When I first read the question, the first thing that came to mind is how I have never enjoyed textbooks in a class. The assigned readings were something that always got pushed to the bottom of my list to do, if I ever got to doing them. The only time I would make sure to read was when there was a possibility of a quiz. Even then, I never did well on the quizzes even when I read. With such a bitter taste in my mouth about textbooks, I want to find a way to use the textbook that allows students to benefit and not suffer or dread the text. The sections in this weeks readings about math caught my attention because that is one of my content areas. It is quoted that, "Math textbooks have the highest content load per sentence of all the secondary textbooks (Barton and Heidema, 2002)"(Daniels and Zemelman, 2014, p. 189). This is overwhelming to students, especially students who struggle with reading, math, or both! As a teacher, how to use the textbook can seem daunting and tricky because there is so much information packed into each topic, explanation, or chapter. It can be such a beneficial resource if its used properly. So w
hat can I do? The main point I think is most applicable when it comes to math teaching and textbooks is being selective (178). Picking the parts of the text that are "enduring" and allow students to then "act upon" on the topics being presented through the book. This makes me wonder, how can I know whether the textbook I am using is most beneficial to my teaching practices and students? And how do I engage students who are not strong readers or have bad blood with textbooks from previous classes?
WC: 299
My past experience was similar to yours, and after going through this chapter I realized how great use textbooks can be with the right strategies. Each strategy fits into the different content areas. For my content area, which is math, I chose to use the guide-o-rama study guides because they would fit well with flipped classrooms. A number of my math classes have been "flipped." Being selective is another great strategy to use specifically in math classes. A lot of the times teachers chose to skip chapters in full if they didn't fit well with the other material. My math teachers have had the most effect on me, but I see how different things are from then to now. I hope to form my own classroom in a way that will help students grow.
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