discipline is essential for student success. But Maureen isn’t worried about them, because her children will never be in classrooms with “those people”.

No Maureen you are not an advocate, you are a shill to the very core. One who stands outside the classroom and blames teachers first, because you don’t have what it takes to walk the walk.

I would ask that Downey step inside the classroom and show us how it’s done, but I cannot, in good faith, allow children to be subjected to the sight of Downey balled up in a fetal position in a puddle of her own urine, sobbing uncontrollably, “It really isn’t the teachers; discipline really does matter!”

By Tony

September 19, 2008 7:36 PM | Link to this

Textbooks costs: Science texts this year in elementary school 4th grade $51.00. 5th grade $53.00. I don’t remember what 3rd grade price was, but it was over $40.00. Our school has 475 kids in those grades. Total for the school was well over $20,000. We did not purchase new texts for k-2 because of the expense. Personally, I couldn’t justify spending over $40.00 for a book just because it had pretty pictures in it. The previous texts were still in good shape and provided the content necessary. Besides, we have invested in tradebooks for early grades that are far superior to any of the textbooks.

Science texts were purchased this year throughout the state. High school science texts are extremely expensive and (as already mentioned) riddled with errors. Often the texts are poorly written. I taught chemistry and physics and always supplemented with my own materials. This is why HS teachers should be required to have a degree in their field, not just certification to teach science.

By Lee

September 19, 2008 11:04 PM | Link to this

I guess my pet peeve with textbooks is the politically correct slant they tend to apply.

Prime example, a few years ago, I was reading through my daughter’s 6th grade history book about the battle of San Juan Hill. The book dedicated a full page and a half to talking about how many “african Americans” participated in this battle. This little sidebar really had nothing to do with the topic at hand, other than trying to get brownie points [oooh, I’m good] for including “diversity” in the subject matter.

That said, I remember some of my textbooks being held together with duct tape. My daughters always seemed to have new textbooks every year. I don’t know, maybe we were more frugal way back when.

But, today’s students shouldn’t fret too much. Once they get to college, they will experience paying for their own textbooks and the sham of ‘selling them back to the bookstore’.

By DB

September 20, 2008 1:51 AM | Link to this

Well, here’s my take on this: If I have to spend $575 on books for my high school senior (private school, we have to buy the books), then they darn well BETTER use the damn things. There is NOTHING that irritates me more than paying $70 for a book and at the end of the year, have my daughter comment, “Gee, I forgot we had that one, we never used it.” And since they never used it — no buy-back. Or the $35 workbook where only three pages were used.

It would have been almost $700, but I do a lot of internet shopping and eBay shopping and selling of textbooks. This is with three AP classes, an honors class and two other classes.

By Mom of Second Grader

September 20, 2008 8:39 AM | Link to this

Is it possible to align the text book content with what is tested on the CRCT? Or vise versa? It seems unwise to me to teach one thing and test another.

By Alecia

September 20, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this

In college a lot of my professors published their own books and offered it in paperback at the local copy shop. We should ask our talented, tenured teachers that have doctorates to publish, just like the university.

By bearcasey

September 20, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this

LEE: You are the man! I could not have said it better myself. In my AP US history class we used to have a contest to identify the “obscure woman in history” for the week. The text was always a big help in this.

By Old School Al

September 20, 2008 10:40 AM | Link to this

Well, I guess I am at it again!. To answer Mom of a 2nd grader’s question, I would refer to Tony’s post from yesterday. I can speak for Math. The GPS don’t align w/most of the rest of the nation — we are actually a grade level ahead of the NCTM standards. Personally, I think it is a good thing, because our students are exposed to more, challenged more, and the expectations are higher. The major problem w/the textbooks is that the publishers don’t want to spend the money to build a book just for Georgia, only to find out that less than 50 systems want their book — after all, each system adopts their choice of book. My proposal would be for Cathy & Co. down at the DOE contract w/a single publisher to build books for EVERY public system in Georgia. Then, we could use Georgia educators to build the content based on the GPS. This would require some oversight to make sure that we were not overcharged, and to make sure that the material was indeed aligned w/the GPS, but it would work. Tony is correct that TX & CA drive textbooks, but if all Georgia systems used the same book, there would be enough volume to justify an independent printing.

Just a thought.

By Grady ER RN

September 20, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this

When I first started college, I was a young single mom (separated, not yet divorced) and had issues with child care, so at times I had to drop a course and then pick it up next quarter ( yeah, we had quarters back then, changed to semesters later, lol). It really used to p*ss me off that the same class, would change text books, so the old one wouldn’t work, had to buy new. I knew it was all about money, but somehow I was the only one outraged by it. And I was the only one outraged by the difference in high school history and college history. Used to amaze me that these youngens just out of school, would sit there and not even question the stuff that was being spewed out by the professors. And then I realized, they never caught the stuff when they were in school, so they didn’t even realize they were being taught something totally different, lol.

