Technology+Leadership+Book+Summary




 * Te aching Digital Natives: Partnering for Real Learning **


 * By Marc Prensky **

Partnering pedagogy is basically creating a partnership between the teacher and student to learn the information and skills necessary to prepare the students for the 21st century. Beginning the conversation between the teacher asking how to improve teaching and the students responding starts the process. The teacher gradually incorporates some of the suggestions into the lessons. Moving into the basic level of partnering extends from this first step to the teacher asking open-ended guiding questions and detailed supporting questions which the students must find the answers. With answers in hand, the students and teacher hold a discussion to clear up any misconceptions. Sharing is the next level in the process, where the students will be required, in one to two minutes, to present the information found. The presentation should meet minimum standards within the time limit, requiring the students to be concise, focused and on point. To help improve the students’ ability to present in front of an audience, record their presentations; then as a class, review and critique them. An example of student led critique can be found at: [] (Prensky, 2010). The final step of a full partnering class involves “…letting students focus on the part of the learning process that they can do best, and letting teachers focus on the part of the learning process that they can do best” (Prensky, 2010).

Asking guiding questions that focus on the concepts or knowledge to be learned, the teacher creates the lesson. Along with the overarching questions, details questions are also created to ensure the students have the answers for questions that will be on the test. The students, either in groups or individually, research for answers to the questions using any tools or technology available. The teacher facilitates the lesson by moving through the class monitoring or guiding the students in their work. Once the students have researched, they present their results to the class in a one or two minute presentation, where the entire class discusses the information. “For successful partnering, teachers and students alike must realize and accept that we have entered an era in which both students and teachers have something of equal importance to contribute to the learning process. Each side must respect, and learn from what the other has to offer” (Prensky, 2010). To accomplish this each has to take on new roles in the classroom.

The teacher changes from telling students information to a coach, guide, instructional expert, designer, questioner, context setter, rigor provider, and quality assurer. As a coach the teacher is there to encourage the students along the road to learning. When the students seem to struggle or veer off task, the teacher is there to get them back on track. In creating and designing the lesson, the teacher performs many roles: questioner (providing high-level, open-ended questions to be answered); rigor provider (setting the standards); and quality assurer (making sure students are submitting quality products). At the end of the lesson, when presentations are made, the teacher makes sure that the information, is seen in context of the event, era or situation, so students can see it as a part of the whole rather than as a isolated incident. With teachers shifting into new roles with partnering, student’s roles will also change.

No longer are students merely empty vessels that need to have knowledge poured into their head, they have many new roles and skills to use. Beginning with researcher, the students use the technology available to find answers to the questions posed by the teacher. In using the technology, they may become the technology experts helping the teacher and other students use the technology available, either by teaching or by ensuring the technology is kept in working order. In the process of being a researcher, the students also become thinkers, looking at the information critically, logically, creatively and other positive ways. With this new knowledge, students can and are expected to become world changers. Using this information to impact the world in positive ways, encouraging the world to go green, supporting the rebuilding of Haiti after the earthquake, or closer to home by encouraging donations to the school library. Along this path of changing roles, the final one is being self-teachers (being able to teach themselves) for a lifetime.

“It is the thesis of this book – and of the partnering pedagogy – that by asking interesting, guiding, questions and letting each student relate to them and answer them in his or her own way, individually and working with peers, and then by allowing each student to discuss and refine the work in his or her own way with the teacher’s guidance, each student will be able to relate much of the curriculum to his or her own interests and passions” (Prensky, 2010).

Prensky, M. (2010). //Teaching digital natives: Partnering for real learning//. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin, A SAGE Company.