The cerebrum -- which is just Latin for "brain" -- is the newest (evolutionarily) and largest part of the brain as a whole. It is here that things like perception, imagination, thought, judgment, and decision occur. I hope you are thoughtful as you leave your comments on this blog.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Chapter 1: Partnering
In this post, answer the guiding questions at the beginning of the chapter while interweaving your own thoughts and opinions about the concept of "partnering."
32 comments:
Aocean Clarke
said...
Chapter 1 Partnering
1. What works in the classroom today? Assignments where our students are engaged and actively participating in the classroom are effective today. Classrooms that utilize technology on a consistent basis are also productive. Many students also reported they enjoy group work, class trips, discussions, sharing ideas, and hearing the ideas of their classmates. Classrooms where students feel like equals and are appreciated for their hard work and progress.
1a. What needs changing? Teachers that still use direct instruction such as lecturing, note taking, reading text and memorizing information. Teachers need to discontinue using practices of the past on modern children. Teachers that are settling for mediocrity or average work in student’s needs to stop. Teachers need to set expectations higher for their students. Also the concept of teachers considering their selves as guardians or babysitters of students needs to change. Teachers need to begin to take a role in really allowing students create their own work. Making students stick to one format for a project these days is ineffective.
2.Can we see students differently? Yes we can, we should start seeing them as rockets that function unexpectedly. If we fill students with the right information the correct way it’s no telling how far they will go. We cannot keep filling students with educational fuel of the past. These students need new fuel designs and us as teachers are the rocket scientist. All we have to do is provide children with the questions and the support and they will do the rest. This approach will make children more self -sufficient.
2a. Can we achieve mutual respect? Yes teachers and students must realize that they both have something of equal importance to contribute to the learning process. Each side must respect and learn from what the other has to offer. Teacher’s must allow the students to teach them and they must be a willing and eager learner.
3.What is partnering? Partnering is letting your students focus on the part of the learning process that they can do best and letting teachers focus on the part of learning they do best. It is teachers and students working together to solve a problem or create an idea. It’s no longer the boss and employee way, where students work for the teacher. Students work on their own or in groups by answering questions and solving problems creatively or technologically with the teachers help. During this process students feel more equal to teachers because they are both working to achieve a goal.
3a. what are the teacher’s roles? The teacher’s role in this process is to create and ask the right questions. They will guide students in the process of putting material into context. They will explain to students one on one and ensure quality work is provided. Teachers should be giving students a variety of interesting ways to answer questions and possible tools to utilize while completing this task
3b.What are the student roles? The role of the student is to research, discover and explore new information through the use of technology. Students should answer questions and share their thoughts and opinions with their peers and the teacher. They should be creating presentations in multimedia, finding answers and making hypothesis in groups or alone.
I really enjoyed this chapter about partnering. I think partnering is an awesome idea. I believe this method of teaching is what’s needed in classrooms today. This is a fabulous technique that should be incorporated in more schools so children can succeed. Technology is evolving more and more every day and without it in the classroom our children will be left behind. Partnering creates a relationship between teachers and students that they both benefit from. The students will enjoy sharing researching and connecting to explore new things. Students finally feel like they play an active role in their own education. Partnering most importantly emphasizes the roles of teachers and student as equal but different.
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
I believe what works in the classroom today is having the students actively engaged in their learning. I dont think there is one right or wrong way to do that, and what works for one teacher may not work for another. But, I do believe for me the use of technology in the classroom helps bring students to be an active participant in their learning. Group work is among the students works well too.
I think the lecturing to students needs to be limited. I try to only lecture toward the end of the class when i am trying to make sure that the whole class understand what they were supposed to learn for that day. I also think teachers need to guide students through discovery learning by asking open ended questions, and encouraging the students to converse about different topics.
From my experiences from working with students and technology though, is that they learn very quickly how to use a certain program, or website. But they are weak when it comes to researching, or finding new sites and programs. So i think we as educators need to teach our students how to learn that skill set. I feel that will not only help them be prepared for the world of today but the world of tomorrow too.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we acheive mutual respect?
Yes, we should see students differently. Their middle school and high school experience is different from when i was in school. And i agree with Aocean & Prensky that they are like rockets, instead of trains on a track. I personally never liked the trains on a track metaphor because it assumes that we are all going to the same place. This new rockets metaphor helps fix that idea and the students can really imagine that they are able to shoot for the stars.
I believe there is always room for mutual respect between the students and their teachers. I never understood when a teacher would ask for respect from their students when they didnt give their students respect. This means the teacher needs to be open to suggestions, understanding, and most importantly willing to compromise. If a teacher shows that they are willing to compromise it shows that they care about their students and want to help them. In return the students should and most likely will be willing to help you do your job, by explaining when they dont understand something or just listening to the teacher when they are giving instructions.
3. What is partnering? What are the teachers' and students' roles?
Partnering is when the teachers and students work toward the same goal together, without the teacher simply lecturing to the students. Meaning that the student can be told of the goal for the day and the teacher will help guide or coach the students with suggestions.
The role of the student is to use the tools and resources around them to try and solve a problem. These resources can be their notes, textbooks, classmates, and hopefully as a last resort the teacher. They should also share their thoughts and opinions with their classmates so that they can share their perspective as well as listen to the perspective of others.
The role of the teacher is to be like a coach. The teacher has to realize that if they are a coach, then they arent going to be playing in the game when it comes time. so when they just tell a student an answer and explain why that doesnt help nearly as much as it would if the teacher just gave suggestions on where to start getting by the students struggle. Maybe pointing them in the right direction but not telling them where the finish line is.
Erika Starr 1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing? Classrooms that keep the students engaged and actively learning is what works best. Technology is becoming very popular and students love it. They also said they enjoy class trips and group work. Even though teachers have mostly been taugt be being lectured, students get bored easily. As the article said, if Fed Ex delivers the package but nobody is home, it is useless. The same goes for teaching. Even if e best, most experienced teacher teaches a lesson, but the students aren't listening, it's pointless. 2.can we see students differently?can we achieve mutual respect? Yes, we should see students differently. They are like rockets that function unexpectedly and the educators re the rocket scientists. Our job is to provide the students with the questions and they will do the rest. We must support them as well and they will respect us. If the teacher shows respect for their students, the students will respect their educator And both sides need to realize that we can learn from one another. 3.what is partnering? What re the teachers and students roles? Partnering is when the educator and the students work as one towards the same goal. We have to realize that the students do not work for their teachers which helps make the students feel more equal.it is the teachers job to guide sir students in the right direction. They show support and ask questions to engage their students without lecturing.the student has to make sure they are using the tools given by their teacher to make the best of each situation. They should work with their. Lass mates, use their textbooks, online sources and whatever else is provided by their teacher.
1. What works in the classroom? What needs changing? Students learn best by being active learners in the classroom. When students are able to contribute to their learning they are more likely to enjoy and engage in classroom discussion. Group work, class trips and self-designed assignments are other ways to keep the students engaged. The use of technology within the classroom is a great way to keep them active learners. As stated in the article, lecturing and boring note taking need to be taken out of the classroom. Students tend to tune out when they are lectured to which leads to them to hate going to class. I have heard the 7th and 8th graders in the school I teach at express their disappoint in class and how much they hate it. Many of them wish to come back to kindergarten where there is much more group interaction and games.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
We can absolutely see students differently. As stated in the article, we should see them as rockets and the teachers as the rocket scientists. As teachers we should provide questions and materials the students can use to find the answers. Students can go much further than we give them credit for. Their knowledge of technology and the internet can help them explore the world they live in today. This makes them feel what they are learning is important and that they can actually apply it to real life. They may actually end up teaching us something. If we give the students the ability to explore questions the best way they know how and contribute to their learning, they will feel we respect them. If they feel respected then they will respect us as teachers.
3. What is partnering? What are the teachers' and the students' roles?
Partnering is when the teacher and the student work together on one common goal. The teacher focuses on giving the students the questions and possible suggestions on tools they can use to start out on their journey. The student focuses on researching and making hypotheses about the questions. The teacher is their to support and guide their students and not lecture at them. The teacher and student each have an equal role in the learning process.
1) What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
In my own classroom, it is clear that my students learn more and maybe more importantly, enjoy class more, when they are engaged and actively participating in their own learning. This may look like groups working toward a common goal, rotation stations, activities on the interactive whiteboard, or other endless possibilities yet to be explored.
So why don’t I do it more often? If I’ve spent a class standing in front of the room “teaching,” when the bell rings, I feel awful. I feel defeated and frustrated. I’m a new teacher with tons of ideas and aspirations for my classroom and yet, I feel pressured and cornered by administrators, colleagues, and NY State. The first thing that needs changing is the fear of taking risks. I think of all the things I’d love to try in my classroom, but sometimes I don’t because of what the people above me will say or how the change might affect my test scores at the end of the year. Teachers who have the ability to change the way a typical classroom looks feel like their hands are tied. So should we all wait until we have tenure to take risks? NO! I signed up for this job because of the children, not for their test scores.
2) Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
I don’t think it’s a question of “can we” because we must. If we don’t see students differently, we’re setting them up for failure. But we’re very intelligent, successful people and we learned by lecturing, so why can’t they? That’s another thing that needs changing – the idea that our students can learn the way we did. Children today are totally different than we were. There’s more for them to be distracted by, more for them to be curious about, and more for them to achieve.
We are not the ruler of our classroom. When we allow students to be our partner, we are showing them respect. Best of all, they feel it! If you ask a student instead of tell a student, if you let them struggle to figure out a problem instead of spoon-feed the directions, the students will feel like you trust them. They are just as accountable for their own learning as you are. Just as we need to see students differently, they need to see themselves differently as well.
3) What is partnering? What are the teachers’ and the students’ roles?
Partnering is when the teacher and students share the classroom. There is no leader because everyone is equal. The teacher acts as a guide because he or she knows the curriculum and the goals of the lesson. He or she gives the students the tools they need to successfully reach an objective. The student accepts the resources and uses them to think, create, and learn. Everyone in the classroom supports each other and learns from each other. The classroom becomes a platform for sharing ideas instead of a one-way transfer of knowledge.
1) Student engagement is the obvious goal in education today, but that has been made far more difficult because of the disconnect between teachers and students on what is an engaging way to teach material. Allowing students to connect what they are learning to the real world is so vital because it adds a layer of reason and purpose, which is why it did not surprise me when many students pointed out that “School trips” were the most engaging school experience. I recall the days when I took school trips to museums and historical landmarks in Lower Manhattan because I was able to connect history with my own experiences and interaction. Allowing students the opportunity to share their own opinions, bounce ideas off their fellow classmates, and collaborative group work all have the potential to be effective tools if it delves past just direct instruction.
Direct instruction is something that we have all used at one point or another in our teaching practices. Usually, it will encompass lecturing, presenting, explaining, and note taking. As generations of students have passed through classrooms, this type of instruction has become increasingly ineffective because some teachers just love to talk. The easiest response for students is to just tune out because they are not captivated by this method. I use this method of teaching sparingly in my economics classes that I teach because it is so easy to fall into a bad habit of constant lecturing in social studies. Marc Prensky does an amazing job of pointing out how a teacher is effective when he is able to illustrate the respect for his students as individuals and not just as kids that don’t know anything. This type of standpoint needs to be adopted in more classrooms seeing how so much information is made available to these students through technology.
2)Students can and should be viewed differently. As Prensky puts it, students have been viewed as a slow paced train on a straight track for far too long. They should be viewed more like the rockets that they are. They operate at faster speeds than previous generations as they hit the internet at earlier ages. It is the job of the teachers (the rocket scientists) to give these students the right fuel to propel them on an educational path that will allow them to go far beyond the achievements of the past. We need to make students as self-sufficient as possible. They need to be capable of reassessing and finding out what works all on their own. This can easily happen with the proper tools supplied by their designers (teachers).
It can never be denied how important respect is in the relationship between teacher and student. Teachers have and do still tend to be critical of their students. They will bring into question their motivation or interest, which strains the relationship. Mutual respect is possible, still, as long as both parties involved (teachers and students) understand that in this new era of technology both have something of equal importance to contribute to the learning process.
3) Partnering is when teachers’ and students’ work together in a shared environment to achieve the goals they set out before them.The teacher works as a guide that does not give much instruction, but suggests possible tools for his students to utilize as they work self-sufficiently. The teacher is also a coach trying to motivate his students as they try to reach daily and long-term goals their own way. Teachers also operate in the partnering pedagogy as questioners of issues that pertain to the real world and are not just something a student will see on a multiple choice examination.
Students take on the role of researchers as they are required to find things out for themselves, which carries with it a level of respect that some students are not accustomed to. Another role for students is as the technology user and expert. They will be assisted as they grow into the use of new technology by their teacher.
I agree with Prensky’s assertion that we do not need to disregard the “old” entirely because some of what today’s classroom incorporates is effective. Student-centered classrooms in which students take a large role in their learning process reflect some of the important elements of the active classroom. Some of the old framework is effective, but needs to be reworked in order to move forward. Collaborative and independent research projects are assigned in today’s classroom, but students are not encouraged to choose for themselves and may not be able to relate to the material or assigned task—that’s the necessary change that Prensky speaks about in this chapter. It is necessary to revise today’s way of teaching our students by creating opportunities for our students to become intrinsically motivated. If they are given the opportunity for choice and we appeal to their interests, they will enjoy learning and will be able to apply the skills and strategies they utilize in completing their independent work as they move forward.
As educators, we must find a way to remove ourselves from what we have experienced as students and rethink the teacher-student relationship in order to see students differently. As we move further and further away from the direct instruction model, this idea of mutual respect and partnering will seem more natural. The teacher and student roles will seem almost interchangeable. If we constantly remind ourselves that we are learning from our students in order to work towards a common goal, a classroom environment that reflects values of mutual respect and caring will develop.