By George

September 20, 2008 11:50 PM | Link to this

As a teacher, I hardly use the textbook in my class, and I think that the students are better off for it. I have the same issues with textbooks that many people above have expressed. However, over the last twelve years, I have had to defend myself from sometimes very vehement parents who think that schoolwork requires a textbook and that I’m not doing my job if I’m not issuing a textbook for every student to use.

Textbooks are often a hindrance to creative student thought, and they are increasingly unnecessary and wasteful in the digital age. Many many parents don’t seem to get this, though, and that’s why schools keep buying them and teachers keep issuing them.

By tom

September 21, 2008 10:03 AM | Link to this

Old School Al

I don’t think it is accurate to say that the GPS is a grade level ahead of NCTM standards - you are perhaps referring to their document, Focal Points. Although I like the idea of having focal points in each grade, I think their pacing is too slow.

The GPS, on the other hand, align very closely to the 1989 Japanese Course of Study, which they used to inform develop the GPS (along with NC state standards and Am. Statistical Assoc’s standards). It is not too different from Singapore standards. Singapore textbooks are in English, and Hall County is beginning to use Singapore textbooks. Japanese textbooks have been translated, but mostly for research and PD purposes - I don’t think teachers’ manuals are translated.

One thing that is striking about both Singaporean and Japanese textbooks is their conciseness and the fact that they are consumables. They include summaries of important ideas so that children (and their parents) can use them as resources later.

As far as mathematics is concerned, specially in K-8, those teachers who don’t use textbooks are doing more harm to students than helping them. Such an approach may satisfy teachers, but they are sacrificing students’ learning for their own satisfaction - unless textbooks are just horrible. Unfortunately, Hartcourt, McGraw Hill, etc’s mainline textbooks give teachers a good case not to use them…

By Martin

September 21, 2008 10:59 AM | Link to this

Why is she helping her high-schooler do his homework???

Sounds like “helicopter parenting” to me.

By educator

September 21, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this

Textbooks don’t teach students!!!Teachers do. Stop relying on a book and utilize the standards as a guide. There are lots of resources that can be used and should be used to teach students. Thats what wrong with educaion today. We spend too much time worrying about the material in a textbook when we should be worried about the standards and in depth teaching and learning.

By walterrhett

September 21, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this

Text books are a educational political lobby that secure millions for the purpose of instruction. So: pictures of butterflies replace stepping outside to see a real butterfly in flight. pictures of rocks replace a quick search for stones in the school yard. And long, difficult explainations replace oral teaching, oral repetition, and the Socratic method, forgoing the natural use of the ear!

By tom

September 21, 2008 3:20 PM | Link to this

educator,

Perhaps because US textbooks have been so horrible that many educators say the same. However, going from standards to actual classroom instruction is a huge step. Specially for elementary school teachers who have to teach all subjects, it is totally unrealistic to expect them not to rely on textbooks. I think our efforts should be on creating high quality textbooks that teachers can rely on and produce reasonably good lessons. What is wrong in education today, at least one of them, is that teachers have to worry so much about what’s in the textbooks is indeed in the standards.

[I’m mostly talking about mathematics since that’s the subject I am most familiar with - and at elementary/middle school level. Things may be a bit different for other subjects and at HS level.]

By high school teacher

September 21, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this

FYI, we have new math books for Math I students this year. The title of the book is “Math I.” I have not looked at it, but it appears to have been created for Georgia and our new curriculum.

By Old School Al

September 21, 2008 7:22 PM | Link to this

Tom,

I don’t want to argue the point, but when my county went through textbook adoption 2 years ago, every publisher had us looking at the “Georgia Edition,” which was the next grade level’s edition for the rest of the state. If we are not a full year ahead, we are considerably ahead. As I said before, I don’t particularly dislike the GPS, I just wish that we could have Math texts that actually correspond to what we are teaching. As far as teachers hurting students by not teaching w/the texts…I don’t think a blanket statement like that can be made. Students need resources to complement classroom learning, whatever that source is. If the necessary resources are provided, then teaching without the text should not be an issue.

By tom

September 21, 2008 8:30 PM | Link to this

I would not trust what the sales people say about their textbook. I think there are certain ideas that are introduced earlier in the GPS than other states’ standards, while other ideas are introduced later. For example, I would imagine decimal multiplication and division in Grade 5 may be a bit earlier than what many other states do, but the discussion of symmetry in the GPS is probably much later than what you may find in other states.

What publishers do in creating Georgia (or any other state) edition is simply to re-package the contents of their main textbook series. Such a practice pretty much guarantee that the final product will not be of high quality.

I think only a VERY small minority of teachers can teach without textbooks and serve their students. Writing a high quality textbook (curriculum) is a very difficult and demanding task. That’s part of a reason most textbooks are written by a team of authors. I don’t see how a single teacher can actually accomplish a better job. Moreover, “quality” isn’t just about single lessons, but rather how they are connected together to make a cohesive whole. So, for any given topic, teachers have to think about what are prerequisite knowledge might be, how those prerequisite ideas were taught previously, how the specific idea you are about to teach will be used in the future, etc. When teachers don’t follow the textbook to some degree, other teachers will have difficult time answering these questions. What is often missing in education is that kind of a long-term vision, not just focusing on a single grade, a single lesson, or a single task.

