How should I use a textbook in my class?

-


Chapter Six, in Subjects Matter, strategically answers some of the most burning questions that have been on my mind. Questions like, How do I know what concepts to teach?; Do I have to stick to a textbook?; How do I teach from a textbook?; Does the textbook provide any information that is on standardized tests? Selecting the appropriate content-area texts for my class is nerve racking in itself, because of the pressure teachers receive when it comes to their students passing standardized tests. Year-round, teachers strive to focus all learning towards passing these pesky test mandated by the state.


Chapter Six advises teachers to become picky and particular when it comes to selecting content-area texts resources. Not only are the resources important to refine, but the instructions, lessons, and texts within the resource, are equally important to finely comb through. Be Selective, in Chapter Six, mentions four filters to utilize when selecting content-area material texts for the classroom (pg. 179)

  1. Does the idea, topic, or process represent a big idea with enduring value beyond the classroom?
  2.  Does the idea, topic, or process reside at the heart of the discipline? 
  3. To what extent does the idea, topic, or process require uncoverage?
  4. To what extent does the idea, topic, or process have the potential for engaging students?


The four questions above are strategies that help teachers self-monitor their own course work. “Time is of the essence” in the classroom. Teachers only have a certain amount of days and weeks to teach individual concepts. So, it is crucial to make the most out of every lesson. 

263



Comments

  1. Maegan McMahanSeptember 17, 2018 at 6:50 AM

    I agree with you that this chapter answers many questions that teachers have when it comes to textbooks and instruction. I believe that the use of the four filters described will be helpful in narrowing down the big ideas, but it will also help students with their reading and comprehension. Instead of them reading a whole chapter of a textbook, we as teachers will pick and choose what the big ideas are, so they only have to focus on these concepts instead of the other extraneous ideas that may be in the text. This will help them focus and comprehend just the big ideas they need.
    (106)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Resource Blog-Balloon Morphing: How Gases Contract and Expand

-
Image
Balloon Morphing: How Gases Contract and Expand Experimental Procedure Preparing for the Balloon Tests Blow up one of the balloons until it is quite full, but not close to popping, and tie it off. Mark the balloon with the number 1. Measure the circumference of this first balloon with the cloth tape measure, selecting the fullest part of the balloon to measure, as shown in Figure 1 on the right. Hold the tape measure snug on the balloon, but not so tight that the balloon is being squeezed by the tape measure and changing its shape. In your lab notebook, make a data table like Table 1, below, and record this starting circumference in millimeters (mm) in the data table. Figure 1.  This drawing shows where to measure the circumference of the balloons. Blow up the second balloon so it looks about the size of the first balloon, but do not tie it off yet. Pinch the opening closed between your thumb and finger so the air can not escape. Have your helper measure the circumfere...
Read more

Is a textbook the only kind of reading my students need?

-
Image
Textbooks are wonderful teaching tools, but using the same tools over time can leave students and teachers feeling complacent. The content-area, science, can have tricky concepts within the curriculum. Especially since most of middle school science curriculum in Georgia is about natural and spontaneous phenomenons that happen on and around the Earth. According to the Sixth Grade Earth Science Curriculum Map, students study  the Earth, Moon, and the Sun for about four weeks. I stumbled upon a fun activity on Pinterest that highlights this topic for sixth graders. The activity is called the Oreo Moon Phase Match from the website, http://www.theteachyteacher.com/2016/04/blast-off-to-moon.html As you probably already guessed, yes, the activity involves oreos.  Students construct different phases of the Moon with oreos and icing. I found a great diagram of Moon phases, on google images, to use for a guide/worksheet to help the students during the activity. This is the l...
Read more

8th Grade Friendzy App

-
Image
      I found the app, 8th Grade Friendzy , to be user friendly and appropriate for 8th grade science. Below, I have attached some screenshots of a couple of questions I was asked while playing the game. The texts, within 8th Grade Friendzy , aligns with the content-area texts in science classrooms at Hilsman Middle School. This app also has content-areas like Social Studies, Math, Language Arts, and a fun miscellaneous category. There is a total of 10 questions per quiz game. If you answer the question wrong, the app will still display the correct answer. I think that showing the correct answer to the questions after you miss the question helps the learning process. The app also has a visualization aspect of using the colors red and green to differentiate incorrect and correct answers. This was fun to play for me and also tested my knowledge.  142
Read more