Partnering involves guiding students to assume an active role in their learning process and to think and conceptualize independently. It is a student-centered model that involves a great deal of independent work and requires the teacher to serve as a guide. Students are responsible for exploring and researching as they utilize technology in a way that best suits them. Technology allows for the learning process to be personalized. Teachers should observe the process and direct students in achieving their goals. I believe that partnering is an ideal framework and can be realistically implemented in the classroom today.
I definitely feel that lessons that are highly interactive will help students learn better in the classroom. Students need to be interested in what they are learning in order for them to sustain attention and comprehend academic materials. I agree with the information stated in chapter one, “It is time for a change in our education system. Teachers are encouraged to not only teach but ask questions and have discussions in the classrooms.” Students should learn to become independent learners.
Traditionally, we always see the teacher as the individual who guides students through their learning experience. However, I believe that it is possible to have students start identifying their own way of learning and discover what information is important to tjem. Teachers are aware that many students are disinterested in learning so why not make their experience interesting so that students would want to learn. I believe that teachers are required to provide students with the necessary skills to learn, however, it is time that teachers change their approaches of doing this. Students should be viewed as rockets and teachers should be seen as rocket scientists.
I do believe that if partnering takes place in the classroom, teachers will find many students displaying respect to others. This is because many students want to express their opinions and ideas which makes them feel important and valuable. When people feel appreciated, they are more likely to return their appreciation to others by doing simple acts of kindness (e.g. showing respect). Students really do not want to be against their teachers. They want their teachers to be on their sides.
Partnering is when a teacher and student work together to accomplish a particular goal such as learning. However, in partnering the teacher provides the student the tools and information necessary to solve questions and problems while the student is responsible for finding the answers to the solution in whatever way he or she chooses to do so. The teacher’s role is to provide the questions and outline the responses needed to solve questions and problems. The teacher may also guide the student through their learning experience without giving them the answers to problems. The student’s role is to research and identify the answers to the questions using the resources that teachers give him or her. The student is known as the researcher who is looking for the answer to a mystery questions.
What is working now in classrooms is group work, class discussions, sharing ideas, and connections to the real world such as class trips or video chats across the country/world. These things are working because students are working together and collaboratively, and actively participating in creating their own knowledge. What needs changing is both how we see students role in the class room, the technology incorporated, and the way/amount teaches talk to their students. Students need to be seen as partners, technology needs to be utilized in a meaningful way to the curriculum and classroom, and teachers should be talking less and asking more questions.
Seeing students differently first requires the understanding that society and technology are ever changing and education must be flexible as well. The metaphor of students as trains is antiquated; students are not bodies to be told what to do, but bodies that can and should be discovering. All students are different, learn differently, and have different strengths and weaknesses so they should be treated and guided as such.
Seeing students in this manner begins with respect. This respect comes from understanding students play a vital part in the classroom as a partner to the teacher and the education process. The idea of partnering views students and teachers as "different but equal," using their strengths in the classroom and fulfilling necessary roles. I never really felt disrespected too often by a teacher, but when I did, I let it be known and it was usually by an older, female teacher. I think perhaps the old adage of "children should be seen and not heard" often still rang true in their eyes. I never did feel though that I played an essential role to my teacher or the lesson.
Students as partners means allowing choice to learn about as well as share that information in ways that appeal to them, answer guided questions so the student is finding their own information, allowing students to teach each other and themselves, add input to how the classroom functions effectively, think critically and share those ideas with one another in an open format such as a blog or discussions, and plan and execute Service Learning projects to make real world connections.
The teachers job then, is to create an environment that allows this to happen by asking questions, forcing the students to look up their own information or find things out through trial and error rather than telling or doing things for them, setting both goals for the students as well as a minimum floor of performance, keep up with the new technologies, evaluate work for rigor and quality and explain what was good (I think a good thing to use here would be rubrics, always very helpful and informative), reach out to parents, and be honest with the students about the structure and purpose of lessons and their approach to teaching.
1) What works in the classroom today? What needs changing? a. Teachers that respect their students and use differentiated instruction are more successful in connecting to their students and it works in the classroom. Students also learn a lot from their peers and enjoy interacting with each other, so the more teachers allow for students to be sharing ideas with each other and creating new ideas together, the more the students will take from that lesson. What needs to change is the direct instruction approach in the classroom. When teachers just stand in front of the room and lecture, the students are disconnected from what the teacher is trying to teach them because it doesn’t directly relate to their lives. The more involved students are in their own learning, and the more it relates to them, the more they will absorb from a lesson.
2) Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect? a. We can definitely see students differently and if we want to get the most out of them then we have to. We can also definitely achieve mutual respect and it should be present in every classroom. Every student is different and the teacher needs to so whatever they can to meet the needs of those students and not make excuses for why a student isn’t successful in their classroom.
3) What is partnering? What are teacher’s and the student’s roles? a. Partnering is the idea that teachers and students each have roles they must fulfill and must work together in order to ensure a successful level of student learning. The teacher’s role is to guide students by giving them the tools necessary for them to know how to do something, while the student’s role is to take the new tools their teacher presents to them and us it in their own lives to explore. Students need to be proactive in their learning.
What works in the classroom today? What needs changing? In today’s classroom, the things that work to keep the students engaged and motivated to learn are: less lecturing from the teacher, allowing time for group work and providing more opportunities for students to connect with peers to express and share their opinions. Taking trips is also one of the best ways for students to learn. Based on experience with my special education students, class trips gives them an opportunity to experience new things and gain better understanding of the things we discuss in class and the things that are present in the world. As Prensky stated, “they want an education that is not just relevant, but real.” What needs to change is the traditional approach to teaching. In this day and age, we cannot solely rely on the same methods that teachers used years ago. “Speed is clearly a reality for young people in the 21st Century”. When I first began teaching, we did not rely on the internet and use smartboards as much as I do today. Students are more knowledgeable about how to use the internet and we should incorporate technology as much as we can to keep their interest. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect? Yes, we should see students differently. All students learn at a different pace and as teachers, we have to recognize what their best learning style is. As mentioned in the Prensky book, we need to see them as rockets, as we are the scientists who will guide them in the right direction and provide them with the necessary tools throughout their educational journey. We absolutely can achieve mutual respect as long as the student is encouraged to do their best, and the teacher provides all the tools that the student needs to be successful. Having a good relationship with the student where the teacher listens to them and their suggestions, while providing effective feedback will also show that they care. What is partnering? What are teacher’s roles and what are student’s roles? Overall, partnering is when the teacher and student work towards the same goal. The teacher gives the students an assignment and suggestions of possible digital tools complete it. The teacher guides the student and it eliminates direct instruction and allows for active learning. Partnering allows teachers and students to participate in a meaningful educational way.
-In my experiences, the most effective lessons allow active participation from the students. Group discussions, hands-on activities, journals, and other activities where students "learn by doing" work best in today's classrooms.
What needs changing?
If you ask any adult if they would enjoy sitting in a room for 6 hours while one person talks to you the whole time, I'm sure they would say now. So why do we keep continue to do that to children and adolescents? While lecturing is needed at times, it should not be used for the najority of the lesson. Instead, we should try incorporating movies, videos, internet, and others resources that are engaging for the students. Also, ask questions that allow them to make personal connections to the material and discuss their feelings with peers.
Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
I think for this to happen, the students must first see the teacher differently. Students tend to develop negative feelings toward teachers and classrooms right away. On the first day of school. the teacher needs to make it clear that while she has her rules and personal teaching style, she would be open to hearing student's opinions and appropriate suggestions for improvement. Giving students a voice in that sense may help to establish mutual respect between teacher and student.
What is partnering?
Partnering allows both students and teachers to take an active role in the learning process. Both parties focus on the part they can do best.
What are the teacher's roles?
In partnering, the teacher gives students a variety of questions to answer (open-ended, higher level). She provides guidance and suggestions on how to come to a valid answer. This may include suggestions of resources and tools to help with research. The teacher also puts the material in context so that students can make connections.
What are the student's roles?
The students will research and explore possible answers to the questions and come up with hypotheses based on their research. Once they find their answers they will create presentations using a variety of technology and resources.
Overall, I felt this chapter was extremely interesting. I agree with many of Prenskey’s ideas about reinventing the classroom for how students learn and be most engaged.
1. What works in the classroom today?
In most classes today, active participation and lessons that engage all students works the best. Most students in classes today do not want to sit and listen to their teachers lecture. They want to be actively engaged with their peers. Using technology such as net books, ipads or some type of web based tablet works well in my classes to keep students engaged in lessons.
What needs changing?
Although I feel as though many teachers are beginning to create classrooms conducive for today’s learner there are still some teachers that resort back to lecture based instruction. Also, as Prensky states, for partnering to work there needs to be support from parents and administration. Partnering requires flexibility in terms of classroom layout and school day structure. It is essential to have more options for a flexible setting in order for partnering to work. With these changes and this new partnership in the classroom, we as educators can work together to ensure the most beneficial educational environment for our students.
2.Can we see students differently?
Yes, it is essential for successful partnering to see students differently, both individually and as a whole. Individually, we need to remember to differentiate instruction. It is important that we as teachers remember that all our students do not learn best the same way. We need to instruct in various ways, using oral, visual, tactile and hands on experiences. As a whole we need to remember that these students are not the same type of student that we were. We as the teacher and facilitator need to see the students as researchers. In which we, the teachers, guide their discoveries
Can we achieve mutual respect?
As Prenskey noted in his Teaching Digital Natives, in order for partnering to work it is essential for each member of the group, teachers and students alike, to truly respect one another. It is important to remember that just as the teacher can introduce new topics, ideas and questions to the students, the students can introduce and teach new concepts to the teacher. To be successful in this new partnering environment it is important that a mutual respect is reached in every classroom.
3.What is partnering?
Partnering is guided based instruction in the classroom. It is literally a partnership between teachers and students. This type of instruction requires roles of the teacher and student to be established.
What are the teacher’s roles?
In a partnering classroom the teacher is seen as a facilitator, coach or guide. The teacher should set specific goals and help each student individually reach these goals. The flexible, partnering classroom should allow for this type of instruction. The overall goal, is to have each student learn to his or her optimal level.
What are the student roles?
The roles of the student in a partnering classroom are: to be a researcher, a user of technology, a thinker, a challenger and a self-teacher. If the student learn to adopt these roles and is guided thoroughly by the teacher, he/she should learn and be able to show their new attained knowledge.
*What works in the classroom today? I think that using SmartBoards or other similar technology as a tool for lessons can work very well in the classroom environment. I also believe group work allows children to actively work together to come up with solutions and ideas to problems we present to them. Creating a classroom environment where children feel respected and appreciated definitely has a positive impact.
* What needs changing? I believe that the old ways of lecturing and dictating information while children sit and take notes needs to be left in the past. Not only is it boring to the audience but it is boring to a teacher as well. Also, I believe that the way we educate our future teachers needs to change as well. We need to broaden their perspectives a bit and allow them to look at the teacher-student relationship in a different light.
*2. Can we see students differently? Yes we can and we absolutely should. We should learn from our students. They have a lot to teach us. If we can change the way we view student's roles in the classrooms, we can create lessons that engage children.
*Can we achieve mutual respect? Yes. As long as the students and teacher have an understanding of the roles that one another plays in the classroom. Both need to realize that they can learn from each other and work cooperatively in order to create an engaging learning environment.
*What is partnering? Partnering is when teachers and students have a balanced relationship with one another. The classroom is shared by both.
*What is the teacher's role/ The teacher's role is to create questions and act as a guide for the students. The teacher is no longer the boss or has the upper hand- their job is to guide the students in the right direction.
*What is the student's role? The student must take this opportunity to use their creativity and explore all of the information out there. They should be open to working with other students more frequently, as well as use their knowledge of technology to their advantage when doing active research in the classroom.
1. What works in classrooms today? What needs changing?
Engaging the students, works best today. Also working with tools that they are familiar with. Technology has become a significant part of our daily lives, by implementing it in the classrooms this can help to get the students more involved in the lesson. Classrooms need to become more student based and less teacher centered. Education should become less direct and more collaborative. Lectures defeat the purpose of the students being able to do hands on work with their peers. It also prevents the opportunity of students learning from their peers as well as their teacher. Teachers should become more aware of the changes going on outside of the classroom, especially in technology. In doing so, I think they can use what they have learned to encourage their students to become more involved in class activities.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
The role of a teacher is to do just that; see the potential that each student has, and strive for them to reach that potential. To do so we must, as the book puts it, think of today’s kids as rockets instead of trains on a track. Elementary, Middle, and High School as changed; it is not the same as it was twenty or thirty years ago. Teachers should acknowledge this and embrace it in order to benefit the education and potential of their students. Mutual respect between a teacher and their students should be a goal they should achieve with every student they meet. When a student feels respected by their teacher, it gives them the confidence to perform well. I think that by refusing to respect a student as a person, you are conveying to that student they are not good enough.
3. What is partnering? What are the teachers’ and the students’ roles?
Partnering is the opposite of teaching by telling. It is letting students, and teachers, focus on the part of the learning process that they can do best. The teachers’ role is that of a facilitator. They supply the students with a variety of questions, information, and guidance. In turn, the students’ role is to research and find the answers by using whatever technology is available. They are responsible for sharing their thoughts and opinions, and presenting their results to their teacher and peers.
