Once again, I really liked this week's reading assignment. "Subjects Matter" is just a really informative and easy read. I really could relate to Chapter 3 "Why Textbooks Are Not Enough", throughout grade school I remember, for the majority of my classes, having one, very dated textbook. There were the exceptions though, most of my English teachers required additional novels, short stories or poetry and I even had a Social Studies teacher that required us to read Orwell's Animal Farm. In high school my Sociology teacher made sure each of her students got a weekly copy of Newsweek and Time.
But for the most part I was taught from a heavy, outdated textbook. I grew up in Cranston and now substitute in the same district and from my observations, things have not changed. Recently, I was subbing for a middle school science teacher and when I opened the book I was surprised to see my friends name written on the front cover (along with the year it was loaned out; 2002-2003). Just like they state in D&Z, textbook companies work very hard to stay current, up to date and correct, but it is very hard to do so. In certain content areas current textbooks are important.
I understand why schools keep and reused textbooks decades after their original publication; they are very expensive. In the future if I am given outdated text, I will probably be that guy in the copy room making copies for my students of updated text.
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