Looking back at the project as a whole I would say our finished product is pretty good. For the most part I think an experienced teacher could look at one of our lesson plans and with a little imagination be able to carry out the proceedure. I'd say that in general the lessons would keep students attention and even be fun. Students will learn a lot. They will work on their research skills, oral skills, group work, involve their parents in oral history, and design a multimedia presentation. Do I think it could have been better? Yes. Unfortunately, due to the realities of being a student, everyone in our group had hectic schedules and personal responsibilites that effected the potential of our project. This project has been the most demanding assignment of my program. Honestly, if it was an individual assignment, I would have had the whole thing done weeks ago. But, as the professor has said, the point of the project is to put us in these situations now so that we are more prepared for them once we become actual teachers. With that in mind, the assignment was definately a learning experience. Knowing when to speak up and when to listen or when to push for your idea and when to give up on it were constantly reoccuring considerations that had either a positive or negative impact on group functionality depending on how each dilemma was handled. Although these are situations we have already faced throughout our lives, having this assignment count for such a large part of our grade definately added a unique pressure to try hard to make everything work.
That group dynamic is key and such a big part of us being successful and trying to create a community of learners is key. It isn't always easy or pretty but hopefully everyone benefits from it and really trying to make it student centered instead of teacher centered can be a challenge. You will find in the classroom if you had just given the students the information it would have been easier and faster but not always better. Thanks for the persistence.
ReplyDeleteGroup work can be a great thing, or a big pain in the butt. If all members have similar schedules and time to meet to accomplish a common goal, it works very well. If not, there can be a hectic situation that arises from it. I personally will use group work in my classroom as I feel it has the potential to work well, but it must be monitored and administered in a way that is fair for all students involved. The high school setting will make it difficult for students to work together outside of the classroom so time will need to be managed to include it during classroom time.
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