1. What Works in the classroom today? What needs changing? I feel that what works in the classroom is different for every teacher, as well as every class. I feel what works best for my classroom, really gymnasium is group work and active participation. Keeping the students engaged in the lesson or the material is key. I do not feel that we need to get rid of all the "old" that is said to be found in an academic setting, but instead we need to incorporate the "new" to keep our students interacting with their peers, teacher, and the material they are learning. The thing that I would like to see change in the academic world most is the amount of lecturing that is done in the classroom. At every level of education you have a teacher, a professor, or a doctor stand in front of a room of students and talks about the material that is needed to be learned. Teachers need to become more creative and challenge themselves to teacher the material in new and different ways that will engage the students in their classes. 2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect? Students are like rockets. That was what students were called in the text. As educators I feel that we have all the ability in the world to see a student differently but it is our choice if we do so or not. Many teachers make negative connections to students because of word of mouth from other teachers or rumors throughout the school. I believe that in order for teachers to see students differently they must take the time to understand how each individual learns best and a little bit about them. I believe the more you connect with each individual student in your classroom, although this may be a huge task to do in a large classroom, the more engaged the students will be in your class and the material you are teaching. I believe respect is very important in a classroom. That students should respect teachers and teachers should do the same for their students. Each person in the classroom deserves respect from one another. It is just as the golden rule states. Treat one as you would want to be treated. As a teacher if you treat your students with respect, hopefully they will all treat you with a mutual respect. 3. What is partnering? What are the teacher’s roles? What are the student’s roles? Partnering is where teachers and students work together to create an outcome or an idea. Students are able to do work with the teachers and/or in groups instead of doing work on their own to solve problems or creatively learn new material. The teacher’s role in partnering is facilitation and developing of the correct questions to help lead the students to maximum learning. The teacher can help give students an idea for them to start with as well as also allow students to bounce ideas off of them to help lead them in the correct direction. The student’s roles in partnering are the researcher, the information finder. They must find all the information out on their own using all the resources that are available to them. This allows students to become proactive towards their learning and puts them in control of their education.
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
Prensky and myself are in total agreement that the most effective and engaging lessons are ones that possess a high level of creativity, meaningful discussions, and individual interests of the students within the class. School trips, group work, and other hands-on activities that immerse students in content and context work particularly well. Further, Teachers should always be energetic and respect the thoughts and opinions of their students.
Most of today’s teachers are “trained to tell,” however today’s students are not listening to their teachers. Therefore, to significantly improve the current state of American education, we must start making changing. Classrooms must be made more student-centered by utilizing student interests, “why questions,” new (and perhaps unfamiliar) technology, as well as mutual respect among classroom community members. The teacher must learn to relinquish some (if not most) of her control in an effort to yield better academic results and create young adults who are well prepared for their future in the “real world.”
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
Because of their strong connection to (or increasing dependence on) technology, students are moving faster than any generation before them; their entire lives are organized on and around the internet, which is always extremely accessible. A boring, cookie-cutter lesson that lacks meaning is no match for the attractive flash of information beaming into a student’s pocket. Prensky suggests viewing students like a “rocket” rather than a 19th century “train on a track:” as a teacher (or “rocket scientist”), it is our job to mix the right “fuel” to allow them to do extraordinary things.
Although I don’t like his overused analogy, we must start viewing students as the intellectual, tech-savvy, young adults they actually are rather than passive containers for our lecture material. By creating an environment of mutual respect, students will be more willing to fully participate in the learning process. It will give them confidence and a drive to perform at their highest ability, which is the ultimate goal of any teacher. Further, if students sense they are respected, they will become more likely to give that respect to other members of the classroom community.
3. What is partnering? What are the teacher’s and the student’s roles?
Partnering is a form of teaching when the onus to learn is completely on the student. They must hypothesize, explore, research, self-monitor, self-correct, discuss, review, as well as any other process that might help them take control of their own education. Partnering allows students to follow their passion and to learn helpful “real world” skills. Therefore, a teacher acts as a guide, coach, and facilitator of content and context. They set goals, design engaging lessons, create questions and control the general flow of classroom activity. Although partnering is not new, it has been generally been abandoned in the current state of American Education.
However, I still have some concerns about partnering as a teaching strategy. First, given the varying abilities of students with special needs, is it possible to employ advanced partnering in a self-contained or inclusion class? Second, when I have attempted to use partnering in my own classes, students refused to work because they knew we would be reviewing the work regardless if they actually did it. Isn’t partnering only as successful as students are willing to make it? Third, as Prensky suggested, how does one partner effectively with an unwilling administration and subpar district technology?
1. I believe that students learn better in an active learning setting where there is constant participation, communication and student engagement in the lesson. I think that offering an open and safe classroom environment, allows students to feel more comfortable in the classroom and motivates them to share their own ideas and opinions. An active learning setting works much better than simply lecturing to the class, while having students take and memorize notes. Teaching to student’s interests and finding their passions help to keep students interested and engaged in the lesson. I think that using technology also works well in a classroom because the possibilities for learning, researching and creating are endless. I think cooperative groups and class discussion are also beneficial because they allow students to interact with each other, learn respect and see other points of view. b)I think that classrooms need to have less direct instruction or lecturing if they want to keep students interested and engaged. Teachers should use guiding questions to encourage students to think critically on their own rather than simple memorize a lecture. While I think some students can benefit from direct instruction (like I did in school), today’s students need more active engagement and opportunities to be creative. I think that teachers need to be less afraid of change and more willing to take risks. Teachers should realize that education is changing with the times and that they need to adapt and embrace it rather than hide behind it. The same goes for embracing technology. I think teachers need to set higher expectations for their students and motivate them to do their best rather than settle for mediocrity. Real life applications should be made in the classroom as well. Students need more independence when it comes to thinking creatively and working together in groups. If students have more responsibilities they are then held accountable for their learning as well. Active participation allows students to research and find things out on their own, rather than rely on their teacher for all of the answers. I also believe that teachers need to make learning creative and interactive, rather than just teaching for the tests and worrying about scores.
2. I think we can see students differently and in a more positive way. I agree with the author when he refers to the students as rockets. Rockets are very fast and limitless, much like today’s students who learn quickly with a lot of potential. I think that teachers need to fuel the “rockets” or students with the knowledge to soar. Teachers must have higher expectations for their classes and realize that students have endless potential. They should also realize that students can explore and find things out for themselves rather than be given everything. Students should be taught to be self-sufficient and not just reliant on the teacher. Students should also be taught how to use technology in order “fly further than they have before.”
b) I think there should always be a mutual respect between teacher and students, however this respect is not necessarily given, it must be earned. Students will feel more comfortable learning in a safe and free environment where they are entitled to their own opinions and beliefs. I think an “open” classroom where students are given more independence and opportunities to explore and ask questions will make students feel like valued members of a class, rather than followers. If the students feel that their teacher genuinely cares for them and their education by allowing them to take on a creative role, they will have more respect for their teacher and their own learning process. For example, letting a student work through a difficult problem rather than giving him the answer will show the student that you trust him. It also holds him accountable for the learning process as well. Teachers and students can learn from each other every day.
3. Partnering gives different roles to a teacher and student where they work together toward a mutual goal. Both parties have an equal role in the learning process. Partnering is also termed student centered learning or active learning, which begins with guided questions from the teacher and motivates students to answer those questions while engaging in the lesson.
b) The teacher has many roles. The teacher creates and asks guiding questions to challenge their student’s thinking. They give student’s guidance, help and coach the students in the right direction. They allow students to find answers through their own exploration. By acting like a coach, the teacher shows students how to reach their goals and provide assistance when needed. The teacher also must take on the role of learning designer and make the lessons creative and individualized. Teachers still have a valuable role in partnering because they treat their students like equals and work together.
c) Students also have many roles. They must search, find answers, work together, research and make hypotheses to the guiding questions. Students must find and follow their passion, use technology, and share thoughts and opinions. Their job is to use technology while teachers assess quality. Students should use technology to personalize their learning process while using their teacher’s coaching and guidance. They should share their work and communicate with others. I also believe that students should make their learning real by using what they learned in “real life applications.” This makes the lesson have a purpose instead of just being relevant. Students must become self-teachers and be self-reliant instead of depending on a teacher for answers. I think this is a critical role because students will need to be self-reliant in many aspects of their life.
Chapter I 1. What works in the classroom today? Involvement breeds curiosity, curiosity breeds active participation, participation fosters engagement which builds critical thinking. This works affectively when students are interacting in the classroom. The use of technology bridges lessons. There is a curriculum that must be adhered to. There are tests that must be administered and passed. However technology allows both the educator and the students to reach beyond the classroom walls and look at the world from different perspectives.
What needs changing?
The world has comfortably landed in the technological age and the children are up to speed. Educators can no longer resist this evident, vast and fast moving pace of information. While it may feel like a comfortable slipper for an educator to teach in a “Reading, Riting, Rithmatic” style, it is no longer conducive to the way of the world. If we expect our student to be competitive in the world today we must embrace technology as a means of teaching. This will require that the educators think out of the box. Educators must reach beyond the chalk and the chalkboard and out toward the World Wide Web. Partnering is essentially a building of community, parents, administrator, educators and students. Support and flexibility are important components to educating our children. Technology can be implemented with a cohesive plan and less conventional practice of teaching. 2. Can we see students differently?
Educators must master the ability to see their students as individuals and manage to teach their class as a whole. We must be able to recognize the strengths and weaknesses in each student and allow them to grow. Our children have evolved. They seem to be born more technologically savvy. The language in the technological word is expanding and different. Our students are inquisitive they are researchers. It is our responsibility as educators to guide them into a world beyond the book we are required to give them.
Can we achieve mutual respect?
Respect is reciprocal. Just as a student must earn respect so must an educator. For this partnership to work, student and educators must give and get reverence alike. The fundamentals of teaching have shifted. The educator will introduce the topics but must be willing to recognize and acknowledge that there are new and innovative ways of learning those topics. Students and educators combine the new concepts with the required curriculum to be successful in partnering. 3. What is partnering?
Partnering is when both the educator and the teacher are involved in the plan of the lesson. The educator is as interested in how the student wants to and needs to learn to make it translatable and interesting. Partnering establishes the roles of educator and student to bring about a stimulating teaching style and ground breaking success. Ultimately the students and the educators must work together.
What are the teacher’s roles?
The role of the educator with reference to partnering is the conductor, the catalyst the facilitator and guide of the lesson. Collective goals will be set classroom while allowing every individual student to make strides at their own pace. This will forge active class participation and bring about the most favorable results.
What are the student roles?
The role of the student with reference to partnering is the researcher, investigator, performer, thinker and re-inventor of the lesson. Students must be proactive, through technology can expound on the lesson. Students may become the teacher to certain lesson with discovery. With use of appropriate and adequate technological tools students will be engaged and hungry to learn.
1. What works in classrooms today are practices where students are not merely passive absorbers of information, but instead are actively engaged in what they are learning. Classrooms that utilize collaborative work where students are able to satisfy their need for relatedness are also effective. Students have an undeniable need to connect with others, and to feel that their thoughts and ideas are valued by their teacher and their peers. Additionally, when students share ideas and opinions with each other, they build important social skills, gain the ability to see things from the perspective of others, increase problem-solving skills, engage in more meaningful discussions and ask more thought-provoking questions.
Direct instruction in which the teacher lectures and students read and take notes, is becoming an increasingly ineffective method of teaching that is still widely practiced. It is not a method that results in meaningful learning, rather it is a measure of a student's ability to memorize and regurgitate facts the teacher tells them.
2. Yes, we must see students differently. Students were previously viewed as trains on a track, chugging along at a steady pace with no where to go but a straight and narrow path. I don't particularly care for using cheesy metaphors to describe students, but the rocket metaphor is much more fitting for today's students. A rocket doesn't necessarily follow a set path--it can go in any direction the pilot chooses to steer it, it can reach its destination at an extremely rapid pace and it's limits know no bounds. Mutual respect can be achieved if teachers always remember that they are lifelong learners. They should recognize that students enter their classroom already possessing a wealth of knowledge, and there is something valuable to be learned from each and every one of them. Teachers should communicate to students that their thoughts and opinions are valued and respected, should never talk down to them or about them in negative terms and give feedback that is helpful, yet keeps their self-esteem intact. 3. Partnering is a teaching method where students are expected to be an active and equal participant in the learning process. Teachers do not use direct instruction methods, but rather pose questions that will allow students to figure things out on their own. The teacher may offer guidelines or support, but for the most part, the students are in control of their own learning experiences. They do the experimenting, the research and the exploration. The teacher's role in this learning environment is to be a facilitator. The teacher sets goals, helps students put their findings into context, and offers guidance and support when necessary, such as suggesting starting points or tools that may help them on their journey. However, it is up to the student how they go about reaching those goals. The teacher is to achieve this through controlled activity, where although students may be working on different things at the same time, there is not complete chaos. All activities serve a learning purpose. The role of the student is that of a researcher. Instead of depending on others to find the answers, they take responsibility for their own learning by using all the tools at their disposal to figure things out for themselves. Ideally, the students will not only learn new information, but they will be able to apply what they have learned in order to improve their world.
1. What works in the classroom today? There are several things that do work in today’s classrooms. Teachers who truly care about their classes, their students and their profession prove to be a positive aspect of today’s classrooms. These teachers who care usually find creative and modern ways to teach their students unlike the outdated lecture style of many classrooms even today. School trips are also working very well in classrooms today because the trips are a way to connect students to the outside world. Students also enjoy group work where they can express their opinions and listen to their classmates’ ideas. Group work is a time when students can work with their peers to not only listen to other’s ideas but also improve their own ideas when provided with the ideas and opinions of their peers. As long as the group does not have a ‘slacker,’ group work is a great way to intergrade partnering into the classroom.
What needs changing? There are many things of the classroom that need to be changed. The first classroom aspect that needs to be changed is how teachers think about and refer to students. Instead of thinking of students as “trains on a track” teachers should think of students as individualized “rocket ships.” Students should not be compared to previous students but rather looked at in their individual light. Instruction in the classroom should be changed to a way that provides differentiation instruction for all students to achieve full learning potential. Teachers also need to change and re-evaluate how their classroom is set up and how they allow it to function. A classroom with straight rows and little acceptance of noise and talking is bound to be less successful than a classroom set-up that allows group discussion and a teacher who tolerances a little ‘noisy’ thinking.
