Textbooks, Wikipedia and Schooling

Reflect:

1. How do you feel about using web-based resources instead of textbooks in school?

• As a math teacher, it is easier for me to assign problems from a textbook.  The textbook teacher's manual does offer a pacing guide and clearly stated objectives.  However, all of the reasons I like textbooks only benefit one person, me.  It makes my planning and pacing easier.  The truth is, THE KIDS HATE THEM.  They lose them, leave them, and hate copying down problems from a book that they can't write in (in 8th grade, some choose to draw inappropriate anatomical drawing in them). Rarely do I have a kid say, "I like doing this!" or "This is neat!" or "This is new!" when I am working out of the textbook.  The activities that my students like are web-based and project-based; these not only incorporate 21st century skills, but they typically are relevant, new, and fun.  So although web-based resources and creating my own curriculum(using the standards and objectives as my guideline) seems more time-consuming for me, its better for the students and we don't teach for our own comfort and well-being; it's always for the students.  

1. What opportunities for the development of information literacy skills for students if they began to learn without textbooks?

• "My students learn particularly well when they work together to discover scientific ideas and apply them to new situations (Ruth)."  
• Do we all have a stack of textbooks to go home and use in real life? NO.  So why not develop students abilities of finding the answers without the textbook?  I do show my math students helpful math sites or how to use the Internet when you (or your parent) can't figure something out; whether it be researching solving equation or figuring out a real world problem, "How to build a structurally sound deck?" "How much stain do I need to buy for my deck?" "How could I create a blue print of the patio furniture layout on my deck?"  Students that have been doing problems on 1-30 every day out of their textbooks will not be prepared  for these real life information literacy tasks.

1. How do these articles change or support your stance on using Wikipedia as learning resources in the classroom? 

• It supports my stance.  Wikipedia is a great way for students to exercise critical analysis, a skill they will need in the real world.

1. Find an image that relates to information literacy and schooling.Embed the image in your blog and provide proper attribution.

• I chose this image because this is a perfect facial expression for how students feel about textbooks.  They are bored; they know they will not use or need them outside of school year.   
• Image Source: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTr50WX6HLZuKuKZ0oGIbv18PUVQyLhLFGCMdnPYzP63dBZGaVO

Sources:

Ansary, Tamim. A Textbook Example of What’s Wrong With Education. (November 2004). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/muddle-machine

Ruth, Geoff. No Books, No Problem: Teaching Without a Text. (February 2005). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/teaching-without-text