Day: June 17, 2018

Summer reading for teachers

I see several bloggers have offered summer reading suggestions for teachers. I also see a less frequent message that teachers should not be shamed into working during their summer break by those making such suggestions. I come down on the side of the summer is a time to reflect and develop personal skills. Of course, there should also be time for family and recreation.

I am a big advocate of reading. This seems one of the most cost effective and deep ways to consider important topics and get ideas for application. Summer also offers the opportunity for attending a conference or two. I considered attending ISTE this coming week, but decided I could read 200 Kindle books for my estimation of the travel, lodging, and registration costs. There is simply no way ISTE could offer me anywhere close to the same quantity, depth, and variety of information.

I read a lot of different things and much of what I read is not intended to inform my vocational focus on educational technology. I have more general interests in politics, equity, the economy, and healthcare. All things considered, these topics are likely more important to the process of educations and the support of the next generation than what is covered in the educational content I consume. Just for the record, I am presently rereading the following two books mostly because I intend to assign them in my Fall grad course.

When I select books for students in my educational technology classes, I tend to look for two kinds of books. I have been searching for terms that describe these two categories of books. I have settled on textbooks and trade books. What I have in mind does not fit the typical definition of a trade book which implies the book is written for a general audience. I decided to stick with these two terms because the two terms have been used in the way I intend by others.

I have written both types of books and just updated what I would describe as my (actually our) textbook. If reading is assigned for a grad course, I would argue that the first priority should either be a textbook or primary source (research articles) content. A trade book or two might then be used to focus on a specific topic. My reasoning is related to what I think these two options are designed to accomplish.

My classification scheme is based on the assumption of the following characteristics.

A textbook covers multiple interrelated topics for readers of a given level of experience and background. For each topic. It covers any important differences of opinion with supporting evidence for alternate positions. It offers a few examples of applications so readers can develop a basic understanding of what that topic suggests and what differences of opinion associated with that topic mean for implementations.

A trade book makes an unapologetic argument for a position but typically makes little attempt to argue the strengths of competing positions. Contrasting positions might be identified but typically only to point out weaknesses. Trade books often discuss the application of the targeted position in depth and are more likely to provide specific examples suited to different environments for these applications (grade level, content area).

When making personal decisions, I suspect that practitioners gravitate toward trade books and to specific books based on what they hear from colleagues and social media. As an individual selecting required reading for these same individuals, I want to make certain that practitioners understand the strengths and weaknesses of positions they might be exposed to elsewhere. If the evidence clearly supports one position or another, I see it my obligation to say so. If there are competing positions with credible support, I assume I should be more neutral, but maintain a commitment to help practitioners understand some of the complexities that are important to acknowledge.
My own writing contains an example of each type of book.
  • Layering for learning explains tactics educators can use to add prompts of different types of online content to facilitate learner processing of that content. In other words, this book considers how to modify online content to become an educational resource.
  • Integrating technology for meaningful learning is our long-time textbook for preservice and in-service teachers.
Sometimes identifying a problem is, in fact, a contribution. I wish I knew how to address this challenge. If I have a concern related to the professional reading of practitioner, it would be this. Practitioners are likely to gravitate toward trade books. There is nothing that really provides a critical context. Textbooks are typically not appropriate as they are written for formal instructional circumstances that are assumed to cover multiple topics. What is typically not available is a source that takes a given topic and explores the multiple recommendations advanced for classroom actions associated with that topic. I can point to this type of review for researchers, but not for practitioners. There is a third meaningful category that seems not to exist probably because there is little interest in paying for this type of content.

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