Reflection

During my experience in Technology and Instruction, I have gained a lot of insight into using technology to my full advantage in the classroom. I learned how to create a blog and a wikispace, which is something I was unfamiliar with. Both of these tools will allow me to effectively communicate and promote collaboration in my future classroom. Throughout the course, we learned about using web 2.0 tools in our classroom. It amazed me when I learned about how many free tools are available for teachers to use in their classroom. I have always considered myself a "tech-savvy" teacher, but I never knew about many of these online tools. Aside from learning about Web 2.0 tools, I learned about the many tools that Google provides. I have always had a Gmail account, but I never knew about different tools on my account such as Blogger and Docs. Both of these will be extremely useful in my future. Docs allows you to upload documents and share with whoever you please, while given the option to have others work collaboratively and edit the document. "The Flipped Classroom" was a new term that I learned and that I hope to one day implement in my own classroom one day. Using this method literally "flips" the roles of the teacher and student. I also learned about the Kahn Academy, which is amazing and actually inspired me to hopefully be able to do something similar one day. I think this idea is a brilliant way to communicate and teach others using technology. Creating a lesson plan with my partner using Web 2.0 tools really opened my eyes to the advantages it has for both students and teachers. Me and my partner Karen were able to create a really great lesson on Figurative Language for 5th Grade students using two incredible tools- Wallwisher and Animoto. Also, I learned how to create a Podcast, as well as a Screencast using the free software Audacity and Jing. These will both definitly be utilized in the future in my classroom. Overall, I learned how to use technology in order to create a partnering classroom. I have gained so much knowledge about different tools available that I feel confident using these tools in the future.

Chapter 10: Assessment in the Partnering Pedagogy

Discuss the most important role of student assessment. In the past, Prensky discusses that teachers had originally looked at assessment as just a way to sort students. But, Prensky argues that assessment that is viewed that way is not helpful for the students at all. Assessment should be used to benefit students not harm them. Assessment should also be beneficial for the teacher as well. Assessment needs to be viewed as more than just giving and grading tests. Assessment can help us as teachers to be better at what we do everyday in the classroom. If we use the assessment in this way, we can create future lessons that will help our students retain information that is taught.

Chapter 9: Continuous Improvement Through Practice and Sharing

Reread the section on "partnering levels" for teachers and students and discuss your experiences as they relate to teaching or observing in the settings that you are most familiar with. In my past experiences observing and student teaching, I have not really had the opportunity to experience anything higher than a 2 as far as the partnering levels goes. I think that partnering is not something than can be implemented in a classroom overnight. Teachers are always learning how to effectively reach every student in the classroom. I think partnering is an excellent way of teaching. I think children are a lot more capable of succeeding in a classroom like this than the typical classrooms we have now without partnering. Although in my past I have seen technology used in the classroom (such as the SmartBoard)-I have never seen it being used as a partnering tool. Hopefully more teachers will eventually take the leap and try to use all of these available tools.

Chapter 8: Let Your Students Create

*How can I elicit maximum creation from my students related to their learning?* Students want the ability to create what they choose-what they enjoy doing. If the partnering teacher provides guiding questions, the children are then given the opportunity to use their creative minds to create something special to them. Also, a partnering teacher must allow children to use any available technology in/out of the classroom environment. Also, students LOVE options! So, give your students options when giving project assignments. *How can I help my students engage in world conversations?* The teacher can provide the tools for the students in order. The teacher can allow them to share their text, audio podcasts, or even a video. All of these can be shared throughout the world into multiple different sources. Also, encouraging the use of online editorials and blogs allows students to participate in real world conversations which is extremely useful for the world that they will enter in the future. *How can I continually raise the bar for my students’ creations?* Everytime an assignment is given allow even more creativity. The students will appreciate the gesture and in turn keep producing impressive work. Also, the assignments must given students the opportunity to share and receive feedback from around the world.

Chapter 6: Using Technology in Partnering

*Describe the "Prensky Apostasy" and then agree or disagree with it... supporting your opinion. Before you write your response, read "Cell Phones are a Distraction" as well.* The Prensky Apostasy states that it is the students job (not the teachers) to use the technology available. Also it is the students jobs to answer the guided questions and master the skills. Also Prensky states that materials such as Powerpoint and SmartBoards should be used by students and not teachers. He believes that these were created just for students therefore should just be used by the students. He also states that children are more "tech savvy" than most teachers-therefore they should be allowed to use the technology primarily themselves. Using the cell phone article, it seems evident that technology can be extremely useful for students in the classroom. All different subject areas can have cell phone usage incorporated into it. All of the cell phones today are extremely advanced and have an abundance of uses from doing google research to going on youtube to email. All of these different components of the cell phone make it an excellent tool for a partnering classroom.

