Partnering Levels for Students and Teachers- Prensky Chapter 8

In my observations during student teaching and subsitute teaching, I have noticed that partnering levels tend to go up based on the grade and class level. In the elementary schools, teachers make good use of the SmartBoards. DVDs,and other technology. However,most of the teaching is still done by lecturing. A teacher may allow students to come up and touch the correct answers on the smartboard, but she still controls the majority of the lesson and her student's learning. I have seen many middle and high school teachers stick to lecturing and worksheets in their classrooms. This seems to change in 11th and 12th grade classrooms,especially in accelerated and AP level classes. Teachers of higher level classes utilize partnering and technology much more, from what I have observed. I'm not sure why this is. Maybe some teachers feel that lower grades and regents level classes need more direction and lecturing in order to turn out their best work. However I can't say for sure. I think that most teachers would be able to achieve partnering level 4, but I think they are apprehensive about level 5. To be honest, it is a very scary thing to do, since you are not sure how it is going to work, and there's that fear of relinquishing total control to your students. But it never hurts to try! If it doesn't work the first time, try to figure out where it went wrong and just fix that. Don't just give up altogether. Practice makes perfect!