By Lauren Freedman, Western Michigan University
- Moon Text Set
It’s more books than we can read, but we get to choose…and the pictures really help…I never used the raggedy old [text] books, we used to have…but now I like these new books and there’s so many, I feel like I’m at the library…you can investigate history and science facts and some books even disagree; then we go to Mr. Xxx and he says “look it up on the web,” so we become investigators.
The books help me learn to read cuz I can go ‘til I find a book that makes sense to me and then there’s another book and then another so I can read as many as 3 books sometimes in one class and that’s a lot…yeah, but you don’t gotta read a whole book to find what you need so you don’t really read 3 books but look at maybe more…and Mrs. Xxx says that’s okay…and you still learn a lot…the trouble with these books is that they make you ask a lot of questions and then Mr. Xxx says the answers are in these books, find ‘em…yeah then you gotta read more.
–7th grade focus group
From these quotations as well as the complete focus group interviews that we did with middle school students in a small urban district in Southwest Michigan, it is evident that the students were finding the text set materials useful in many ways: more time spent reading, generating questions rather than just following teacher’s questions, and seeing the books as tools for learning through choosing, questioning, and investigating.
The teachers reinforced what their students were saying in support of the usefulness of text sets. The following in-depth interview with one of the 8th grade science teachers is indicative of the response many of the teachers we worked with had to the text sets. This particular teacher not only saw the value in using the text sets, but also planned in ways that sustained the students’ interest and enabled them to dig deeper. We have found that one of the major issues that teachers have when beginning with the text sets is to sustain their use once the initial “newness” and immediate interest wears off. Using text sets demands that teachers plan thoughtfully and carefully for the active engagement of each of their students.
Interview with Ms. X, 8th Grade Science Teacher
Teacher: Well I use the text sets because of the level of information and the intensity of it. Within the textbook itself, it kind of skims over the information… even in the books I’ve received recently. They don’t cover the state standards as they say they should cover.
Lauren: The textbooks?
Teacher: The textbooks. You still have to go out and find other resources to supplement what the textbook should be saying. I know one [standard] asked about the four earth systems and how they worked with the geochemical cycles and the textbook didn’t go into that at all, not one little bit. So I still had to find additional resources to give that information to the students. So the text sets themselves give a wealth more of information that the textbooks don’t give. They are lighter and the kids enjoy the pictures when looking at the books. I’ve even had a couple of them get into a conflict when looking at the books. Not so much a violent bickering thing but you know I’ll get this book; you get this book. They knew what they were looking for and this book would give them more information concerning it and just the variety of it keeps the students more interested in the subject as we come to it.
Lauren: So do you find that they are actually doing more reading?
Teacher: Yes they are. They are doing more reading. And more note taking. They ask do we have to take notes. Yes, get the information to help you get into it and everything like that. I’ve even heard, even though it’s a positive, they’ve said it in a negative way, they don’t want to use the text sets because it is easier to find the surface answers. Going into the text sets it’s too much information. And I know that’s just them not wanting to put forth the effort, but I know that type of statement is uh uh. Go ahead and use all the information you can find. And then they are like ok and then they go ahead and use the information they need to help them out.
Lauren: So with that being said, do you find that they have to do a little more thinking with the text sets?
Teacher: Oh, Yes, they do have to in fact do a lot more thinking. One of the things that I want to make sure is that they see how it relates to real world contexts.
Lauren: What about your reluctant readers or those who had difficulty with the textbooks do you find them more engaged with the text sets?
Teacher: Oh, yes. They even have comic books with the information that we have. It looks like a comic book with the pictures and everything, but it provides the same information and everything. So they’ll sit there and find all the information they need and they are understanding it because now they are actually putting forth the effort to understand and learn. Reading for leaning not just because my teacher said I need to know what the words say.
Lauren: Or just filling in a blank.
Teacher: Exactly.
Lauren: So in terms of science terminology, are they doing better, are they beginning to use the terminology more? Talk a little bit more about concept terminology.
Teacher: With the text sets the information is brought to them in a way that they can understand it a little more easily. The textbook is a difficult read because of the way they set it up. And with my content standards coming from the high school level, the text sets really do break it down and simplify it in a way that my students can understand the more complex terminologies and understand how they can actually see it in real world contexts. In earth science you should be able to see how a convection current is actually applicable in the real world. If you put some water in a pot and boil it, you should be able to see how a convection current moves. And they can actually see this in the text sets because of the many pictures. Sometimes I have to tell them, don’t get too focused on the pictures but understand how the picture shows what the text is actually saying in the text set.
Lauren: What about the kids who come with less background in the content. Do texts sets help them where the textbook might not?
