Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i1AKhkI01099; Tue, 10 Feb 2004 15:43:46 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 15:43:46 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <000001c3f017$42836fd0$1a01a8c0@cccchs.org> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Sylvan Rainwater" <sylvan@cccchs.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9884] Re: textbook recommendations? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.4510 Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 2411 Lines: 48 I'm not sure I would have done quite the same rant, but I agree with much of what you say. I have no problem finding resources -- there are tons of them out there, many of them free. Community Colleges periodically give away resources as they replace them with more "up-to-date" books, for example. In fact, the biggest problem I've had is to go through all those books and figure out which ones might work for me. Some of the best ones are so old they are definitely out of print, which makes me feel less guilty about photocopying occasional pages for students. I also agree that depending on textbooks is usually counterproductive. Students like them, because they like that kind of professional-looking structure. But I have a multi-level classroom whose needs vary enormously, and I have to keep reassessing to see what would make the most sense. I make all sorts of plans, but then have to change them based on things that come up. It's an ongoing challenge. We keep negotiating with each other. Right now I'm teaching the Internet and e-mail. I expect that with my beginners it could take the rest of the year just to get them set up with e-mail accounts (many of the more advanced students are well on their way). I want them to send me an e-mail from the library as well, and that will take some time to teach as well. The amount of learning in the mean time should be substantial, because it's an activity that has meaning for them, something they very much want to do. As for written materials for the students -- it works best for me to either create my own (i.e., a step-by-step guide to setting up e-mail, created by doing it myself and writing down everything that happens), or to write it on the blackboard and have them write it down in some form that means something to them. At some point, I want *them* to create written materials (and perhaps other more artistic products as well) that are meaningful. ------- Sylvan Rainwater mailto:sylvan@cccchs.org Program Manager Family Literacy Clackamas Co. Children's Commission / Head Start Oregon City, OR USA -----Original Message----- From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov] On Behalf Of AndresMuro@aol.com Sent: Friday, February 06, 2004 10:55 AM Stop giving you money to publishers for the unoriginal crap they keep regurgitating again and again. <SNIP> ESL teachers don't need to depend on textbooks to teach. <SNIP>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Dec 23 2004 - 09:46:36 EST