For most classes here at Chapman, textbooks are a requirement. 

According to K-12 Dive, “about 60 percent of teachers say they still use district-adopted textbooks as “one resource among many.”

Even though textbook use is still common, are they still relevant in this day and age?

Many classes, especially math and science, use textbooks for daily assignments and homework.

In many instances, the material included in the textbooks is outdated and more advanced than the information given by the teacher. 

It’s essential that materials given to students meet state and AP standards and support what’s supposed to be learned in the classroom. 

If we know that some textbooks cause inconsistencies, why should we still use them as a resource?

Another issue I have with them is that they are incredibly bulky and heavy.

Students already have to carry around lots of things in their bookbags on a daily basis, and while a single textbook might not seem like a big deal, it can add up, especially if you have to carry multiple at the same time for different classes.  

While it’s true that some classes don’t use textbooks or let students leave their textbooks at home, that doesn’t fully solve the problem because assignments are still being given from textbooks. 

However, even if we don’t want to completely stop using textbooks, we should at least invest in online options, making them much more convenient for students.

Since there are better alternatives to traditional textbook use, we need to start implementing them in our school for the benefit of our students.