week 4 - material development (2)

7/22/2019 Week 4 - Material Development (2)

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Textbooks: Evaluation forSelection and Analysis for

ImplementationPatricia Byrd


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Introduction

Use of textbook involves selection of book and stepstaken to implement the book in class.

Most teachers have different encounters with textbooks

as they make decisions about how to implement andsupplement materials for the most effective classespossible for their students and for themselves.

Basic question for evaluation for selection: does thisbook have the feature that we want it to have so thatwe can adopt it?

Basic question for analysis for implementation: how do Ias a teacher working with particular students in aparticular class in a particular program make this bookwork to ensure effective and interesting lesson?


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How evaluation is done?

Evaluation are done to select textbooks that areappropriate.

Evaluation and selection of textbooks is carried outin many different ways.

For example:

- Getting info from publishers and colleagues toselect books

- Made by administrator or committee of teachers

- Made by the government


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Systematic evaluation

Evaluation done by using a checklist.

Criteria of the textbook must fit:

- the curriculum (materials well-adapted andsupplemented to support the curriculum),

- students (materials meeting the need ofstudents as language learners) and,

- teachers(materials can be adapted andadopted well by teachers using)


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Fit between curriculum and

text Create material based on curriculum

( reasonableand achievable).

Large educational systems, publishers create materialsbased on published curriculum statements.

States with large ESL populations, publishers compete

to provide materials that fit the stated curriculum.

For smaller program (Harder to achieve)

-too many programs do not have clearly articulatedcurriculum statements.

-smaller program have its own unique curriculum

statement however the program is not large enough for

publisher to provide textbooks based on its individual

curriculum statement.


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Solutionfor the problems?

Textbook must be selected based on features other

than curriculum( text becomes the curriculum). Find books that have as good a fit as possible.


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Fit between studentsand

texts Content, examples and tasks (support by presentation, illustration

or graphic) must be suitable and meeting the needs of students as

language learners.

Content- Is it interesting?

- Is there any offensive text?

- Do they help learners to understand?

Example

- Is it appropriate?

- Is it interesting?

- Is it connected with the content?


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Tasks

- Is there enough variety to meet the needs of the

students?

- Is it interesting?

Presentation

- Are the graphic appropriate for their age or

educational level?

- Is the printed text easy to read or appropriate for

their level?

- Is a balance between the texts?

- Does the book have indexes, appendices, or other

section that useable?


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Fit between teachersand

texts Can teachers use textbook effectively?

To see the fit between teachers and texts:

Content

- Is it useful to carry out goals of the course or

program?

- Is it a teacher-friendly textbook?

- Does the book fit between content and teachersknowledge?

- Is the instruction manual available to understand

the content?

- Are the any audio tapes/workbooks available?


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Example

- Are the examples useable?

- Can the examples be easily expanded and elaborated? Tasks

- Do the tasks provide enough things to be done?

- Can students do the task?- Did the tasks provide variety learning styles?

- Did the tasks provide instructors manual?

Presentation

- Is there any graphic (can provide opportunities)?

- Is the a close connection between content and graphic?


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Analysis for implementation

Involves series of value judgments to see whether

the textbook fits or not

Basic question asked: Does the textbook have the

features that we want it to have so that we can

adopt it?

The categories of evaluation are same as in

selection process: content, examples and tasks.

Contains two types of analysis:

- Analysis of the content of the textbook

- Analysis of Exercises/Tasks in the Textbook for

Implementation in Classes


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Getting overview of the

textbook Teacher needs to read the whole book

- Problem = New teachers tend not to see the textbooks

as whole and not reading it in detail before the firstclass.

- A basic rule of textbook implementation = You can only

implement materials if you know they are there.

- Teaching involves 3 key aspects; Presentation,Practice, Evaluation.


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Initial reading of textbook

General overview of the textbook.

1. Presentation/format

- What kinds of units does it have?

- How is each organized?

- How many graphic elements?

- How does they connected to rest of thematerials in the unit?

- Additional features(index, glossary,

workbooks and audiotapes)


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2. Content/Information

-What does each unit give me to present?

- What is each unit about?

3. Practice

- What does each unit give me to use wit my

students for practice?

- Where do tasks are placed and how it relate to

the content?

- Connection between activities provided in thevarious units?


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Analysis of the content of the

textbook Discussion of problems with public

textbooks for other disciplines often

concentrate on two related areas :- Inaccurate or incomplete content

- Poor readability for the students

audience because content experts do not

necessarily understand how to presentcomplex content for new/young learners.


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ESL/EFL made up of two strands of content:

-the linguistic content(grammar, vocabulary, skill area)

-thematic content(school, gender issues, NativeAmericans and the topical content used to present and

practice the linguistic content)


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Analysis of Exercises/Tasks in the Textbookfor Implementation in Classes

Teachers need to be making concrete if tentative

decisions about how different activities will be used

during the academic term, asking question such thosein the table:


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Seeking help in implementationof the textbook

Formal resources:

- Using instructors manual

- Written materials available in school or program.

- Materials that include curriculum statement,

course syllabi in previous term and copies of

handouts used by previous teachers.

Informal resources:

- Talking with colleagues who are teaching the

same course or who have taught it before.


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What We Like About the Checklist

Gives good evaluation on textbooks

Relates the fits between students, teachers and curriculum with the

textbook.

You can only implement material if you know its there (Byrd, 2000)

What We Dislike About the Checklist Too simple

Not really in-depth

week 4 - material development (2)

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