I am pretty sure I say this every time I blog about Daniel's and Zemelman's Subjects Matter, but I really enjoyed it! The way the book is written just makes for an enjoyable and interesting read. I love how they emphasize different ways that we, as teachers, can use the textbooks we are provided.
I know we've all had a teacher (or more) that we knew they're lesson plans before we even stepped foot in his or her classroom. It was not because we were teenage mind readers, but because Mr. So-and-So did the same old thing day after day. We would chat about a topic for about half the class and the rest of the time read a few pages in a textbook and answered the questions at the end. By June of Mr. So-and- So's class I am pretty sure we read that textbook cover to cover, but I could not tell you much about what I really learned.
So, I was happy to see that one of the first things Chapter 6 touched on was being selective with what we have our student read or what we assign from the textbooks. Focus on things or reading that really matter with help with student retention. I really liked the four filters they included, to help teachers decide whether we should include it in our lessons.
I think I would use these filters in the future, because even if I have a less than impressive or out dated text I still think using the filters would help me find useful resources or readings.
Hi Leah,
ReplyDeleteThose UbD filters stood out to me also! I really like how they help me organize my thoughts for constructing a lesson plan. I think that when I make my lesson plans, I will use these filters to judge whether or not I have covered all the aspects of a lesson. I want my students to see meaning in the lessons and for them to be useful. Also, I think that classrooms should have a general structure but you should try new things. When you do try something new, make sure to inform students beforehand so they can be prepared for it.