Sometimes a textbook will surprisingly motivate our students. There are times when it isn't sufficient or something has been overlooked in our lesson planning.
The coursebook serves as a syllabus while it provides texts and learning tasks which are likely to be of an appropriate level for most of the class. This of course saves time for the teacher who would otherwise have to prepare his or her own.
However, there may be topics which are not necessarily relevant orinteresting for your class. You might consider adopting additional materials as the need arises with your classes. It is also very easy to be teacher dependent on the textbook instead of using initiative. For teachers who are inexperienced or occasionally unsure of their knowledge, the coursebook can provide useful guidance and support.
Using a coursebook
When I open my textbook for my EFL students, I see the full program of all the components I want to teach over the course of the year, a semester or even a few lessons depending on the needs of the class.
Example:
-introduction of new vocabulary and practice
-grammar explanations and practice
-reading and writing communicative tasks
-dictionary work
-some entertaining or fun activities
I want to avoid teacher dependence and introduce varied topics and tasks so as to provide for different learner levels, learning styles, interests. Some textbooks are based on the theory of multiple intelligences and as Jo Murphy expressed in her article - "Multiple Literacies."
Here are some more components for evaluating your lesson plan in light of your textbooks. How do your students relate to them? How can you vary your lesson plan? How well does your textbook cater to these components?
1. Appropriate visual materials
2. Interesting topics and tasks
3. periodic review and test sections
4. clear attractive layout; print easy to read
5. objectives explicitly laid out in an introduction, and implemented in the material
6. Clear Instructions
7. Does the textbook encourage learners to develop their own learning strategies while becoming independent in their learning?
Finally of utmost importance: Is there adequate guidance for the teacher and not too heavy of a preparation load?
Now take a locally-used coursebook, and examine it. Does it include all the components you want? If not, what will you do about it? How else will you supplement it? Join the discussion on using a textbook for your class.
The copyright of the article Ways to Use Your Textbooks in New Teacher Support is owned by Dorit Sasson. Permission to republish Ways to Use Your Textbooks in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
I am working on writing a text book too. These days because you can
link a website to the text it is more easy to work with other teachers to
continually update and revamp ideas and projects. One really good
thing about text books is that when you are away and have to ring in sick
it is OK to say "Go through such and such a page with them and do the
exercises at the end."
One of the things I do is leave some
of the really good stuff untouched so that when I am away I can be fair and
say to the releaving teacher "I am sure they will love this!" Thanks for the mention, Jo
Dec 26, 2006 6:38 AM
Dorit Sasson :
I agree that it is advantageous for a substitute teacher to keep order in
the class without having to distribute pages (or too many). Much easier to
control and maintain. But the "open your book to page such and
such" is the classical 'no-no' in my classes. Instant failure.
Dorit
Dec 26, 2006 6:21 PM
Jo Murphy :
<b>I say that with a laugh</b> because we are not allowed
instant failures in our class! (Appreciative Inquiry)
I am just
now working on my Masters Paper and talking about Language Packages and the
way what we package what we put forward influences the way it is received.
I had written a long discussion about Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and
my supervisor said it is the same old thing packaged differently. (I had to
have that pointed out to me.) So I am now writng a passage about the
Language of Programme Achieve and how the common language works.
One part of my Masters has a little ant called "Anto Dant oh!!! and
Don't Forget Compassion" (that's his name) I guess the desire
for a text that I can leave behind for teachers who find Creative Arts
daunting is a part of that understanding you spoke of (where we know that
the whole system won't be able to come on board at the same time.)
The thing I like about texts these days is the possibility of
interactivity. For example if I set a task from a book and it is on line
the teacher would be able to see how other teachers have responded to that
task. I find the possibilities of Internet School Partnering amazing!
May be we could work out a class that way one day? Jo
Dec 26, 2006 11:08 PM
Dorit Sasson :
I would love to. I think you can bring out the best in my work in terms of
helping me see how I can flesh out the exrpessive therapy side of EFL
teaching. And maybe it will give also insight into your work. G-d
bless, Dorit