Chapter 5: Planning (Content to Questions, Questions to Skills)

*Guiding questions are essential to successful partnering! Describe the characteristics of "good" guiding questions. Try and think in terms of the lessons you will be creating for this course and for your future students.* Guiding questions must make sense to the students. As a teacher is preparing they must see it from a student's point of view. Also, all of the guided questions must not have cut and dry "simple" answers. The question should be open ended and the answers should be in depth and full of thought. Also, the questions are usually about a why and then followed by a how. Also the guiding questions should be a form of assessment for the partnering teacher. Any kind of curriculum can be turned into guiding questions. In fact, when introducing a new unit, guided questions should be used so that students are able to voice what they know and then the teaching should come after the teacher sees where the students are as far as understanding the material.

Chapter 4: Always Be Real (Not Just Relevant)

*What is the difference between real and relevant?* Relevant means that students can relate to the material that the teacher is teaching. It can also be applied to what the teacher says or perhaps making a reference to what they know about. Real means that there is a connection made between what the students are learning and their capability of using what they learned to use in the "real world". *How can I always be real?* I believe that a teacher can be "real" by making lessons around the world of the students. This also considers their passions as well. Also, the teacher can make it "real" to the students by changing and enhancing the lives of the students. All subjects can be real- it just takes a different kind of planning on the teacher's end. *How can I teach for the future?* The teacher must always consider the world that the children will be going into in the future-which is rapidly changing. A teacher needs to prepare their students for this. Teachers also need to not live in the past and realize that the world in which we live in now is constantly evolving and becoming much more fast paced. Partnering allows you to take all of this into consideration and not only prepares them for school that they are in now-but allows students to find their passions so that they are prepared for their future as well.

Chapter 3: Think People and Passions Rather Than Classes and Content

How is knowing and using your students' passions helpful? Contrast the teacher and student roles in partnering with what we traditionally see in classrooms. I believe that having a real connection with our students is extremely important to have a positive classroom environment. Understanding each individuals passions and interests allows us as teachers to create lessons that consider these interests. Also, students feel as if the teacher really cares about them. The teacher and student roles in partnering varies greatly with what we have seen in the past traditional classrooms The teacher and students both have an equal role in partnering. They both work together to ensure everyone's experience is positive and beneficial. In the past traditional classroom, children have been lectured to by a teacher. The roles haven't exactly been equal whatsoever. The teacher has the majority of the control and attention of the classroom. Partnering allows us to change all of this and create a whole new perspective of the teacher-student relationship.

Chapter 2: Moving to the Partnering Pedagogy

*What does it mean to leave the stage? I believe that this means teachers need to drop their roles as being in front of an audience all of the time. Instead, the students now need to come onto the stage and shine. Teachers are no longer the only stars lecturing information to students in front of them. The students have a part too. Also, as teachers, we need to drop the feeling of having to give a performance everyday. The verbs can be simply defined as the skills utilized in the classroom. Using these skills becomes an act of doing rather then seeing. There is definitely a place for these particular concepts in my philosophy of education. Partnering seems to go hand in hand with a lot of my beliefs. I have always felt as if the classroom needs to change and that students have a lot more to offer us and teach us than we realize

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." *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.

Awesome educational videos to check out!

WEB 2.0

http://penzu.com/
This website allows students to create a journal. It can either be private or shared with others. It is free of cost and has an unlimited amount of space for the writer to use. (Melanie Surico)

http://www.j2e.com/
On-line word processor, desktop publisher, web page creator and form creator, designed for education. Use it for all your word processing needs, for example, homework and worksheets, as well as web publishing. (Melanie Surico)
http://www.mixedink.comThis site is a collaborative writing platform that allows groups of any size to create and weave their best ideas together. This site is free and users can also share the work with others once done. Excellent for group projects. (Melanie Surico)
http://tuxpaint.org/This wonderful website allows students to create artwork online and then share with others. Excellent for art classes, as well as any projects that require illustrations. (Melanie Surico)
www.webnode.comThis FREE site allows students to create their own websites. (Melanie Surico)