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The role of a teacher is critical in a classroom not only in its flow but its impact and result. The metaphor of an architect and a contractor illustrate the role of a teacher perfectly. Architects focus on design, while contractors focus on building. Designing and building are core responsibilities of a teacher. Being able to flow between the two requires a teacher to balance the importance of teaching and learning.

This week's reading highlighted a common challenge that often hinders teachers from fully embracing their role as an educator. "Because teachers are not often asked to be curriculum designers unless they are involved in curriculum mapping or specialized master's or doctorate program, they may initially find it difficult to differentiate between curriculum design and instructional practice" (Hale & Fisher, 16).

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Having a collaborative environment is more than having students work together on different assignments and activities. It encourages the exchange of thoughts and ideas that result in a product or even a changed perception. While collaborating in the classroom is not new; what it looks like has changed. Working in pairs and doing group projects is becoming a thing of the past. "Twenty-first century collaborative groupings include new roles, such as interviewers, bloggers, backchannel mediators, videographers, and data recorders" (Hale & Fisher, 22).

Using more sophisticated forms of collaboration is great, however it has to be done intentionally and with purpose. How can students embrace diversity or ways of thinking when they are not encouraged or positioned to collaborate with those different from them? The answer: local and global collaboration. Local and global collaboration is becoming more common in the classroom due to the growth of technology. It is these types of connections that expose students to different realities beyond the walls of the classroom. This is what gives students a more purposeful experience that can be applied to college and future careers.

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Transforming curriculums is more than simply adding or removing activities, it requires more in-depth analysis of students' capabilities and how it can be used to encourage growth. What challenges the ability to hone in on a student's capability is the reality there are different orbits of ability or a person's given knowledge or talent (Hale & Fisher, 10). These differences become useless when a teacher is unable to see and then use them to improve their instruction. Being mindful of students' orbits of ability is one thing, however using these orbits and allowing them to touch is another. This is what presents the opportunity for personal growth and development. How much growth and development takes place depends on where instruction falls on the Transformational Matrix. The Transformational Matrix measures the impact to learning against the impact on engagement.

Transforming perspectives to better reach students supports the need to transform lenses. Each person's lenses shapes their perceptions which may differ greatly from the teacher's. This requires an adjustment in the teacher's role. The need for this adjustment is what encourages collaboration. This week's reading suggests "teachers must ask hard questions based on their interpretation of standards, determination of big ideas and essential questions, and development of authentic performance tasks, all the while respecting others' thoughts and ideas" (Hale & Fisher, 9).