Homework Reading: Math textbooks

The example in the article on the use of first person pronouns in math textbook was interesting. As a student I didn't realize the importance of having these pronouns. I now see how the use of 'I', 'we' and 'you' can be used to connect students to the textbook. It also includes students in the mathematical content rather than the author just simply stating the information. As a teacher, I will spend time to ensure using these pronouns in my notes and other information I give my students. It is important to have students to form a connection and in thier developmental of mathematical thinking. Another example used in the article was on the use of picture along with the text is a great point. As a student, I always tend to enjoy and understand the question more when there was a picture provided. The article also mentioned the importance of  the use of colour in a textbook. As a student, I also enjoyed textbooks that provided colour it and it made the textbook stand out. I will do my best as a teacher to provided students with lot's of picture/visual examples as well as the use of colour. 

I think there are many advantages and disadvantages for using textbooks in schools. Some positves include that they provide many examples that model how to solve the problems. Another positive is that they include lot's of sample problem which is excellent for students that want or need more practice. Most textbooks also had a great layout and is very well organized. Some negatives would be that students can be overwhelmed with the amount of information in the textbook. Another disadvantage is they don't take in account to student's background information. There may not be enough background information or higher level thinking questions. Another disadvantge is that students may just do the homework questions by looking at the answers in the back rather than spending the time to solve it. I would personally use the textbook as a resource since they do provide lot's of detail and information. However, for my students I wouldn't always rely on the textbook instead, I would try to use a mix of other resources such as videos and other online math interactive resources.