Chapter
One – Partnering
Summary
of Chapter
Today’s
students are growing up in a world full of technology that was almost
unimaginable just a few decades ago. They are fully comfortable with today’s
fast paced way of life that has been made possible by technological advances.
These students are not only comfortable with modern advances, they enjoy
technology and integrate many aspects of their lives using these tools.
Students utilize technology for play, entertainment, socialization and
information gathering.
As a
result, older teaching methods such as lecturing and direct instruction do not
always work effectively with today’s students. Teachers should partner with
students, enabling them to be active rather than passive participants in their
education. The partnering method allows students to feel more in control of
their learning. Teachers must focus on designing and creating meaningful
lessons that maximize the students’ role as learners. Partnering helps students feel excited about
learning, rather than constricted and possibly bored.
Reaction
to Chapter
I
agree that children today live in a world where technology is fast paced and an
integral part of daily life. Partnering with students seems similar to the
Discovery learning pedagogy that I recently learned about in my Cognition and
Motivation class last year. I feel that partnering would be effective in most lesson planning. However, I am
studying Early Childhood Education and I do believe that there are still some
instances where direct instruction is needed (such as initial introduction to
addition and subtraction, letters, phonics, etc.) Further, for students that
may have learning disabilities, direct instruction often works the best.
I think you should take a little further.. There are teachers who still try to use direct instruction in early childhood and it seems kind of crazy to me in light of what we know about young learners.. and how they learn better with discovery..
ReplyDeleteThe question I have for you? can you partner with a learner who is 5 or less? Can you learn with them? or do you need to run the show? (with or without technology?)
In my (very short) time in studying early childhood I have been presented with different views on the best methods of instruction, as well as the use of technology with young children. Discovery learning is the most popular method and most early learning centers use discovery learning. My thought was that there are could be situations where the discovery method is not working, and the child is confused. If this happens, then maybe direct instruction may still be worth trying. As an example, if a child has some type of learning disability, maybe he or she would benefit from direct instruction on a one on one type of basis with the teacher. Can you partner with a learner who is 5 or less? Yes. I think you can. I think that children benefit from the teacher giving them some level of control over their learning. Giving them responsibility and freedom within parameters may work well. Kind of like parenting- authoritative rather than authoritarian styles work well. Children desire freedom to explore within established boundaries.
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