Google, Document, Curation, Creation, Textbook

Because I am completely obsessed with the revising my curriculum each year, I have always struggled with meaningfully integrated a textbook. Past integration efforts (homework, reading, classroom sets, etc.) represents moves I am ashamed of and weak spots in my pedagogy. My efforts weren't wrong per se, but I never invested the time, until now (I hope) over the past 17 years of teaching to critically think about how to integrate a text in meaningful, thoughtful ways. All attempts, to be completely honest, have been out of a fear of not being taken seriously by parents or students. Or, since we are on that topic, take seriously by myself (#impostercomplex). Below is what I plan on doing this year:

• Keep a set of texts in class as resources (just in case).
• Create a GoogleDoc template that outlines specific information I would students to create and curate for each topic (see screenshot below).
• Assign different students different sections strategically each week. By end of year, each student will have contributed to the "text".
• Link the GoogleDocument to all assignments, publicly in class (via customized bit.ly, QR, etc.) to brand it is a a class resource.

I am hopeful that this approach creates a resource that all students can use for extra assistance, reference, etc., while also empowering students to create an authentic resource that reflects our unique identity of as a class community. I hope this works. If it doesn't, there is always next year. Practice reflection...

Click here to access the template.