2. Can we see students differently? Students should be seen as individuals who have individualized learning styles and learning goals. Students should not be expected to all learn the exact same way and understand things in the same way. Students should be looked at as their own “rocket ships.” Each rocket ship has a different structure, needs different fuel, and has a different flight path. Each rocket needs to be taught to be self-sufficient so he can have a ‘safe flight and land properly.’ There are so many different ways students learn and prosper that the teacher needs to se each way and adapt their lessons to cater to the needs of each student.
Can we achieve mutual respect? Respect is a vital part of the learning process for the student and the teacher. In order to achieve effective teaching, the teacher needs to respect the student and the student needs to respect the teacher. Teachers need to show respect to students and to the school at all times. If a student sees or hears a teacher being disrespectful they are more likely to be disrespectful to that teacher or during that class. The learning process thrives on respect and a high comfort level. If these aspects for achieved, the teacher and the student will have an opportunity to successfully learn and teach each other.
3. What is partnering? Partnering is a concept that allows students to ‘focus on the part of the learning process that they best can.’ Partnering is the opposite of lecturing and giving the students the facts. In partnering, students are prompted to find their own information and do their own research. During the process, the teacher provides feedback and guided questions to ensure that students are finding the correct information and utilizing the correct sources. Partnering is s great way to provide students with the same information but a more interesting, engaging way to receive that information. Students are more likely to pay attention and retain information if they find the information on their own in an interactive way than if the information is just presented to them in a lecture.
What are the teacher’s roles? In partnering, the teacher takes on ‘non-traditional’ teaching roles in the process. Teacher assumes the roles of guide, coach, goal setter, questioner, learning designer, context provider, rigor provider, and quality assurer in the partnering process. Within the duties of these roles, teachers set goals for student learning, provide feedback to students guided learning, guide students on a journey, pose real-world questions to students, create activities that encouraged student learning, vary the way information is presented, check for understanding, and set expectations for their students.
What are the student’s roles? In partnering, students are expected to find the facts and information on their own with help from the teacher. This allows students to find their style of learning and research that particular way. The roles of the student in partnering include researcher, technology user and expert, thinker, sense maker, world changer, self- teacher, journalist, politician, writer, scientist, and engineer. Under these roles, students find their own information by doing their own research, use technology to find this information, think realistically, logically, and critically, use what they learned to better the world, their school, their class, and their lives, and adapt to the feedback provided by their teacher and peers. Partnering not only provides students with the necessary information but it also provides students with the skills to find their own information in the real world about any topic of their interest. Partnering can transform into a lifetime skill.
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing? What works today is to keep students actively engaged in the classroom. Students get motivated in a classroom when teachers consider their ideas, respect their opinions; interact with their peers and the use of technology as a tool for learning. There is a need of a change on teacher's direct instruction method. The lecturing, telling or explaining type of lesson has become ineffective. Classrooms need to have more interaction between teachers and students, work in groups, research information using technology, letting students find their answers by themselves and share them in the classroom. 2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect? I think that teachers can see students differently by respecting, understanding and letting them express themselves in their classroom. Teachers should consider that kids today are using and are great technology users. Every day they use internet, play complex games, communicate with kids worldwide, create videos, etc. Teachers should be open to learn from their students. Mutual respect can be achieved by understanding and respecting teachers and students roles in the classroom. 3. What is partnering? What are the teachers and students roles? Partnering is the opposite of a direct instruction. It is a guided instructional teaching technique that partners students and teachers and have equal role in the learning process. Instead of lecturing, teachers give students questions to answer and suggest tools for the lesson. The teacher role is to give students guidance and coach them. They create and ask questions. The student’s role is to share their ideas and opinions, use technology to research and find information and answer questions. They learn from each other with respect.
1.What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
In today educational setting the most effective teaching strategy is connecting students to the real world. I am not disagreeing that note taking and routine tests are not affective, I am aware that those strategies are still effective and resourceful. I believe that it is the way the information for those tests are taught is how valuable or invaluable that material will become to the students. Based on the chapter, students were asked what the most was engaging experience was during school. Understandably, the students replied with class trips. Students are typically going to remember information and the experience when they are removed from their classroom, away from textbooks and into the environments they are studying. i.e. When studying animals they can visit a farm, or when they are studying immigration they can visit Ellis Island. I even know from my school trip experiences that I still remember information I probably would not have if I simply read it from a textbook. The second most common response educators received from students about their most effective school experience was being able to connect to peers electronically. These students found discussing information through emails and other technological advancements to be most resourceful because they are totally engaged in the experience. I don’t believe much needs to be changed in relation to technology in the classroom. The classrooms have seen an extensive growth in technology over the past several years. The introduction and use of smart boards/promethean boards have provided endless opportunities for teachers to provide live, up to date information to provide students. I believe that this generation has the most resources for the best education and the ability to make it greater.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
I think it is more important to say that we have to see students differently than asking the question can we see them differently. I could not agree more with the chapter when it says that children this generation operate faster than any other generation. From my experiences of working in a early childhood learning center ages birth- 5, I have see very young children work iPads and iPhones as if they were a young adult. This generation of students is so technologically advanced compare to generations before them that there is no saying where these students will take technology and education as they grow older. Without a doubt, the children we are teaching today will one day be teaching us the latest advancements. We as their teacher already have the respect of most children today but we must respect them at their growing ages and allow them to explore the field of technology.
3. What is partnering? What are the teacher‘s and the students‘ roles? According to the chapter, partnering is when a teacher allows their students to focus on what learning they can do best. From the reading, I like to think of partnering as a Montessori teaching style. The teacher allows the student to pursue their own passions in learning. The students take control of their education while the teacher provides the students the resources to research and find the information. During partnering the students are responsible to conduct research, answer questions, confer with their peers and present their findings. The role of the teacher is to guide the student through their learning. The teacher is responsible to create the right questions to steer the children, put material in context when necessary, and provide tools and places to start.
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing? Engaging students in the classroom with a connection to the outside world. I believe students want to learn skills that they can apply to their everyday lives. Along with relevant information, they want to connect with their peers through technology. What needs changing is the instruction from the teachers on how they deliver the content to their students. For example, the direct instruction in which the teachers do the explaining and the students respond with note taking or memorization of the material. It’s time for teachers to reinvent themselves to keep up with the rapidly changing world.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect? Yes, we can see students differently by acknowledging that they are far more advanced because of what they are exposed to. I think that as educators, we must continue to find ways to constantly stimulate their minds and encourage them along the way. Mutual respect can be achieved between the teacher and student but it takes work from both parties. I believe that students respect teachers who are genuine and in turn students make more of an effort to succeed.
3. What is partnering? What are the teachers’ and students’ role? As stated in Prenski’s book, partnering can mean different things to different people. In partnering, I feel the role of the teacher is to act as a guide to make sure the students have the tools to apply to the situation at hand, which is then assessed. The role of the students is for them to become independent thinkers and make use of the tools.
1. WHAT WORKS IN THE CLASSROOM TODAY? The use of technology, team collaborative work, and brainstorming and sharing of ideas is definitely a productive and effective teaching style that will assist students in their future in relation to their career choice, job practices and function.
1A. WHAT NEEDS CHANGES? The classroom structure from the past was formulated to prepare a future of people who would transition easily into the jobs of manufacturing. However, the future of America has evolved more into a technology driven era where collaborative team work,brainstorming, formula, communication and creativity. Therefore,memorization and repetition can not be the expectation. Classroom should resemble more interaction, creativity, technology, and teaching to understand approaches.
2. CAN WE SEE STUDENTS DIFFERENTLY? CAN WE ACHIEVE MUTUAL RESPECT? We can see students differently by acknowledging who they are and teaching them the proper way of doing things by respecting them and teaching them to respect each other. Of course, this can be achieve by placing boundaries as teachers. This is where the mutual respect between students and teacher lies by our modeling and care for them. 3. WHAT IS PARTNERING? It is a reciprocal learning process between student and teacher where they are engaging to reach and understanding. 3A. WHAT ARE THE TEACHER ROLES? Teachers role is to empower a student to learn. You can't force feed a child to eat just like learning but you can encourage a child to want to learn through many positive ways.
1. WHAT WORKS IN THE CLASSROOM TODAY? The use of technology, team collaborative work, and brainstorming and sharing of ideas is definitely a productive and effective teaching style that will assist students in their future in relation to their career choice, job practices and function.
1A. WHAT NEEDS CHANGES? The classroom structure from the past was formulated to prepare a future of people who would transition easily into the jobs of manufacturing. However, the future of America has evolved more into a technology driven era where collaborative team work,brainstorming, formula, communication and creativity. Therefore,memorization and repetition can not be the expectation. Classroom should resemble more interaction, creativity, technology, and teaching to understand approaches.
2. CAN WE SEE STUDENTS DIFFERENTLY? CAN WE ACHIEVE MUTUAL RESPECT? We can see students differently by acknowledging who they are and teaching them the proper way of doing things by respecting them and teaching them to respect each other. Of course, this can be achieve by placing boundaries as teachers. This is where the mutual respect between students and teacher lies by our modeling and care for them. 3. WHAT IS PARTNERING? It is a reciprocal learning process between student and teacher where they are engaging to reach and understanding. 3A. WHAT ARE THE TEACHER ROLES? Teachers role is to empower a student to learn. You can't force feed a child to eat just like learning but you can encourage a child to want to learn through many positive ways.
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing? In my opinion, what works in the classroom today is a classroom that each student is seen and feels like a unique individual. Children learn best when the appropriate learning conditions are present. In today’s society, there are students who have special needs as well as various levels of ability. It is important as an educator to be aware of each child’s strengths as well as their weaknesses, and provide an environment that will foster growth as well as their individual academic needs. It is important to make your lessons motivated for all students. Activities such as group work, class trips, computers, and self-designed assignments are other ways to keep the students motivated and learning.
Lectures and teaching straight from the book needs to be change. Some teachers always teach their subject precisely as the curriculum and the books states. However, most students don’t learn or get anything from these lectures. As the chapters states, students tend to tune out or get bore with all the information that is being lecture either because they do not the content of lecture or they are just not interested. More hands on lessons need to be created.
2. Can we see students differently? Yes, I definitely feel that students can be seen differently and they are different nowadays. I feel that kids are born smart. Or I should say rockets as the reading states. Kids nowadays can navigate a phone or the Internet like if they always knew how to do it. I love how the book puts it “Why should we think of today‘s kids as rockets? At first blush, it‘s their speed; they operate faster than any generation that has come before.
Can we achieve mutual respect? Yes, mutual respect can and should be achieve in order for partnering between teachers and students to take place. It is always my belief that in order for a person to get respect, you need to show respect regardless of who it is. As we read in chapter one, respect is a key element of any teaching and learning, but it is especially important for teaching and learning via partnering. Both the teacher need to understand and realize that respecting each other would bring them to closer and closer to meet whatever goal the teacher and student are trying to meet.
3. What is partnering? Partnering is when the teacher foster active involvement of students in their own learning and being there to clarify any confusion and provide the correct information when needed. It may be through whole class or small group discussion. It is better to get students involved in activities. Group problem solving exercises, helps to decide what to do and the best way to do it, helping the teacher, working with each other, or in some other way getting physically involved in the lesson.
The teacher’s role is to coach and guide their students. The teachers are to set goals and questions, crafts the questions, problems, and suggested activities that will lead students to understanding. The teacher’s role is to give up total control of the class and rather design controlled activities; they are context and rigor provider and quality assurer.
The Student’s role is to be researchers, to learn all possible technology and use it, to thinking logically and more critically, to use what they learn in their daily life/word, and become your self-teacher.
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing? In my opinion, what works in the classroom today is a classroom that each student is seen and feels like a unique individual. Children learn best when the appropriate learning conditions are present. In today’s society, there are students who have special needs as well as various levels of ability. It is important as an educator to be aware of each child’s strengths as well as their weaknesses, and provide an environment that will foster growth as well as their individual academic needs. It is important to make your lessons motivated for all students. Activities such as group work, class trips, computers, and self-designed assignments are other ways to keep the students motivated and learning.
Lectures and teaching straight from the book needs to be change. Some teachers always teach their subject precisely as the curriculum and the books states. However, most students don’t learn or get anything from these lectures. As the chapters states, students tend to tune out or get bore with all the information that is being lecture either because they do not the content of lecture or they are just not interested. More hands on lessons need to be created.
2. Can we see students differently? Yes, I definitely feel that students can be seen differently and they are different nowadays. I feel that kids are born smart. Or I should say rockets as the reading states. Kids nowadays can navigate a phone or the Internet like if they always knew how to do it. I love how the book puts it “Why should we think of today‘s kids as rockets? At first blush, it‘s their speed; they operate faster than any generation that has come before.
Can we achieve mutual respect? Yes, mutual respect can and should be achieve in order for partnering between teachers and students to take place. It is always my belief that in order for a person to get respect, you need to show respect regardless of who it is. As we read in chapter one, respect is a key element of any teaching and learning, but it is especially important for teaching and learning via partnering. Both the teacher need to understand and realize that respecting each other would bring them to closer and closer to meet whatever goal the teacher and student are trying to meet.
3. What is partnering? Partnering is when the teacher foster active involvement of students in their own learning and being there to clarify any confusion and provide the correct information when needed. It may be through whole class or small group discussion. It is better to get students involved in activities. Group problem solving exercises, helps to decide what to do and the best way to do it, helping the teacher, working with each other, or in some other way getting physically involved in the lesson.
The teacher’s role is to coach and guide their students. The teachers are to set goals and questions, crafts the questions, problems, and suggested activities that will lead students to understanding. The teacher’s role is to give up total control of the class and rather design controlled activities; they are context and rigor provider and quality assurer.
