TEXTBOOK

A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are

produced according to the demands of educational institutions. Although most textbooks are only

published in printed format, many are now available as online electronic books and increasingly,

although illegally, in scanned format in P2P networks.

Textbooks: Advantages and Disadvantages

As you visit classrooms, you probably notice that most, if not all, of those classrooms use

a standard textbook series. The reasons for this are many, depending on the design and focus of

the curriculum, the mandates of the administration, and/or the level of expertise on the part of

classroom teachers.

A textbook is a collection of the knowledge, concepts, and principles of a selected topic

or course. It's usually written by one or more teachers, college professors, or education experts

who are authorities in a specific field. Most textbooks are accompanied by teacher guides, which

provide you with supplemental teaching materials, ideas, and activities to use throughout the

academic year.

Textbooks provide you with several advantages in the classroom:

 Textbooks are especially helpful for beginning teachers. The material to be covered and

the design of each lesson are carefully spelled out in detail.

 Textbooks provide organized units of work. A textbook gives you all the plans and

lessons you need to cover a topic in some detail.

 A textbook series provides you with a balanced, chronological presentation of

information.

 Textbooks are a detailed sequence of teaching procedures that tell you what to do and

when to do it. There are no surprises—everything is carefully spelled out.

 Textbooks provide administrators and teachers with a complete program. The series is

typically based on the latest research and teaching strategies.

 Good textbooks are excellent teaching aids. They're a resource for both teachers and

students.

Fire Alarm

Some textbooks may fail to arouse student interest. It is not unusual for students to reject

textbooks simply because of what they are—compendiums of large masses of data for large

masses of students. Students may find it difficult to understand the relevance of so much data to

their personal lives.

Use Textbooks Wisely

A textbook is only as good as the teacher who uses it. And it's important to remember

that a textbook is just one tool, perhaps a very important tool, in your teaching arsenal.

Sometimes, teachers over-rely on textbooks and don't consider other aids or other materials for

the classroom. Some teachers reject a textbook approach to learning because the textbook is

outdated or insufficiently covers a topic or subject area.

As a teacher, you'll need to make many decisions, and one of those is how you want to

use the textbook. As good as they may appear on the surface, textbooks do have some

limitations. The following table lists some of the most common weaknesses of textbooks, along

with ways of overcoming those difficulties.

Weakness Student Difficulty Ways of Overcoming Problem

The textbook is designed

as a the sole source of

information.

Students only see one

perspective on a concept or

issue.

Provide students with lots of

information sources such as trade

books, CD-ROMS, websites,

encyclopedias, etc.

Textbook is old or

outdated.

Information shared with

students is not current or

relevant.

Use textbook sparingly or supplement

with other materials.

Textbook questions tend

to be low level or fact-

based.

Students assume that learning

is simply a collection of facts

and figures.

Ask higher-level questions and provide

creative thinking and problem-solving

activities.

Textbook doesn't take

students' background

knowledge into account.

Teacher does not tailor

lessons to the specific

attributes and interests of

students.

Discover what students know about a

topic prior to teaching. Design the

lesson based on that knowledge.

Reading level of the

textbook is too difficult.

Students cannot read or

understand important

concepts.

Use lots of supplemental materials

such as library books, Internet, CD-

ROMs, etc.

The textbook has all the

answer to all the

questions.

Students tend to see learning

as an accumulation of correct

answers.

Involve students in problem-solving

activities, higher-level thinking

questions, and extending activities.

Think of a Textbook as a Tool

I like to think of textbooks as tools—they are only as good as the person using them. A

hammer in the hands of a competent carpenter can be used to create a great cathedral or an

exquisite piece of furniture. In the hands of someone else, the result may be a rundown shack or

a rickety bench. How you decide to use textbooks will depend on many factors.

Expert Opinion

Remember, no textbook is perfect, and no textbook is complete. It is but one resource at

your disposal. Use it as a blueprint, a guidebook, or an outline.

I would like to add a personal note of caution here: do not make the mistake of basing

your entire classroom curriculum on a single textbook. The textbook needs to be used

judiciously. A carpenter, for example, doesn't use only a hammer to build a magnificent oak

chest. She may use a plane, chisel, saw, sander, or any number of tools to create the masterpiece

she wishes to build. A great classroom program, just like a great piece of furniture, needs many

tools in its construction.

When thinking about how you want to use textbooks, consider the following:

 Use the textbook as a resource for students, but not the only resource.

 Use a textbook as a guide, not a mandate, for instruction.

 Be free to modify, change, eliminate, or add to the material in the textbook.

 Supplement the textbook with lots of outside readings.

 Supplement teacher information in the textbook with teacher resource books; attendance

at local, regional, or national conferences; articles in professional periodicals; and

conversations with experienced teachers.

References: Read more on TeacherVision: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/curriculum-

planning/new-teacher/48347.html#ixzz23kzJKNaf

http://www.google.com/search?

q=textbook&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&source=hp&channel=np#hl=en&sclient=psy-

ab&q=textbook&oq=textbook&gs_l

Discussant: Rosher Ann P. Carlos

BSE-III, SS

Prepared to: Prof. Fely Sarmiento