INTERFACE SERIES REVIEWED BY PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING
April 1, 2011
This article originally appeared in the March 2011 edition of Ontario College of Teachers magazine, Professionally Speaking.
Reviewed by Gail Lennon
Interface is a four-volume series of core English resources for students in Grades 9 and 10 (both academic and applied), offering readers a wide selection of classic and contemporary texts in a variety of genres, ranging from articles in the Globe and Mail to works by Langston Hughes and Leonardo DiCaprio. The material is designed to stimulate discussion and discovery in an inquiry-based classroom, focusing on what the editor calls 21st-century skills: problem solving, collaboration, empathy, advocacy, leadership, technology, literacy and creativity.
The series fosters a contemporary learning experience that incorporates a variety of learning strategies, both online and off. The material is intended to be a springboard for reading, writing, thinking and discussion, thereby uncovering the students’ own perspectives and understanding. Students are encouraged to view their teachers as fellow investigators and to see themselves as explorers and knowledge builders well beyond the walls of their classrooms.
The reading selections are all uniquely Canadian, and address such issues as gaps between rich and poor populations, multicultural communities, the health of the planet and what students can do to make the future safe for people and their environment. The materials are easy to navigate and the text is slick and attractive, making optimum use of excellent photographs, pictures and graphics. A detailed index helps to easily locate specific issues, topics and skills. Interface is an excellent reading series with current and thought-provoking resources suitable for a range of reading levels and abilities.
Gail Lennon is a writer and reviewer with more than 35 years of teaching experience at all levels.
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