The Student’s role is to be researchers, to learn all possible technology and use it, to thinking logically and more critically, to use what they learn in their daily life/word, and become your self-teacher.
32 comments:
Chapter 1 Partnering
1. What works in the classroom today?
Assignments where our students are engaged and actively participating in the classroom are effective today. Classrooms that utilize technology on a consistent basis are also productive. Many students also reported they enjoy group work, class trips, discussions, sharing ideas, and hearing the ideas of their classmates. Classrooms where students feel like equals and are appreciated for their hard work and progress.
1a. What needs changing?
Teachers that still use direct instruction such as lecturing, note taking, reading text and memorizing information. Teachers need to discontinue using practices of the past on modern children. Teachers that are settling for mediocrity or average work in student’s needs to stop. Teachers need to set expectations higher for their students. Also the concept of teachers considering their selves as guardians or babysitters of students needs to change. Teachers need to begin to take a role in really allowing students create their own work. Making students stick to one format for a project these days is ineffective.
2.Can we see students differently?
Yes we can, we should start seeing them as rockets that function unexpectedly. If we fill students with the right information the correct way it’s no telling how far they will go. We cannot keep filling students with educational fuel of the past. These students need new fuel designs and us as teachers are the rocket scientist. All we have to do is provide children with the questions and the support and they will do the rest. This approach will make children more self -sufficient.
2a. Can we achieve mutual respect?
Yes teachers and students must realize that they both have something of equal importance to contribute to the learning process. Each side must respect and learn from what the other has to offer. Teacher’s must allow the students to teach them and they must be a willing and eager learner.
3.What is partnering?
Partnering is letting your students focus on the part of the learning process that they can do best and letting teachers focus on the part of learning they do best. It is teachers and students working together to solve a problem or create an idea. It’s no longer the boss and employee way, where students work for the teacher. Students work on their own or in groups by answering questions and solving problems creatively or technologically with the teachers help. During this process students feel more equal to teachers because they are both working to achieve a goal.
3a. what are the teacher’s roles?
The teacher’s role in this process is to create and ask the right questions. They will guide students in the process of putting material into context. They will explain to students one on one and ensure quality work is provided. Teachers should be giving students a variety of interesting ways to answer questions and possible tools to utilize while completing this task
3b.What are the student roles?
The role of the student is to research, discover and explore new information through the use of technology. Students should answer questions and share their thoughts and opinions with their peers and the teacher. They should be creating presentations in multimedia, finding answers and making hypothesis in groups or alone.
I really enjoyed this chapter about partnering. I think partnering is an awesome idea. I believe this method of teaching is what’s needed in classrooms today. This is a fabulous technique that should be incorporated in more schools so children can succeed. Technology is evolving more and more every day and without it in the classroom our children will be left behind. Partnering creates a relationship between teachers and students that they both benefit from. The students will enjoy sharing researching and connecting to explore new things. Students finally feel like they play an active role in their own education. Partnering most importantly emphasizes the roles of teachers and student as equal but different.
Aocean Clarke
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
I believe what works in the classroom today is having the students actively engaged in their learning. I dont think there is one right or wrong way to do that, and what works for one teacher may not work for another. But, I do believe for me the use of technology in the classroom helps bring students to be an active participant in their learning. Group work is among the students works well too.
I think the lecturing to students needs to be limited. I try to only lecture toward the end of the class when i am trying to make sure that the whole class understand what they were supposed to learn for that day. I also think teachers need to guide students through discovery learning by asking open ended questions, and encouraging the students to converse about different topics.
From my experiences from working with students and technology though, is that they learn very quickly how to use a certain program, or website. But they are weak when it comes to researching, or finding new sites and programs. So i think we as educators need to teach our students how to learn that skill set. I feel that will not only help them be prepared for the world of today but the world of tomorrow too.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we acheive mutual respect?
Yes, we should see students differently. Their middle school and high school experience is different from when i was in school. And i agree with Aocean & Prensky that they are like rockets, instead of trains on a track. I personally never liked the trains on a track metaphor because it assumes that we are all going to the same place. This new rockets metaphor helps fix that idea and the students can really imagine that they are able to shoot for the stars.
I believe there is always room for mutual respect between the students and their teachers. I never understood when a teacher would ask for respect from their students when they didnt give their students respect. This means the teacher needs to be open to suggestions, understanding, and most importantly willing to compromise. If a teacher shows that they are willing to compromise it shows that they care about their students and want to help them. In return the students should and most likely will be willing to help you do your job, by explaining when they dont understand something or just listening to the teacher when they are giving instructions.
3. What is partnering? What are the teachers' and students' roles?
Partnering is when the teachers and students work toward the same goal together, without the teacher simply lecturing to the students. Meaning that the student can be told of the goal for the day and the teacher will help guide or coach the students with suggestions.
The role of the student is to use the tools and resources around them to try and solve a problem. These resources can be their notes, textbooks, classmates, and hopefully as a last resort the teacher. They should also share their thoughts and opinions with their classmates so that they can share their perspective as well as listen to the perspective of others.
The role of the teacher is to be like a coach. The teacher has to realize that if they are a coach, then they arent going to be playing in the game when it comes time. so when they just tell a student an answer and explain why that doesnt help nearly as much as it would if the teacher just gave suggestions on where to start getting by the students struggle. Maybe pointing them in the right direction but not telling them where the finish line is.
Erika Starr
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing? Classrooms that keep the students engaged and actively learning is what works best. Technology is becoming very popular and students love it. They also said they enjoy class trips and group work. Even though teachers have mostly been taugt be being lectured, students get bored easily. As the article said, if Fed Ex delivers the package but nobody is home, it is useless. The same goes for teaching. Even if e best, most experienced teacher teaches a lesson, but the students aren't listening, it's pointless.
2.can we see students differently?can we achieve mutual respect?
Yes, we should see students differently. They are like rockets that function unexpectedly and the educators re the rocket scientists. Our job is to provide the students with the questions and they will do the rest. We must support them as well and they will respect us. If the teacher shows respect for their students, the students will respect their educator And both sides need to realize that we can learn from one another.
3.what is partnering? What re the teachers and students roles?
Partnering is when the educator and the students work as one towards the same goal. We have to realize that the students do not work for their teachers which helps make the students feel more equal.it is the teachers job to guide sir students in the right direction. They show support and ask questions to engage their students without lecturing.the student has to make sure they are using the tools given by their teacher to make the best of each situation. They should work with their. Lass mates, use their textbooks, online sources and whatever else is provided by their teacher.
1. What works in the classroom? What needs changing?
Students learn best by being active learners in the classroom. When students are able to contribute to their learning they are more likely to enjoy and engage in classroom discussion. Group work, class trips and self-designed assignments are other ways to keep the students engaged. The use of technology within the classroom is a great way to keep them active learners. As stated in the article, lecturing and boring note taking need to be taken out of the classroom. Students tend to tune out when they are lectured to which leads to them to hate going to class. I have heard the 7th and 8th graders in the school I teach at express their disappoint in class and how much they hate it. Many of them wish to come back to kindergarten where there is much more group interaction and games.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
We can absolutely see students differently. As stated in the article, we should see them as rockets and the teachers as the rocket scientists. As teachers we should provide questions and materials the students can use to find the answers. Students can go much further than we give them credit for. Their knowledge of technology and the internet can help them explore the world they live in today. This makes them feel what they are learning is important and that they can actually apply it to real life. They may actually end up teaching us something. If we give the students the ability to explore questions the best way they know how and contribute to their learning, they will feel we respect them. If they feel respected then they will respect us as teachers.
3. What is partnering? What are the teachers' and the students' roles?
Partnering is when the teacher and the student work together on one common goal. The teacher focuses on giving the students the questions and possible suggestions on tools they can use to start out on their journey. The student focuses on researching and making hypotheses about the questions. The teacher is their to support and guide their students and not lecture at them. The teacher and student each have an equal role in the learning process.
1) What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
In my own classroom, it is clear that my students learn more and maybe more importantly, enjoy class more, when they are engaged and actively participating in their own learning. This may look like groups working toward a common goal, rotation stations, activities on the interactive whiteboard, or other endless possibilities yet to be explored.
So why don’t I do it more often? If I’ve spent a class standing in front of the room “teaching,” when the bell rings, I feel awful. I feel defeated and frustrated. I’m a new teacher with tons of ideas and aspirations for my classroom and yet, I feel pressured and cornered by administrators, colleagues, and NY State. The first thing that needs changing is the fear of taking risks. I think of all the things I’d love to try in my classroom, but sometimes I don’t because of what the people above me will say or how the change might affect my test scores at the end of the year. Teachers who have the ability to change the way a typical classroom looks feel like their hands are tied. So should we all wait until we have tenure to take risks? NO! I signed up for this job because of the children, not for their test scores.
2) Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
I don’t think it’s a question of “can we” because we must. If we don’t see students differently, we’re setting them up for failure. But we’re very intelligent, successful people and we learned by lecturing, so why can’t they? That’s another thing that needs changing – the idea that our students can learn the way we did. Children today are totally different than we were. There’s more for them to be distracted by, more for them to be curious about, and more for them to achieve.
We are not the ruler of our classroom. When we allow students to be our partner, we are showing them respect. Best of all, they feel it! If you ask a student instead of tell a student, if you let them struggle to figure out a problem instead of spoon-feed the directions, the students will feel like you trust them. They are just as accountable for their own learning as you are. Just as we need to see students differently, they need to see themselves differently as well.
3) What is partnering? What are the teachers’ and the students’ roles?
Partnering is when the teacher and students share the classroom. There is no leader because everyone is equal. The teacher acts as a guide because he or she knows the curriculum and the goals of the lesson. He or she gives the students the tools they need to successfully reach an objective. The student accepts the resources and uses them to think, create, and learn. Everyone in the classroom supports each other and learns from each other. The classroom becomes a platform for sharing ideas instead of a one-way transfer of knowledge.
1) Student engagement is the obvious goal in education today, but that has been made far more difficult because of the disconnect between teachers and students on what is an engaging way to teach material. Allowing students to connect what they are learning to the real world is so vital because it adds a layer of reason and purpose, which is why it did not surprise me when many students pointed out that “School trips” were the most engaging school experience. I recall the days when I took school trips to museums and historical landmarks in Lower Manhattan because I was able to connect history with my own experiences and interaction. Allowing students the opportunity to share their own opinions, bounce ideas off their fellow classmates, and collaborative group work all have the potential to be effective tools if it delves past just direct instruction.
Direct instruction is something that we have all used at one point or another in our teaching practices. Usually, it will encompass lecturing, presenting, explaining, and note taking. As generations of students have passed through classrooms, this type of instruction has become increasingly ineffective because some teachers just love to talk. The easiest response for students is to just tune out because they are not captivated by this method. I use this method of teaching sparingly in my economics classes that I teach because it is so easy to fall into a bad habit of constant lecturing in social studies. Marc Prensky does an amazing job of pointing out how a teacher is effective when he is able to illustrate the respect for his students as individuals and not just as kids that don’t know anything. This type of standpoint needs to be adopted in more classrooms seeing how so much information is made available to these students through technology.
2)Students can and should be viewed differently. As Prensky puts it, students have been viewed as a slow paced train on a straight track for far too long. They should be viewed more like the rockets that they are. They operate at faster speeds than previous generations as they hit the internet at earlier ages. It is the job of the teachers (the rocket scientists) to give these students the right fuel to propel them on an educational path that will allow them to go far beyond the achievements of the past. We need to make students as self-sufficient as possible. They need to be capable of reassessing and finding out what works all on their own. This can easily happen with the proper tools supplied by their designers (teachers).
It can never be denied how important respect is in the relationship between teacher and student. Teachers have and do still tend to be critical of their students. They will bring into question their motivation or interest, which strains the relationship. Mutual respect is possible, still, as long as both parties involved (teachers and students) understand that in this new era of technology both have something of equal importance to contribute to the learning process.
3) Partnering is when teachers’ and students’ work together in a shared environment to achieve the goals they set out before them.The teacher works as a guide that does not give much instruction, but suggests possible tools for his students to utilize as they work self-sufficiently. The teacher is also a coach trying to motivate his students as they try to reach daily and long-term goals their own way. Teachers also operate in the partnering pedagogy as questioners of issues that pertain to the real world and are not just something a student will see on a multiple choice examination.
Students take on the role of researchers as they are required to find things out for themselves, which carries with it a level of respect that some students are not accustomed to. Another role for students is as the technology user and expert. They will be assisted as they grow into the use of new technology by their teacher.
Chapter 1: Partnering
I agree with Prensky’s assertion that we do not need to disregard the “old” entirely because some of what today’s classroom incorporates is effective. Student-centered classrooms in which students take a large role in their learning process reflect some of the important elements of the active classroom. Some of the old framework is effective, but needs to be reworked in order to move forward. Collaborative and independent research projects are assigned in today’s classroom, but students are not encouraged to choose for themselves and may not be able to relate to the material or assigned task—that’s the necessary change that Prensky speaks about in this chapter. It is necessary to revise today’s way of teaching our students by creating opportunities for our students to become intrinsically motivated. If they are given the opportunity for choice and we appeal to their interests, they will enjoy learning and will be able to apply the skills and strategies they utilize in completing their independent work as they move forward.
As educators, we must find a way to remove ourselves from what we have experienced as students and rethink the teacher-student relationship in order to see students differently. As we move further and further away from the direct instruction model, this idea of mutual respect and partnering will seem more natural. The teacher and student roles will seem almost interchangeable. If we constantly remind ourselves that we are learning from our students in order to work towards a common goal, a classroom environment that reflects values of mutual respect and caring will develop.
Partnering involves guiding students to assume an active role in their learning process and to think and conceptualize independently. It is a student-centered model that involves a great deal of independent work and requires the teacher to serve as a guide. Students are responsible for exploring and researching as they utilize technology in a way that best suits them. Technology allows for the learning process to be personalized. Teachers should observe the process and direct students in achieving their goals. I believe that partnering is an ideal framework and can be realistically implemented in the classroom today.
