Reflection Part 1
I think a challenge that we face is that each week, one group member has to step up and do a large portion of the work. Last week that was Andrea, with the iMovie, and this week I feel like it was me. I think with such a large project, it all works out in the end - but it can feel overwhelming for group members who want to be helpful but are unable to with certain tasks. I think there are many valuable experiences within this project that I would like to bring to the classroom. Designing and collaborating within a group is always challenging and rewarding - sharing ideas, building on ideas, getting closer and closer to something awesome. I also feel that peer revision and feedback is such an important tool for students to learn at an early age. This doesn’t have to just apply to writing - it can be for any type of project. The problem is, teachers have to make time for students to go back and make improvements to their project. I feel that often times this is the step that is let go of, for time sake. I think ensuring that collaboration is taking place is another challenge for teachers. The goal of collaboration is to work together, share ideas and grow from each other’s thoughts. Often times with group works, instead what happens is that the work gets divided up and students are working individually to put together one final project. I think one way to ensure collaboration is to ask students to note exactly what they collaborated on as part of their assignment. I think also assigning a project that requires an idea to evolve and change (kind of like our design thinking project) demands a more collaborative approach. Another approach that teachers could take is just informing students on the power and benefits of collaborating with their peers. If students understand that collaboration will actually help them in the end, they may be more inclined to do it.