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.