I definitely feel that lessons that are highly interactive will help students learn better in the classroom. Students need to be interested in what they are learning in order for them to sustain attention and comprehend academic materials. I agree with the information stated in chapter one, “It is time for a change in our education system. Teachers are encouraged to not only teach but ask questions and have discussions in the classrooms.” Students should learn to become independent learners.
Traditionally, we always see the teacher as the individual who guides students through their learning experience. However, I believe that it is possible to have students start identifying their own way of learning and discover what information is important to tjem. Teachers are aware that many students are disinterested in learning so why not make their experience interesting so that students would want to learn. I believe that teachers are required to provide students with the necessary skills to learn, however, it is time that teachers change their approaches of doing this. Students should be viewed as rockets and teachers should be seen as rocket scientists.
I do believe that if partnering takes place in the classroom, teachers will find many students displaying respect to others. This is because many students want to express their opinions and ideas which makes them feel important and valuable. When people feel appreciated, they are more likely to return their appreciation to others by doing simple acts of kindness (e.g. showing respect). Students really do not want to be against their teachers. They want their teachers to be on their sides.
Partnering is when a teacher and student work together to accomplish a particular goal such as learning. However, in partnering the teacher provides the student the tools and information necessary to solve questions and problems while the student is responsible for finding the answers to the solution in whatever way he or she chooses to do so.
The teacher’s role is to provide the questions and outline the responses needed to solve questions and problems. The teacher may also guide the student through their learning experience without giving them the answers to problems.
The student’s role is to research and identify the answers to the questions using the resources that teachers give him or her. The student is known as the researcher who is looking for the answer to a mystery questions.
What is working now in classrooms is group work, class discussions, sharing ideas, and connections to the real world such as class trips or video chats across the country/world. These things are working because students are working together and collaboratively, and actively participating in creating their own knowledge. What needs changing is both how we see students role in the class room, the technology incorporated, and the way/amount teaches talk to their students. Students need to be seen as partners, technology needs to be utilized in a meaningful way to the curriculum and classroom, and teachers should be talking less and asking more questions.
Seeing students differently first requires the understanding that society and technology are ever changing and education must be flexible as well. The metaphor of students as trains is antiquated; students are not bodies to be told what to do, but bodies that can and should be discovering. All students are different, learn differently, and have different strengths and weaknesses so they should be treated and guided as such.
Seeing students in this manner begins with respect. This respect comes from understanding students play a vital part in the classroom as a partner to the teacher and the education process. The idea of partnering views students and teachers as "different but equal," using their strengths in the classroom and fulfilling necessary roles. I never really felt disrespected too often by a teacher, but when I did, I let it be known and it was usually by an older, female teacher. I think perhaps the old adage of "children should be seen and not heard" often still rang true in their eyes. I never did feel though that I played an essential role to my teacher or the lesson.
Students as partners means allowing choice to learn about as well as share that information in ways that appeal to them, answer guided questions so the student is finding their own information, allowing students to teach each other and themselves, add input to how the classroom functions effectively, think critically and share those ideas with one another in an open format such as a blog or discussions, and plan and execute Service Learning projects to make real world connections.
The teachers job then, is to create an environment that allows this to happen by asking questions, forcing the students to look up their own information or find things out through trial and error rather than telling or doing things for them, setting both goals for the students as well as a minimum floor of performance, keep up with the new technologies, evaluate work for rigor and quality and explain what was good (I think a good thing to use here would be rubrics, always very helpful and informative), reach out to parents, and be honest with the students about the structure and purpose of lessons and their approach to teaching.
1) What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
a. Teachers that respect their students and use differentiated instruction are more successful in connecting to their students and it works in the classroom. Students also learn a lot from their peers and enjoy interacting with each other, so the more teachers allow for students to be sharing ideas with each other and creating new ideas together, the more the students will take from that lesson. What needs to change is the direct instruction approach in the classroom. When teachers just stand in front of the room and lecture, the students are disconnected from what the teacher is trying to teach them because it doesn’t directly relate to their lives. The more involved students are in their own learning, and the more it relates to them, the more they will absorb from a lesson.
2) Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
a. We can definitely see students differently and if we want to get the most out of them then we have to. We can also definitely achieve mutual respect and it should be present in every classroom. Every student is different and the teacher needs to so whatever they can to meet the needs of those students and not make excuses for why a student isn’t successful in their classroom.
3) What is partnering? What are teacher’s and the student’s roles?
a. Partnering is the idea that teachers and students each have roles they must fulfill and must work together in order to ensure a successful level of student learning. The teacher’s role is to guide students by giving them the tools necessary for them to know how to do something, while the student’s role is to take the new tools their teacher presents to them and us it in their own lives to explore. Students need to be proactive in their learning.
What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
In today’s classroom, the things that work to keep the students engaged and motivated to learn are: less lecturing from the teacher, allowing time for group work and providing more opportunities for students to connect with peers to express and share their opinions. Taking trips is also one of the best ways for students to learn. Based on experience with my special education students, class trips gives them an opportunity to experience new things and gain better understanding of the things we discuss in class and the things that are present in the world. As Prensky stated, “they want an education that is not just relevant, but real.” What needs to change is the traditional approach to teaching. In this day and age, we cannot solely rely on the same methods that teachers used years ago. “Speed is clearly a reality for young people in the 21st Century”. When I first began teaching, we did not rely on the internet and use smartboards as much as I do today. Students are more knowledgeable about how to use the internet and we should incorporate technology as much as we can to keep their interest.
Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
Yes, we should see students differently. All students learn at a different pace and as teachers, we have to recognize what their best learning style is. As mentioned in the Prensky book, we need to see them as rockets, as we are the scientists who will guide them in the right direction and provide them with the necessary tools throughout their educational journey. We absolutely can achieve mutual respect as long as the student is encouraged to do their best, and the teacher provides all the tools that the student needs to be successful. Having a good relationship with the student where the teacher listens to them and their suggestions, while providing effective feedback will also show that they care.
What is partnering? What are teacher’s roles and what are student’s roles?
Overall, partnering is when the teacher and student work towards the same goal. The teacher gives the students an assignment and suggestions of possible digital tools complete it. The teacher guides the student and it eliminates direct instruction and allows for active learning. Partnering allows teachers and students to participate in a meaningful educational way.
What works in the classroom today?
-In my experiences, the most effective lessons allow active participation from the students. Group discussions, hands-on activities, journals, and other activities where students "learn by doing" work best in today's classrooms.
What needs changing?
If you ask any adult if they would enjoy sitting in a room for 6 hours while one person talks to you the whole time, I'm sure they would say now. So why do we keep continue to do that to children and adolescents? While lecturing is needed at times, it should not be used for the najority of the lesson. Instead, we should try incorporating movies, videos, internet, and others resources that are engaging for the students. Also, ask questions that allow them to make personal connections to the material and discuss their feelings with peers.
Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
I think for this to happen, the students must first see the teacher differently. Students tend to develop negative feelings toward teachers and classrooms right away. On the first day of school. the teacher needs to make it clear that while she has her rules and personal teaching style, she would be open to hearing student's opinions and appropriate suggestions for improvement. Giving students a voice in that sense may help to establish mutual respect between teacher and student.
What is partnering?
Partnering allows both students and teachers to take an active role in the learning process. Both parties focus on the part they can do best.
What are the teacher's roles?
In partnering, the teacher gives students a variety of questions to answer (open-ended, higher level). She provides guidance and suggestions on how to come to a valid answer. This may include suggestions of resources and tools to help with research. The teacher also puts the material in context so that students can make connections.
What are the student's roles?
The students will research and explore possible answers to the questions and come up with hypotheses based on their research. Once they find their answers they will create presentations using a variety of technology and resources.
Overall, I felt this chapter was extremely interesting. I agree with many of Prenskey’s ideas about reinventing the classroom for how students learn and be most engaged.
1. What works in the classroom today?
In most classes today, active participation and lessons that engage all students works the best. Most students in classes today do not want to sit and listen to their teachers lecture. They want to be actively engaged with their peers. Using technology such as net books, ipads or some type of web based tablet works well in my classes to keep students engaged in lessons.
What needs changing?
Although I feel as though many teachers are beginning to create classrooms conducive for today’s learner there are still some teachers that resort back to lecture based instruction. Also, as Prensky states, for partnering to work there needs to be support from parents and administration. Partnering requires flexibility in terms of classroom layout and school day structure. It is essential to have more options for a flexible setting in order for partnering to work. With these changes and this new partnership in the classroom, we as educators can work together to ensure the most beneficial educational environment for our students.
2.Can we see students differently?
Yes, it is essential for successful partnering to see students differently, both individually and as a whole. Individually, we need to remember to differentiate instruction. It is important that we as teachers remember that all our students do not learn best the same way. We need to instruct in various ways, using oral, visual, tactile and hands on experiences. As a whole we need to remember that these students are not the same type of student that we were. We as the teacher and facilitator need to see the students as researchers. In which we, the teachers, guide their discoveries
Can we achieve mutual respect?
As Prenskey noted in his Teaching Digital Natives, in order for partnering to work it is essential for each member of the group, teachers and students alike, to truly respect one another. It is important to remember that just as the teacher can introduce new topics, ideas and questions to the students, the students can introduce and teach new concepts to the teacher. To be successful in this new partnering environment it is important that a mutual respect is reached in every classroom.
3.What is partnering?
Partnering is guided based instruction in the classroom. It is literally a partnership between teachers and students. This type of instruction requires roles of the teacher and student to be established.
What are the teacher’s roles?
In a partnering classroom the teacher is seen as a facilitator, coach or guide. The teacher should set specific goals and help each student individually reach these goals. The flexible, partnering classroom should allow for this type of instruction. The overall goal, is to have each student learn to his or her optimal level.
What are the student roles?
The roles of the student in a partnering classroom are: to be a researcher, a user of technology, a thinker, a challenger and a self-teacher. If the student learn to adopt these roles and is guided thoroughly by the teacher, he/she should learn and be able to show their new attained knowledge.
*What works in the classroom today?
I think that using SmartBoards or other similar technology as a tool for lessons can work very well in the classroom environment. I also believe group work allows children to actively work together to come up with solutions and ideas to problems we present to them. Creating a classroom environment where children feel respected and appreciated definitely has a positive impact.
* What needs changing?
I believe that the old ways of lecturing and dictating information while children sit and take notes needs to be left in the past. Not only is it boring to the audience but it is boring to a teacher as well. Also, I believe that the way we educate our future teachers needs to change as well. We need to broaden their perspectives a bit and allow them to look at the teacher-student relationship in a different light.
*2. Can we see students differently?
Yes we can and we absolutely should. We should learn from our students. They have a lot to teach us. If we can change the way we view student's roles in the classrooms, we can create lessons that engage children.
*Can we achieve mutual respect?
Yes. As long as the students and teacher have an understanding of the roles that one another plays in the classroom. Both need to realize that they can learn from each other and work cooperatively in order to create an engaging learning environment.
*What is partnering?
Partnering is when teachers and students have a balanced relationship with one another. The classroom is shared by both.
*What is the teacher's role/
The teacher's role is to create questions and act as a guide for the students. The teacher is no longer the boss or has the upper hand- their job is to guide the students in the right direction.
*What is the student's role?
The student must take this opportunity to use their creativity and explore all of the information out there. They should be open to working with other students more frequently, as well as use their knowledge of technology to their advantage when doing active research in the classroom.
1. What works in classrooms today? What needs changing?
Engaging the students, works best today. Also working with tools that they are familiar with. Technology has become a significant part of our daily lives, by implementing it in the classrooms this can help to get the students more involved in the lesson.
Classrooms need to become more student based and less teacher centered. Education should become less direct and more collaborative. Lectures defeat the purpose of the students being able to do hands on work with their peers. It also prevents the opportunity of students learning from their peers as well as their teacher. Teachers should become more aware of the changes going on outside of the classroom, especially in technology. In doing so, I think they can use what they have learned to encourage their students to become more involved in class activities.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
The role of a teacher is to do just that; see the potential that each student has, and strive for them to reach that potential. To do so we must, as the book puts it, think of today’s kids as rockets instead of trains on a track. Elementary, Middle, and High School as changed; it is not the same as it was twenty or thirty years ago. Teachers should acknowledge this and embrace it in order to benefit the education and potential of their students.
Mutual respect between a teacher and their students should be a goal they should achieve with every student they meet. When a student feels respected by their teacher, it gives them the confidence to perform well. I think that by refusing to respect a student as a person, you are conveying to that student they are not good enough.
3. What is partnering? What are the teachers’ and the students’ roles?
Partnering is the opposite of teaching by telling. It is letting students, and teachers, focus on the part of the learning process that they can do best. The teachers’ role is that of a facilitator. They supply the students with a variety of questions, information, and guidance. In turn, the students’ role is to research and find the answers by using whatever technology is available. They are responsible for sharing their thoughts and opinions, and presenting their results to their teacher and peers.
1. What Works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
I feel that what works in the classroom is different for every teacher, as well as every class. I feel what works best for my classroom, really gymnasium is group work and active participation. Keeping the students engaged in the lesson or the material is key. I do not feel that we need to get rid of all the "old" that is said to be found in an academic setting, but instead we need to incorporate the "new" to keep our students interacting with their peers, teacher, and the material they are learning. The thing that I would like to see change in the academic world most is the amount of lecturing that is done in the classroom. At every level of education you have a teacher, a professor, or a doctor stand in front of a room of students and talks about the material that is needed to be learned. Teachers need to become more creative and challenge themselves to teacher the material in new and different ways that will engage the students in their classes.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
Students are like rockets. That was what students were called in the text. As educators I feel that we have all the ability in the world to see a student differently but it is our choice if we do so or not. Many teachers make negative connections to students because of word of mouth from other teachers or rumors throughout the school. I believe that in order for teachers to see students differently they must take the time to understand how each individual learns best and a little bit about them. I believe the more you connect with each individual student in your classroom, although this may be a huge task to do in a large classroom, the more engaged the students will be in your class and the material you are teaching. I believe respect is very important in a classroom. That students should respect teachers and teachers should do the same for their students. Each person in the classroom deserves respect from one another. It is just as the golden rule states. Treat one as you would want to be treated. As a teacher if you treat your students with respect, hopefully they will all treat you with a mutual respect.
