Textbooks…Are They Needed?
I just finished reading a blog post about textbooks and their role in education. This author didn’t believe that they supported dynamic, engaging learning. I would have to concur. As I watch my own children learn, the best learning occurs when they experience new situations and are required to use different resources (people, internet, text, tools, etc.) to make sense of information. When there is an opportunity to ask a friend of mine about the skills required to be successful in their career, several themes seem to emerge. I’ve asked engineers, health care providers, business managers, educators, lawyers, recreational directors, project managers, SRS workers, and secretaries and the following skills seem to rise to the top. They all must be able to:
- access, make sense of, and respond to a vast amount of information (many of them state that Google is the first place they go)
- collaborate with others to solve problems
- communicate effectively in reading, writing, speaking, and listening
- create more effective and efficient ways of doing business
- take initiative to learn and complete a project
As an educator, it appears that managing information is one of the most difficult tasks because as a teacher, we have grown up thinking we should know all the answers and the textbook can serve as a place to find the “right answer”. Well, finding the right answer doesn’t seem to be as important as finding ways to solve problems. Content can be found with a click of a button, thanks to Google. It is the process of learning that is so important for future careers. The ability to think critically and creatively, produce quality work in person or online, collaborate with others to solve problems, take initiative to l earn, and communicate effectively with others seem to be much more important than having the right answer. The struggle schools have is that the way we assess doesn’t necessarily match the way teachers teach and/or believe students learn. There is often a “right answer” on the high-stakes tests. Textbooks and worksheets often have a “right answer.” Are some valuable? Sure! If they make students think, collaborate, communicate, and create…they are valuable learning resources. If they make students regurgitate information they will forget in two weeks, they are not! This is what we can take “off of our plate,” leaving more room for high-level thinking (plus it will save some grading time)! Educators are being called to create learning environments where students find answers to complex problems by using many resources (other people, technology, print sources, etc.). Let’s take a stand, regardless of the high-stakes test, and create opportunities for ourselves and our students where thinking and creating are at the heart of learning!
