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In chapter nine there was a section on textbooks that caught my interest. We all know by now that wikis make collaborative writing possible. The book says that David Warlick has come up with an idea for textbooks that use wiki technology. Warlick ask several questions about this. One question that sticks out to me is, “What if we could stop buying textbooks, and use the money to provide every teacher and learner with access to the world of digital networked content?
I think this is a good idea in theory and maybe in the future but seems a bit too much now. I know that the world of business is turning and depending on these means of communication and information through technology. But, we can’t just throw all of our textbooks away and use just technology. For one, many school systems are not in the finical situation for this or to have enough text books let alone also, the strain of vision that is associated to reading digital text.
I think that we will eventually see this and it is very important to teach students so that they are successful in a changing world. I just don’t think it can or should happen overnight.
7 thoughts on “Chapter 9”
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Corey you are right – we cannot just eliminate textbooks. This makes me think back to when the woman from the textbook company visited our Marketing Methods class and discussed the difficulties of e-books for high schools. That market has remained limited due to all that it requires. Sometimes a little bit of the “old fashioned way” of course incorporated with all of the 21st Century Learning is what we need!
Corey, You are right that the elimination of textbooks is just not possible right now. The text mentioned that only 42% of households have the internet. If we eliminate textbooks and only use online wikis, what resource will the students in the remaining 58% of households use?
I completely agree with this post and the additional comments. Wiki’s are a fun and unique resource but, there is danger in becoming too dependant upon one learning style. No one resource is perfect or ultimate. It is important that students be introduced to a variety of resources and practices to enhance their skills. The process of reading is a good excercise apart from the knowledge which a text might contain. Simply reading and making sense of the contents within the writing is not something that instructors should avoid. It is important that students learn to think critically and use consideration when reading so that they can apply this skill to other tasks. Reading important mortgage documents, employer paper work, or even tax information can be a tedious task. If we engage students with multiple types of reading oppurtunities, tangible pages and electronic text included, we will be preparing them for later life challenges.
Great input in regards to textbooks because they are still relevant in today’s school system. I believe the key point is to use textbooks as a guide and supplemental material. A teacher is not successful if he or she just teaches out of the textbook. The students would then be completely bored and not interested in the material.
So being adaptable to change is something we need to be teaching students. Great comment about “the strain of vision that is associated to reading digital text.”
good
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