| |
|
Editorial
|
|
|
One of the most frequently asked questions we hear
from World History teachers is: "What textbook should I use?" For the many
teachers who are new to World History each year, the question is particularly
urgent. Yet even seasoned World History teachers often wonder if the text
they're using is the best one for their purposes, and whether there might
be another they like better. |
1 |
The goal of this issue is to help teachers answer
such questions by providing information about what texts are available (and
for which levels), how texts actually perform in class, how they cover certain
thematic or regional materials, how to go about choosing a text, how to
evaluate the array of ancillaries that comes with each text, and even whether
there are alternatives to commercially-produced texts. Each essay or review
was written by a World History teacher who has had practical experience
in the classroom as well as in choosing and using textbooks. You will see,
however, that deciding which textbook to use is not a simple decision, and
that opinions about which one works best vary widely. Nevertheless, the
teachers who have contributed to this volume have many useful ideas about
what to look for in textbooks, and how to evaluate their suitability for
a diversity of teaching styles.
|
2 |
World History Connected, of course, does
not advocate the use of any one textbook or publisher over another. Our
aim here is to bring as much information as possible together in one place
so that you, as teachers, can make informed decisions for yourselves. In
addition, we do not intend this to be the last word on textbook evaluation.
Rather, we hope to begin a lasting dialogue that will weave through WHC's
future issues. Indeed, we hope you will share your own experiences and insights
about textbooks with us, either through letters to the editors or through
more formal text reviews or essay submissions. In the meantime, we hope
you will find this issue as informative and as useful as we have.
|
3 |
|
Heather Streets, Co-editor
Tom Laichas, Co-editor
Tim Weston, Associate Editor
|
|