Teacher: I find that the text set has more information because many of the books also provide a glossary and while the textbook does have a glossary it is not as extensive because there are only so many pages they can fill with the words, and students will say I can’t find this word so I’m like ok you need to go back to the index and find a sentence with the word. But with the text set I say ok here’s the information and this is what it’s saying. It is easier for them to comprehend what it is saying, the information that is being presented. Even the illustration captions, you know, the picture captions, it will explain what the picture is so that even reinforces the terminology that is being presented to them, what the information is and it breaks it down for them. We did an activity, “Fast Track to First Impressions” and we were doing a preview. Look through it, don’t focus so much on the text but what are the pictures telling us or even the content they are giving us in the headings and things. And the students got so much information just out of that even before they began to read it.
Lauren: Do you find that that generates questions on their part?
Teacher: Yes, all I heard was questions. What’s up with this? How does this work? Did you see this? I had students asking questions even before they opened the book, just from the cover, the illustrations. One was an earthquake. And, “Ms. X is this real?” And I said, “Yes, it actually did happen.” It showed a street that had kind of split in two and it was at least six feet between levels of how the earthquake went through. And I said yes that’s real and we are going to see some more of that when we come to that lesson. Those were questions that I got.
Lauren: And do you find that having them asking questions, keeps them more engaged because they are now partnering with you as the teacher in what it is they are going to be learning…Or does it send them to more books in the text set?
Teacher: It does; it sends them to more books; it sends them to find our more information for themselves and then it kind of focuses their learning. They are not so scattered. When they have a question that they want to know about, then they go after that question and response. So now they have a direction for their learning, they are not just now I’m over here, I’m over here, I’m over here. They are actually going towards what their goal is supposed to be which is finding this information and generate even more questions to answer so it keeps their learning going so they are not just learning in school but becoming life long learners because without questions you don’t have answers and without answers there aren’t more questions.
So they are scaffolding going to the next level and the level after that so they ask one question and find that answer and with the text sets they are able to ask even more questions with that. So I see them not using me as a resource but themselves.
Lauren: That was my next question about collaboration. How they work together.
Teacher: They use themselves as a resource. At first it was it was a little difficult because they always wanted me to double check their answers and I would say what does the information tell you. It says this. Well trust it. The only time I tell them to double check with a text set is if it is on-line because I do want them to know that you have to certify where your information is coming from. But if it is published and it is in a text set and you find a back up resource then trust it. They ask is this answer correct. Well is this what it said. Yes, this is the information it gave me. Then trust it. Use your peers. If there is a book you know your teammate read then ask them questions, most of them are more than willing to talk so give them something useful to talk about. Have conversations with each other about this is what I understood from this book and this is what I got from this text set. A lot of times they’ll volunteer the information to each other, “no it’s in this book. Go to this book. See what this says,” they’ll switch books.
Lauren: Is this independence? Is this what you are seeing?
Teacher: It is what I am pushing. Independence. Independent thinking with reasoning, deduction and skills like that so that they don’t take someone else’s word for it. They know how to find the information and use it for themselves. It’s not so much just finding the information and not doing anything with it. I want them… and they are learning how to find the information through the text sets and use it to answer questions, especially higher order thinking questions like why and explain and describe and what is the reasoning behind the thinking. Not so much who what when because that information is given but they need to understand how things take place and why they take place especially with earth science and I tell them all the time with what we are dealing with it’s not so easy to find now but when you get older and you’re dealing with… if you have to move and dealing with insurance and thing like that, where you build houses, you kind of want to look at where you’re going. You don’t want to build along a fault line you don’t know about. There actually is one in Missouri and they don’t know how deep it is. But, if you are understanding then these are the signs I need to look for, it’s relevant.
Lauren: Are you seeing a different level of questioning with text sets than you ever say with the textbook?
Teacher: Yes, yes I am. I do see a lot. With the textbook the questions are so surface. They always direct them to directly what’s written. However, with the text sets the students come up with the questions depending on what they read. It’s not so much that they are given the questions; they come up with the questions themselves. And, it pushes them to delve further, go more inside of it rather than ok here’s the answer and there is no more ground work to go, no further inquiry process to go. It keeps them moving instead of just saying this is what I got and I don’t have to go any further.
Lauren: And how have you seen your role shift from when they were using textbooks?
Teacher: I’m no longer the sage on the stage; I’m the guide by the side. So again it’s not so much me leading them by the hand or holding their hands. Its more ok you can go a little bit further and I will guide you; push you further when you want to settle. But, move them out of that the teacher knows everything and whatever he or she says is how it is and I don’t have to question it and that’s what I want them to do. I want them to question the answers they get, even from their teachers and find out for themselves.
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- Themes: Lauren Freedman, text sets
- Descriptors: Student Connections, WOW Currents
I like using text sets in the classroom. They break topics down so that they are easier to understand. Text sets also invite interesting dicussion among the students where as with a textbook they are generally difficult to understand and boring.
I have used text sets with various versions of The Three Little Pigs and my third grade students are engaged in point of view and comparing/contrasting of the set. They are then interested in other books with several versions.