By Reginald

September 21, 2008 11:41 PM | Link to this

I as a parent of a Middle schooler, I was surprised to find that there was no take home Math textbook. The textbooks my daughter had at school were for classroom use only. I wondered how the students were supposed to complete homework assignments without the reference of a textbook. I immediately went online, found and purchased the book for my daughter. The first weekend she had it she stayed up until 2:30 am doing assignments from chapters covered in class this year, thus solidifing her knowledge of the subject. With Georgia near the bottom of the scale I really wonder what is going on. You can bet I will continue to semi-home school my kid. By the way, when she mentioned to her teacher that she had her own math book at home to study, she was told that it was unauthorized. Whew!

By ravens

September 22, 2008 8:00 AM | Link to this

Each student should be provided with a laptop and digital textbooks/interactive programs. For the cost of textbooks, this can be done.

By Jerry Watson

September 22, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this

I teach math at a community college and graduate level courses in manufacturing systems at an engineering school.I addition to being expensive ( in excess of $140) the texts used to teach math are not applicable to the real world. The result is that math teachers who have never been outside the classroom do not realize the uselessness of the texts that are being used. An example would illustrate. Math teachers who use triangles to teach trigonometry as in texts should supplement their lessons with the unit circle is used. Then with the unit circle one can apply the resulting sine curves, amplitude and periodicity to alternating current.

By tom

September 22, 2008 11:45 AM | Link to this

ravens:

The issue is not how textbooks will be distributed to students. The issue is the quality of textbooks - whether in print or electronic files.

Jerry:

When was the last time you have seen any HS trig textbooks?

Although applications are important, you can have a very poor quality textbooks filled with a bunch of “practical” examples. What makes textbooks high quality is their mathematical rigor and coherence.

By high school teacher

September 22, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this

Just checked - we do have a Georgia High School Mathematics I textbook. ISBN: 0-618-92011-0. No pictures in this book! I only thumbed through the pages, and I don’t teach math, so I don’t feel qualified to render a judgment on its quality. Publisher is McDougel-Littell.

By tom

September 22, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this

HS teacher

What publishers like McDougel-Littell will do is to take out the sections that are relevant to the GPS from the library of their textbooks and bind them together to make up a “textbook.” Forget the coherence or quality. They can then say that their textbooks are “aligned with” the GPS. What a joke.

By Hmm

September 23, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this

I hate the new Math 1 textbook. I hate the examples, the incomplete lessons, the boring definitions, and the inaccuracies throughout. I can’t say that enough. I have nothing but pure hate for the book so far. I’m hoping it gets better. In the meantime, I’m making other arrangements.

My son’s teacher uses the projector and lots of notes to supplement the book. My son has the auditory attention of a gnat. I’m trying to help fill in the blanks, so he won’t fail Math. He’s in the gifted program, he tests high on CRCT, it’s not that he can’t do it or is somehow behind his peers.

But, when I sat down with him to see where the problems lie… I was shocked at this book’s inadequacies. I was just as shocked that he somehow “gave up” about 4 lessons ago and quit doing homework, but that’s another rant directed to him personally.

We’ve now arranged for 3 types of tutoring and I’ll be watching his homework like a hawk for awhile. This is what you do when your kids have fallen behind. It’s not helicopter parenting - it’s HELPING your kid get back on track. Parents are supposed to help their kids. The teachers have been very helpful, too. Nothing except full encouragement to help me, my kid, and help me help my kid. Very pleased.

Another non-math teacher recommended a site called hippocampus.org. I love it. You have to dig a little, since it’s not all in the same sequence of GA Math, but the lessons are clear, concise, and you know, Helpful. Also, I might be scrounging up a separate textbook that we used last year. I’ll have to buy a copy, but that’s OK. It provided better explanation and examples than his current materials.

By MBW

September 23, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this

IMHO, any teacher worth his/her salt will not rely completely on a textbook to teach a class.

By MBW not BMW

September 23, 2008 9:45 PM | Link to this

That may be true with HS/College (maybe middle school) teachers. I don’t see how you can blame any elementary teacher if they decide to rely on textbooks for some of the subjects they teach. If I have to teach social studies, I know I will be depending on the textbooks.

By vicky

October 25, 2008 10:07 PM | Link to this

Well there is a cheap way! The tutor could go to a main bookstore and find the relevant books needed, buy a few and then photocopy out of the books and give the class handouts, that means they can get away without the text books and still learn the neccessary work. However, that will only work if the tutors are allowed to photocopy, as in my college the photocopy was guarded as to how much paper each student was allowed. As long as the work is not being used in a professional context I can’t see it having an problem with data protection.

But that is the only suggestion I can think of.