3. What is partnering? What are the teacher’s roles? What are the student’s roles?
Partnering is where teachers and students work together to create an outcome or an idea. Students are able to do work with the teachers and/or in groups instead of doing work on their own to solve problems or creatively learn new material. The teacher’s role in partnering is facilitation and developing of the correct questions to help lead the students to maximum learning. The teacher can help give students an idea for them to start with as well as also allow students to bounce ideas off of them to help lead them in the correct direction. The student’s roles in partnering are the researcher, the information finder. They must find all the information out on their own using all the resources that are available to them. This allows students to become proactive towards their learning and puts them in control of their education.
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
Prensky and myself are in total agreement that the most effective and engaging lessons are ones that possess a high level of creativity, meaningful discussions, and individual interests of the students within the class. School trips, group work, and other hands-on activities that immerse students in content and context work particularly well. Further, Teachers should always be energetic and respect the thoughts and opinions of their students.
Most of today’s teachers are “trained to tell,” however today’s students are not listening to their teachers. Therefore, to significantly improve the current state of American education, we must start making changing. Classrooms must be made more student-centered by utilizing student interests, “why questions,” new (and perhaps unfamiliar) technology, as well as mutual respect among classroom community members. The teacher must learn to relinquish some (if not most) of her control in an effort to yield better academic results and create young adults who are well prepared for their future in the “real world.”
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
Because of their strong connection to (or increasing dependence on) technology, students are moving faster than any generation before them; their entire lives are organized on and around the internet, which is always extremely accessible. A boring, cookie-cutter lesson that lacks meaning is no match for the attractive flash of information beaming into a student’s pocket. Prensky suggests viewing students like a “rocket” rather than a 19th century “train on a track:” as a teacher (or “rocket scientist”), it is our job to mix the right “fuel” to allow them to do extraordinary things.
Although I don’t like his overused analogy, we must start viewing students as the intellectual, tech-savvy, young adults they actually are rather than passive containers for our lecture material. By creating an environment of mutual respect, students will be more willing to fully participate in the learning process. It will give them confidence and a drive to perform at their highest ability, which is the ultimate goal of any teacher. Further, if students sense they are respected, they will become more likely to give that respect to other members of the classroom community.
3. What is partnering? What are the teacher’s and the student’s roles?
Partnering is a form of teaching when the onus to learn is completely on the student. They must hypothesize, explore, research, self-monitor, self-correct, discuss, review, as well as any other process that might help them take control of their own education. Partnering allows students to follow their passion and to learn helpful “real world” skills. Therefore, a teacher acts as a guide, coach, and facilitator of content and context. They set goals, design engaging lessons, create questions and control the general flow of classroom activity. Although partnering is not new, it has been generally been abandoned in the current state of American Education.
However, I still have some concerns about partnering as a teaching strategy. First, given the varying abilities of students with special needs, is it possible to employ advanced partnering in a self-contained or inclusion class? Second, when I have attempted to use partnering in my own classes, students refused to work because they knew we would be reviewing the work regardless if they actually did it. Isn’t partnering only as successful as students are willing to make it? Third, as Prensky suggested, how does one partner effectively with an unwilling administration and subpar district technology?
1. I believe that students learn better in an active learning setting where there is constant participation, communication and student engagement in the lesson. I think that offering an open and safe classroom environment, allows students to feel more comfortable in the classroom and motivates them to share their own ideas and opinions. An active learning setting works much better than simply lecturing to the class, while having students take and memorize notes. Teaching to student’s interests and finding their passions help to keep students interested and engaged in the lesson. I think that using technology also works well in a classroom because the possibilities for learning, researching and creating are endless. I think cooperative groups and class discussion are also beneficial because they allow students to interact with each other, learn respect and see other points of view.
b)I think that classrooms need to have less direct instruction or lecturing if they want to keep students interested and engaged. Teachers should use guiding questions to encourage students to think critically on their own rather than simple memorize a lecture. While I think some students can benefit from direct instruction (like I did in school), today’s students need more active engagement and opportunities to be creative. I think that teachers need to be less afraid of change and more willing to take risks. Teachers should realize that education is changing with the times and that they need to adapt and embrace it rather than hide behind it. The same goes for embracing technology. I think teachers need to set higher expectations for their students and motivate them to do their best rather than settle for mediocrity. Real life applications should be made in the classroom as well. Students need more independence when it comes to thinking creatively and working together in groups. If students have more responsibilities they are then held accountable for their learning as well. Active participation allows students to research and find things out on their own, rather than rely on their teacher for all of the answers. I also believe that teachers need to make learning creative and interactive, rather than just teaching for the tests and worrying about scores.
2. I think we can see students differently and in a more positive way. I agree with the author when he refers to the students as rockets. Rockets are very fast and limitless, much like today’s students who learn quickly with a lot of potential. I think that teachers need to fuel the “rockets” or students with the knowledge to soar. Teachers must have higher expectations for their classes and realize that students have endless potential. They should also realize that students can explore and find things out for themselves rather than be given everything. Students should be taught to be self-sufficient and not just reliant on the teacher. Students should also be taught how to use technology in order “fly further than they have before.”
b) I think there should always be a mutual respect between teacher and students, however this respect is not necessarily given, it must be earned. Students will feel more comfortable learning in a safe and free environment where they are entitled to their own opinions and beliefs. I think an “open” classroom where students are given more independence and opportunities to explore and ask questions will make students feel like valued members of a class, rather than followers. If the students feel that their teacher genuinely cares for them and their education by allowing them to take on a creative role, they will have more respect for their teacher and their own learning process. For example, letting a student work through a difficult problem rather than giving him the answer will show the student that you trust him. It also holds him accountable for the learning process as well. Teachers and students can learn from each other every day.
3. Partnering gives different roles to a teacher and student where they work together toward a mutual goal. Both parties have an equal role in the learning process. Partnering is also termed student centered learning or active learning, which begins with guided questions from the teacher and motivates students to answer those questions while engaging in the lesson.
b) The teacher has many roles. The teacher creates and asks guiding questions to challenge their student’s thinking. They give student’s guidance, help and coach the students in the right direction. They allow students to find answers through their own exploration. By acting like a coach, the teacher shows students how to reach their goals and provide assistance when needed. The teacher also must take on the role of learning designer and make the lessons creative and individualized. Teachers still have a valuable role in partnering because they treat their students like equals and work together.
c) Students also have many roles. They must search, find answers, work together, research and make hypotheses to the guiding questions. Students must find and follow their passion, use technology, and share thoughts and opinions. Their job is to use technology while teachers assess quality. Students should use technology to personalize their learning process while using their teacher’s coaching and guidance. They should share their work and communicate with others. I also believe that students should make their learning real by using what they learned in “real life applications.” This makes the lesson have a purpose instead of just being relevant. Students must become self-teachers and be self-reliant instead of depending on a teacher for answers. I think this is a critical role because students will need to be self-reliant in many aspects of their life.
Chapter I
1. What works in the classroom today?
Involvement breeds curiosity, curiosity breeds active participation, participation fosters engagement which builds critical thinking. This works affectively when students are interacting in the classroom. The use of technology bridges lessons. There is a curriculum that must be adhered to. There are tests that must be administered and passed. However technology allows both the educator and the students to reach beyond the classroom walls and look at the world from different perspectives.
What needs changing?
The world has comfortably landed in the technological age and the children are up to speed. Educators can no longer resist this evident, vast and fast moving pace of information. While it may feel like a comfortable slipper for an educator to teach in a “Reading, Riting, Rithmatic” style, it is no longer conducive to the way of the world. If we expect our student to be competitive in the world today we must embrace technology as a means of teaching. This will require that the educators think out of the box. Educators must reach beyond the chalk and the chalkboard and out toward the World Wide Web.
Partnering is essentially a building of community, parents, administrator, educators and students. Support and flexibility are important components to educating our children. Technology can be implemented with a cohesive plan and less conventional practice of teaching.
2. Can we see students differently?
Educators must master the ability to see their students as individuals and manage to teach their class as a whole. We must be able to recognize the strengths and weaknesses in each student and allow them to grow. Our children have evolved. They seem to be born more technologically savvy. The language in the technological word is expanding and different. Our students are inquisitive they are researchers. It is our responsibility as educators to guide them into a world beyond the book we are required to give them.
Can we achieve mutual respect?
Respect is reciprocal. Just as a student must earn respect so must an educator. For this partnership to work, student and educators must give and get reverence alike. The fundamentals of teaching have shifted. The educator will introduce the topics but must be willing to recognize and acknowledge that there are new and innovative ways of learning those topics. Students and educators combine the new concepts with the required curriculum to be successful in partnering.
3. What is partnering?
Partnering is when both the educator and the teacher are involved in the plan of the lesson. The educator is as interested in how the student wants to and needs to learn to make it translatable and interesting. Partnering establishes the roles of educator and student to bring about a stimulating teaching style and ground breaking success. Ultimately the students and the educators must work together.
What are the teacher’s roles?
The role of the educator with reference to partnering is the conductor, the catalyst the facilitator and guide of the lesson. Collective goals will be set classroom while allowing every individual student to make strides at their own pace. This will forge active class participation and bring about the most favorable results.
What are the student roles?
The role of the student with reference to partnering is the researcher, investigator, performer, thinker and re-inventor of the lesson. Students must be proactive, through technology can expound on the lesson. Students may become the teacher to certain lesson with discovery. With use of appropriate and adequate technological tools students will be engaged and hungry to learn.
1. What works in classrooms today are practices where students are not merely passive absorbers of information, but instead are actively engaged in what they are learning.
Classrooms that utilize collaborative work where students are able to satisfy their need for relatedness are also effective. Students have an undeniable need to connect with others, and to feel that their thoughts and ideas are valued by their teacher and their peers. Additionally, when students share ideas and opinions with each other, they build important social skills, gain the ability to see things from the perspective of others, increase problem-solving skills, engage in more meaningful discussions and ask more thought-provoking questions.
Direct instruction in which the teacher lectures and students read and take notes, is becoming an increasingly ineffective method of teaching that is still widely practiced. It is not a method that results in meaningful learning, rather it is a measure of a student's ability to memorize and regurgitate facts the teacher tells them.
2. Yes, we must see students differently. Students were previously viewed as trains on a track, chugging along at a steady pace with no where to go but a straight and narrow path. I don't particularly care for using cheesy metaphors to describe students, but the rocket metaphor is much more fitting for today's students. A rocket doesn't necessarily follow a set path--it can go in any direction the pilot chooses to steer it, it can reach its destination at an extremely rapid pace and it's limits know no bounds.
Mutual respect can be achieved if teachers always remember that they are lifelong learners. They should recognize that students enter their classroom already possessing a wealth of knowledge, and there is something valuable to be learned from each and every one of them. Teachers should communicate to students that their thoughts and opinions are valued and respected, should never talk down to them or about them in negative terms and give feedback that is helpful, yet keeps their self-esteem intact.
3. Partnering is a teaching method where students are expected to be an active and equal participant in the learning process. Teachers do not use direct instruction methods, but rather pose questions that will allow students to figure things out on their own. The teacher may offer guidelines or support, but for the most part, the students are in control of their own learning experiences. They do the experimenting, the research and the exploration.
The teacher's role in this learning environment is to be a facilitator. The teacher sets goals, helps students put their findings into context, and offers guidance and support when necessary, such as suggesting starting points or tools that may help them on their journey. However, it is up to the student how they go about reaching those goals. The teacher is to achieve this through controlled activity, where although students may be working on different things at the same time, there is not complete chaos. All activities serve a learning purpose.
The role of the student is that of a researcher. Instead of depending on others to find the answers, they take responsibility for their own learning by using all the tools at their disposal to figure things out for themselves. Ideally, the students will not only learn new information, but they will be able to apply what they have learned in order to improve their world.
Mandie Serif
Part 1:
1. What works in the classroom today?
There are several things that do work in today’s classrooms. Teachers who truly care about their classes, their students and their profession prove to be a positive aspect of today’s classrooms. These teachers who care usually find creative and modern ways to teach their students unlike the outdated lecture style of many classrooms even today. School trips are also working very well in classrooms today because the trips are a way to connect students to the outside world. Students also enjoy group work where they can express their opinions and listen to their classmates’ ideas. Group work is a time when students can work with their peers to not only listen to other’s ideas but also improve their own ideas when provided with the ideas and opinions of their peers. As long as the group does not have a ‘slacker,’ group work is a great way to intergrade partnering into the classroom.
What needs changing?
There are many things of the classroom that need to be changed. The first classroom aspect that needs to be changed is how teachers think about and refer to students. Instead of thinking of students as “trains on a track” teachers should think of students as individualized “rocket ships.” Students should not be compared to previous students but rather looked at in their individual light. Instruction in the classroom should be changed to a way that provides differentiation instruction for all students to achieve full learning potential. Teachers also need to change and re-evaluate how their classroom is set up and how they allow it to function. A classroom with straight rows and little acceptance of noise and talking is bound to be less successful than a classroom set-up that allows group discussion and a teacher who tolerances a little ‘noisy’ thinking.
