Pros & Cons of Textbooks
The first popes of which were printed in 1454-1455. Only forty-eight original copies are known to existence, of which twenty-one are complete, Here Is a photo of a preserved Gutenberg Bible located at the New York library. Monsoons, 2011) In 2012, Steven Krebs author of The Printing Press states, “Printing facilitated the dissemination and preservation of knowledge In standardized form this was most Important In the advance of science, technology and scholarship. The printing press certainly initiated an “information revolution” on par with the Internet today. (Krebs, 2012) The ability to ass-produce and supply books led the world to formal schooling. Out of a demand for books that were specially designed for scholars, the textbook was created. The title of the first textbook used in American schools was “The New England Primer. ” According to the Library of Congress. Books That Shaped America 1800 to 1850. “More than 6 million copies In 450 editions of the New England Primer were printed between 1681 and 1830. ” (Rosemary Fry Polkas, 2014) Now two centuries later there is another Information revolution.
The move to open-source material Is on Its way to the classroom. In addition, it will be accelerated by President Beam’s push to invest in creating free online course as a part of his proposal to have digital textbooks in schools by the end of 2017. Textbooks have not gone the way of tablets yet, but many educators say that it will not be long before they are replaced. Being students and having to purchase, carry, and use textbooks led to tonight’s topic on the pros and cons of textbooks In the classroom. Textbooks are frequently controversial, are they up to date?
Are they effective? Now its forms of presentation are subjects of debate. Five sections including the introduction, the pros for textbooks, the cons, followed with tonight’s recommendation and lastly, a strong conclusion. At the end, you will learn the pros and cons of textbooks in the classroom and a detailed explanation of why our recommendation will make the most sense. Transition: The four pros in favor of the textbook in the classroom. L. The four pros of textbooks In the classroom. A. First, textbooks provide organized units of work.
According to The Complete Idiots Guide to Success as a Teacher by Anthony Fredrick’s, a textbook will give you all the Lana and lessons you need to cover a topic in some detail. (Frederick’s, 2005) When you are a student or teacher In class, you can depend on your textbooks to have the right information needed to complete a lesson and pass a test. Teachers are able to focus on what or how their teaching because textbooks contains the tools that practices for students like linking the past and present, and recognizing cause and effect. B. Secondly, a textbook is very durable and dependable.
Unlike tablets, if you drop your textbook there is no worry of it breaking. There are many varieties of textbooks. When you read and learn from a textbook, you are more likely to remember that lesson later in life. According to Science Teaching Reconsidered: A Handbook, the study of text structure has focused on how a reader builds cognitive representations from the text. In addition, studies indicate that using principle-first or textbook structure is more effective for long-term retention and understanding by novice readers. We are used to using textbooks. (Committee on Undergraduate Science Education, 1997) C.
Next, children are more focused and have a positive outcome with textbooks. According to an article based on literacy issued by riff. Org, states that in 11,000 reports, children’s book lending and ownership programs were shown to have positive behavioral, educational, and psychological outcomes. Children whom have access to print materials or textbooks reading performances are improved. Why? When children are provided with the right material or books it helps, them read better. With greater access to books, children are able to convey their enjoyment of books or academics, resulting of improved attitudes towards reading and learning. Mm Lindsay, 2010) D. The final pro about a textbook is if taken care of properly, a textbook will last for a very long time. One of the oldest multi-page books in the world is the Etruscan Gold Book. According to Winning Lane Books, the Etruscan Gold Book was discovered 70 years ago while digging off the Stratum River in Bulgaria. Monsoons, 2011) The estimated age of this book would be 2,763 years old. Textbooks are reusable and are handed from classroom to classroom. Transition: Now that you have heard the pros of textbooks in the classroom here is some of the cons. II.
The four cons of textbooks in the classroom. A. Having textbooks in the classroom can have its downsides, such as having a limited source of information, the weight it bares on a student’s back and cost. According to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Success as a Teacher by Anthony Frederick’s, having a designated textbook per class only provides one perspective on a concept or issue. It is a sole source of information. How good is a mechanic if he only has one tool? (Frederick’s, 2005) B. Next, another problem textbooks present are the weight that it bares on a student’s back.
An article posted in Kids’ Health on icepack safety last accessed in June 2014 the weight from books in a backpack can compress the vertebrae in a child’s growing spine and can lead to poor posture and back pain. (Dowdies, 2013) I found this fact especially concerning as a student who carries books back and forth from class. At times, I find myself hunched over trying to even out the weight of my books in my bag. Now imagine an elementary school student with his or her math book on that small body. Concerning right? C. Another default of having textbooks in the classroom is the impact on the environment.
In an article posted in the Washington Post in 2010 by Stephan Lawman, appear. 1. 45 million tons of paper was used to produce textbooks. (Lawman, 2010) That’s must continue to be “Green” in our way of living. D. Lastly, cost is a large drawback of textbooks in the classroom. According to an article posted on Scholastic Publishes Literacy Resources and Children’s Books for Kids of All Ages composed in November of 2008, an average elementary book can cost more than $100. 00. (Rap, 2008) A very popular topic of conversation in politics is educational budget and how there Just is to enough money for schools.
How are we to afford books that cost over $100. 00 each? In Florida, the average class size is approximately 25 students. That is $2500 for just one classroom. The real question we must ask ourselves is can we really afford books in the classroom. Transition: Now, in detail our recommendation for keeping printed textbooks in the classrooms and why it is the best option. Ill. Recommendation A. All of those cons can easily be countered with a simple logical explanation. Outdated source information is an invalid argument for most courses because codebooks are recycled every seven-ten years.
How much has a pre-1900 history class changed in the past 10 years? Not much, because it would be impossible to changed what happened. In addition, for most basic science class, focus on the scientific laws has not changed in a hundred years. For more advanced and current classes online sourcing may be an additional layer for resources but the textbook still offers a good basis of information on the subject. B. Textbooks are long lasting and durable. They can fall from your desk or slip out of your hands and when it hit the ground it goes not crash or have a black out moment.
You pick them up and they are ready to continue from where you left off. C. Back pain is a large problem in today’s society however a type of eye fatigue or eyestrain commonly caused by computers is known as computer vision syndrome. It affects about 50%-90% of computer workers. (Eye Fatigue: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment) If students start using computers instead of textbooks, this could affect them too. D. Cost is a complaint many people have about textbooks, but E-Books are usually only $10 less than textbook form. That is cause most of the cost is writing and publishing not paper.
E. After reviewing all the pros and cons, we are recommending that it is in the best interest of the students and the learning process to continue using textbooks instead of adopting different technologies. Textbooks were made to be in the classroom and should stay in the classroom. Transition: Thank you for listing to our recommendation for keeping textbooks in the classroom, here now is the final wrap up. IV. Conclusion A. Remember, that nothing on this planet is perfect; there will always be pros and cons of everything that exists.
With that said there are pros and cons of textbooks, as many of you know. The pros of texts books are that material is well organized in particular sections, books are durable and you do not have to worry if you drop it, textbook will last forever. The cons of textbooks are that it limits us to one source of information, textbooks are heavy, and that it cost a lot of money having to buy new textbooks for every class. B. Based on our group’s personal experiences and our pros and cons of textbooks, we feel comfortable in recommending that keeping textbooks in the classroom is best.
