Partnering Classroom Setup/Levels

As you all know, this week was our leading discussion week in which we presented the idea of "Moving To Partnering as a Pedagogy". There were great ideas of classroom setups that were presented. My classroom is setup in five tables of four. They have access to computers, ipods, listening centers, working with words centers, etc. Having students work in groups/partners helps them grow academically, socially, and emotionally. I provide my students with center-based activities at their level and they are able to work at their own pace. My level of partnering is very dependent on the concept they are learning, with basic and guided partnering being the most used. At the beginning of the year there is a ton of learning involved in just working together as they learn the parameters, expectations, etc. It is very rewarding to see their growth in collaboration as we gradually move through the year. :)