Hey, hey, hey (in my best impressionist voice)! It has been a busy few weeks, as I and my classmates explored the amazing, wonderful, down-right fantastic text Teaching Digital Natives Partnering for Real Learning by Marc Prensky. Can I say WOW. This book convicted me for my old-school (pun intended) ways of thinking, and it opened my eyes up to this new world called Partnering. This is a pedagogy where the students and teachers are viewed as separate, but equal, partners with a similar goal in mind. Students are encouraged to investigate and take control of their own learning; whereas, teachers are a guide to that learning. Partnering breaks education down into to parts- verbs and nouns. The verbs are the goals- the stuff that always has been and always will be- what the students are learning (i.e. Explaining a timeline of events that lead up to WWI). The nouns are the tools that students use to get there. These change just as quickly as the world around us changes. Most recently, these tools can be the internet, or other forms of technology. Teachers should encourage students to use the technology for themselves.
But that's not the best part, guys! As I was reading, I was thinking "This is cool and all, but I am going to be a math teacher and we can't do this with math" But oh, boy was I wrong! Prensky gives so many great examples and resources to use in the classroom. Partnering in it's simplest form is an investigation. SO, all you amazing people out there, reading this and wondering "how could I ever do this?" Check this out: If you think you have a topic that you HAVE to lecture on, take the main ideas (maybe questions from a test, the big picture that the students should learn) and mold them into questions, 'guiding' questions. Present your students with these questions and give them class time to investigate and come up with the answers on their own. This is a great way to ease into partnering for all you control freaks (myself included) out there who can't stand the thought of an uncontrolled classroom. But guess what you will find, as you ease into it. It's not out of control! Your students will be, dare I say, ENGAGED! They appreciate being treated as an equal partner, and the information is more valuable when they found it individually. Lastly, figure out your students' passions and interests. That way you can mold your lessons to support those passions. Leading to, none other than, ENGAGEMENT! Partnering is the answer to your teaching prayers! Another tip: Students want learning that is REAL. This means find a way for your students to apply what they have learned and see that it is used in the real world. Have a good one! And enjoy partnering!
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AuthorHi! My name is Kassi, and I am currently a Math Ed student at Athens State University. This blog will take you through my adventures in ED 307! I hope you enjoy! |