2. Can we see students differently?
Students should be seen as individuals who have individualized learning styles and learning goals. Students should not be expected to all learn the exact same way and understand things in the same way. Students should be looked at as their own “rocket ships.” Each rocket ship has a different structure, needs different fuel, and has a different flight path. Each rocket needs to be taught to be self-sufficient so he can have a ‘safe flight and land properly.’ There are so many different ways students learn and prosper that the teacher needs to se each way and adapt their lessons to cater to the needs of each student.
Mandie Serif
Part 2:
Can we achieve mutual respect?
Respect is a vital part of the learning process for the student and the teacher. In order to achieve effective teaching, the teacher needs to respect the student and the student needs to respect the teacher. Teachers need to show respect to students and to the school at all times. If a student sees or hears a teacher being disrespectful they are more likely to be disrespectful to that teacher or during that class. The learning process thrives on respect and a high comfort level. If these aspects for achieved, the teacher and the student will have an opportunity to successfully learn and teach each other.
3. What is partnering?
Partnering is a concept that allows students to ‘focus on the part of the learning process that they best can.’ Partnering is the opposite of lecturing and giving the students the facts. In partnering, students are prompted to find their own information and do their own research. During the process, the teacher provides feedback and guided questions to ensure that students are finding the correct information and utilizing the correct sources. Partnering is s great way to provide students with the same information but a more interesting, engaging way to receive that information. Students are more likely to pay attention and retain information if they find the information on their own in an interactive way than if the information is just presented to them in a lecture.
What are the teacher’s roles?
In partnering, the teacher takes on ‘non-traditional’ teaching roles in the process. Teacher assumes the roles of guide, coach, goal setter, questioner, learning designer, context provider, rigor provider, and quality assurer in the partnering process. Within the duties of these roles, teachers set goals for student learning, provide feedback to students guided learning, guide students on a journey, pose real-world questions to students, create activities that encouraged student learning, vary the way information is presented, check for understanding, and set expectations for their students.
What are the student’s roles?
In partnering, students are expected to find the facts and information on their own with help from the teacher. This allows students to find their style of learning and research that particular way. The roles of the student in partnering include researcher, technology user and expert, thinker, sense maker, world changer, self- teacher, journalist, politician, writer, scientist, and engineer. Under these roles, students find their own information by doing their own research, use technology to find this information, think realistically, logically, and critically, use what they learned to better the world, their school, their class, and their lives, and adapt to the feedback provided by their teacher and peers. Partnering not only provides students with the necessary information but it also provides students with the skills to find their own information in the real world about any topic of their interest. Partnering can transform into a lifetime skill.
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
What works today is to keep students actively engaged in the classroom. Students get motivated in a classroom when teachers consider their ideas, respect their opinions; interact with their peers and the use of technology as a tool for learning.
There is a need of a change on teacher's direct instruction method. The lecturing, telling or explaining type of lesson has become ineffective. Classrooms need to have more interaction between teachers and students, work in groups, research information using technology, letting students find their answers by themselves and share them in the classroom.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
I think that teachers can see students differently by respecting, understanding and letting them express themselves in their classroom. Teachers should consider that kids today are using and are great technology users. Every day they use internet, play complex games, communicate with kids worldwide, create videos, etc. Teachers should be open to learn from their students. Mutual respect can be achieved by understanding and respecting teachers and students roles in the classroom.
3. What is partnering? What are the teachers and students roles?
Partnering is the opposite of a direct instruction. It is a guided instructional teaching technique that partners students and teachers and have equal role in the learning process. Instead of lecturing, teachers give students questions to answer and suggest tools for the lesson. The teacher role is to give students guidance and coach them. They create and ask questions. The student’s role is to share their ideas and opinions, use technology to research and find information and answer questions. They learn from each other with respect.
1.What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
In today educational setting the most effective teaching strategy is connecting students to the real world. I am not disagreeing that note taking and routine tests are not affective, I am aware that those strategies are still effective and resourceful. I believe that it is the way the information for those tests are taught is how valuable or invaluable that material will become to the students. Based on the chapter, students were asked what the most was engaging experience was during school. Understandably, the students replied with class trips. Students are typically going to remember information and the experience when they are removed from their classroom, away from textbooks and into the environments they are studying. i.e. When studying animals they can visit a farm, or when they are studying immigration they can visit Ellis Island. I even know from my school trip experiences that I still remember information I probably would not have if I simply read it from a textbook. The second most common response educators received from students about their most effective school experience was being able to connect to peers electronically. These students found discussing information through emails and other technological advancements to be most resourceful because they are totally engaged in the experience.
I don’t believe much needs to be changed in relation to technology in the classroom. The classrooms have seen an extensive growth in technology over the past several years. The introduction and use of smart boards/promethean boards have provided endless opportunities for teachers to provide live, up to date information to provide students. I believe that this generation has the most resources for the best education and the ability to make it greater.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
I think it is more important to say that we have to see students differently than asking the question can we see them differently. I could not agree more with the chapter when it says that children this generation operate faster than any other generation. From my experiences of working in a early childhood learning center ages birth- 5, I have see very young children work iPads and iPhones as if they were a young adult. This generation of students is so technologically advanced compare to generations before them that there is no saying where these students will take technology and education as they grow older. Without a doubt, the children we are teaching today will one day be teaching us the latest advancements. We as their teacher already have the respect of most children today but we must respect them at their growing ages and allow them to explore the field of technology.
3. What is partnering? What are the teacher‘s and the students‘ roles?
According to the chapter, partnering is when a teacher allows their students to focus on what learning they can do best. From the reading, I like to think of partnering as a Montessori teaching style. The teacher allows the student to pursue their own passions in learning. The students take control of their education while the teacher provides the students the resources to research and find the information. During partnering the students are responsible to conduct research, answer questions, confer with their peers and present their findings. The role of the teacher is to guide the student through their learning. The teacher is responsible to create the right questions to steer the children, put material in context when necessary, and provide tools and places to start.
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
Engaging students in the classroom with a connection to the outside world. I believe students want to learn skills that they can apply to their everyday lives. Along with relevant information, they want to connect with their peers through technology. What needs changing is the instruction from the teachers on how they deliver the content to their students. For example, the direct instruction in which the teachers do the explaining and the students respond with note taking or memorization of the material. It’s time for teachers to reinvent themselves to keep up with the rapidly changing world.
2. Can we see students differently? Can we achieve mutual respect?
Yes, we can see students differently by acknowledging that they are far more advanced because of what they are exposed to. I think that as educators, we must continue to find ways to constantly stimulate their minds and encourage them along the way. Mutual respect can be achieved between the teacher and student but it takes work from both parties. I believe that students respect teachers who are genuine and in turn students make more of an effort to succeed.
3. What is partnering? What are the teachers’ and students’ role?
As stated in Prenski’s book, partnering can mean different things to different people. In partnering, I feel the role of the teacher is to act as a guide to make sure the students have the tools to apply to the situation at hand, which is then assessed. The role of the students is for them to become independent thinkers and make use of the tools.
1. WHAT WORKS IN THE CLASSROOM TODAY?
The use of technology, team collaborative work, and brainstorming and sharing of ideas is definitely a productive and effective teaching style that will assist students in their future in relation to their career choice, job practices and function.
1A. WHAT NEEDS CHANGES?
The classroom structure from the past was formulated to prepare a future of people who would transition easily into the jobs of manufacturing. However, the future of America has evolved more into a technology driven era where collaborative team work,brainstorming, formula, communication and creativity. Therefore,memorization and repetition can not be the expectation. Classroom should resemble more interaction, creativity, technology, and teaching to understand approaches.
2. CAN WE SEE STUDENTS DIFFERENTLY? CAN WE ACHIEVE MUTUAL RESPECT?
We can see students differently by acknowledging who they are and teaching them the proper way of doing things by respecting them and teaching them to respect each other. Of course, this can be achieve by placing boundaries as teachers. This is where the mutual respect between students and teacher lies by our modeling and care for them.
3. WHAT IS PARTNERING? It is a reciprocal learning process between student and teacher where they are engaging to reach and understanding.
3A. WHAT ARE THE TEACHER ROLES?
Teachers role is to empower a student to learn. You can't force feed a child to eat just like learning but you can encourage a child to want to learn through many positive ways.
1. WHAT WORKS IN THE CLASSROOM TODAY?
The use of technology, team collaborative work, and brainstorming and sharing of ideas is definitely a productive and effective teaching style that will assist students in their future in relation to their career choice, job practices and function.
1A. WHAT NEEDS CHANGES?
The classroom structure from the past was formulated to prepare a future of people who would transition easily into the jobs of manufacturing. However, the future of America has evolved more into a technology driven era where collaborative team work,brainstorming, formula, communication and creativity. Therefore,memorization and repetition can not be the expectation. Classroom should resemble more interaction, creativity, technology, and teaching to understand approaches.
2. CAN WE SEE STUDENTS DIFFERENTLY? CAN WE ACHIEVE MUTUAL RESPECT?
We can see students differently by acknowledging who they are and teaching them the proper way of doing things by respecting them and teaching them to respect each other. Of course, this can be achieve by placing boundaries as teachers. This is where the mutual respect between students and teacher lies by our modeling and care for them.
3. WHAT IS PARTNERING? It is a reciprocal learning process between student and teacher where they are engaging to reach and understanding.
3A. WHAT ARE THE TEACHER ROLES?
Teachers role is to empower a student to learn. You can't force feed a child to eat just like learning but you can encourage a child to want to learn through many positive ways.
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
In my opinion, what works in the classroom today is a classroom that each student is seen and feels like a unique individual. Children learn best when the appropriate learning conditions are present. In today’s society, there are students who have special needs as well as various levels of ability. It is important as an educator to be aware of each child’s strengths as well as their weaknesses, and provide an environment that will foster growth as well as their individual academic needs. It is important to make your lessons motivated for all students. Activities such as group work, class trips, computers, and self-designed assignments are other ways to keep the students motivated and learning.
Lectures and teaching straight from the book needs to be change. Some teachers always teach their subject precisely as the curriculum and the books states. However, most students don’t learn or get anything from these lectures. As the chapters states, students tend to tune out or get bore with all the information that is being lecture either because they do not the content of lecture or they are just not interested. More hands on lessons need to be created.
2. Can we see students differently? Yes, I definitely feel that students can be seen differently and they are different nowadays. I feel that kids are born smart. Or I should say rockets as the reading states. Kids nowadays can navigate a phone or the Internet like if they always knew how to do it. I love how the book puts it “Why should we think of today‘s kids as rockets? At first blush, it‘s their speed; they operate faster than any generation that has come before.
Can we achieve mutual respect? Yes, mutual respect can and should be achieve in order for partnering between teachers and students to take place. It is always my belief that in order for a person to get respect, you need to show respect regardless of who it is. As we read in chapter one, respect is a key element of any teaching and learning, but it is especially important for teaching and learning via partnering. Both the teacher need to understand and realize that respecting each other would bring them to closer and closer to meet whatever goal the teacher and student are trying to meet.
3. What is partnering? Partnering is when the teacher foster active involvement of students in their own learning and being there to clarify any confusion and provide the correct information when needed. It may be through whole class or small group discussion. It is better to get students involved in activities. Group problem solving exercises, helps to decide what to do and the best way to do it, helping the teacher, working with each other, or in some other way getting physically involved in the lesson.
The teacher’s role is to coach and guide their students. The teachers are to set goals and questions, crafts the questions, problems, and suggested activities that will lead students to understanding. The teacher’s role is to give up total control of the class and rather design controlled activities; they are context and rigor provider and quality assurer.
The Student’s role is to be researchers, to learn all possible technology and use it, to thinking logically and more critically, to use what they learn in their daily life/word, and become your self-teacher.
1. What works in the classroom today? What needs changing?
In my opinion, what works in the classroom today is a classroom that each student is seen and feels like a unique individual. Children learn best when the appropriate learning conditions are present. In today’s society, there are students who have special needs as well as various levels of ability. It is important as an educator to be aware of each child’s strengths as well as their weaknesses, and provide an environment that will foster growth as well as their individual academic needs. It is important to make your lessons motivated for all students. Activities such as group work, class trips, computers, and self-designed assignments are other ways to keep the students motivated and learning.
Lectures and teaching straight from the book needs to be change. Some teachers always teach their subject precisely as the curriculum and the books states. However, most students don’t learn or get anything from these lectures. As the chapters states, students tend to tune out or get bore with all the information that is being lecture either because they do not the content of lecture or they are just not interested. More hands on lessons need to be created.
2. Can we see students differently? Yes, I definitely feel that students can be seen differently and they are different nowadays. I feel that kids are born smart. Or I should say rockets as the reading states. Kids nowadays can navigate a phone or the Internet like if they always knew how to do it. I love how the book puts it “Why should we think of today‘s kids as rockets? At first blush, it‘s their speed; they operate faster than any generation that has come before.
Can we achieve mutual respect? Yes, mutual respect can and should be achieve in order for partnering between teachers and students to take place. It is always my belief that in order for a person to get respect, you need to show respect regardless of who it is. As we read in chapter one, respect is a key element of any teaching and learning, but it is especially important for teaching and learning via partnering. Both the teacher need to understand and realize that respecting each other would bring them to closer and closer to meet whatever goal the teacher and student are trying to meet.
3. What is partnering? Partnering is when the teacher foster active involvement of students in their own learning and being there to clarify any confusion and provide the correct information when needed. It may be through whole class or small group discussion. It is better to get students involved in activities. Group problem solving exercises, helps to decide what to do and the best way to do it, helping the teacher, working with each other, or in some other way getting physically involved in the lesson.
The teacher’s role is to coach and guide their students. The teachers are to set goals and questions, crafts the questions, problems, and suggested activities that will lead students to understanding. The teacher’s role is to give up total control of the class and rather design controlled activities; they are context and rigor provider and quality assurer.
The Student’s role is to be researchers, to learn all possible technology and use it, to thinking logically and more critically, to use what they learn in their daily life/word, and become your self-teacher.
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