Blog #5

Researcher Isabel Beck’s three-tier model for understanding vocabulary is really neat! I thought it was cool to read about the tiers of vocabulary – everyday words (Tier 1), technical words (Tier 3), and words that “cut across multiple disciplines and serve us in all kinds of thinking” (Tier 2). I always thought that Tier 3 words were what is important in subject studies and though they’re vital in conceptual understanding, Tier 2 words are what’s key to understanding these deep technical words. 

I loved the “Substituting for the Textbook” section and reading about how teacher Jeff James structures his textbook limited class. I keep announcing proudly “Textbooks are reference materials!” and I stand 100% behind the idea that textbook based teaching is the wrong way to go… but at the same time I’m fearful about succeeding as an educator that doesn’t rely on a hearty textbook checklist of performance standards. The pressure is so high for educators to hit all the important points before standardized testing. I suppose the trick is finding the right balance of material to cover between the big key elements of the curriculum… sounds pretty tough.

I have textbooks introduced from me at the University of Georgia that I clutch as tightly and excitedly as the visitor teacher from California did this math textbook. I’ve mentioned before how much I love my Anatomy and Physiology book but also my Biology textbook! They’re filled with awesome things! Cool, interesting, neat, awesome things! Systematically reviewing alternate textbooks in a subject area sounds incredibly time-consuming and honestly quite dreadful, but if doing so gives me a higher possibility of finding my students’ golden textbook that they can enjoy reading and maybe dig into at their own accord, then sign me up! (291 words)