Professional+Peer+Collaboration

// "Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success." // Henry Ford

// A single, educated, and well intentioned teacher working alone can provide a rich and successful learning experience. If this is true, one must consider the benefit to students when like minds of this nature join together to create deep and meaningful learning opportunities for students. In considering such collaborative teaching partnerships, teachers must consider certain factors such as student need, personality, purpose, district policy, and concerns/standards of partners. //

// In considering these issues, teachers, media specialists, and community members may find ways in which to work together to benefit students. In the case of this study, teachers across grade levels, community entities, and media specialists can collaborate on available materials and usage that could assist students in locating and analyzing information. This is especially true in the 7th grade lessons as these students are less astute at analysis and use of technology in accessing such. A single teacher working alone with a class of twenty-five students could be overwhelmed with the usage issues alone, taking valuable time away from assisting students in critical consideration. The collaborative efforts of additional professionals would benefit the students in that they would receive expert assistance in areas in which the content teacher may not excel. In addition, students would receive more one on one time with teachers making differentiation and address of student need much more possible. //

// Considering collaboration with community entities can be particularly helpful in this study. As in many metropolitan areas, //// Indianapolis //// has a Jewish Community Center which promotes education on the Holocaust. They are also very willing to share resources from the center library as well as put teachers in touch with survivors who may be willing to give testimony to students of their experience during this historic time. //

// The following resources are local entities willing to collaborate with educators to better inform students of the Holocaust:  //

// JCC //// of //// Indianapolis, Indiana // // []  //

// Candles // // Holocaust // // Museum //// of //// Terre Haute, // // Indiana // // []  //