Group Work
But my experience with group work is more like this...
Clearly something needs to change
When group work is mentioned, there are usually two responses - the resounding 'YESSS' and the deathly groan.
Neither of these is what group work at school is about.
There are some key skills that you need to work effectively in a group.
The first two are perhaps the most important two - SPEAKING and LISTENING.
SPEAKING reminds us to communicate with the other members of our group. No one will ever know your ideas or opinions unless you SHARE them. We can look at speaking as COMMUNICATION, and as we all know communication takes a number of forms:
LISTENING is another important part of teamwork. We need to remember that not everyone can be heard at the same time. This teaches us patience and offers us the opportunity to refine our ideas, or help to refine the ideas of others.
ORGANISATION. The word kind of says it all. When working in a group you need to remember that your whole group is responsible for the finished product. You need to do what you say you will do, when you said you would have it done - NO EXCUSES.
Tips for working well in a group
1. Listen to each other.
2. Talk through any little issues BEFORE they become big problems.
3. Divide the work up - know what sections you are responsible for and focus on those.
4. Set deadlines. Ideally you should aim to have things completed in advance in case changes need to be made.
5. Remember that IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU. It is about the group. You won't always get your way, but by being flexible you will show yourself to be a much better group member and the process will be much easier.
Like everything else, group work takes practice and commitment to get right.
Neither of these is what group work at school is about.
There are some key skills that you need to work effectively in a group.
The first two are perhaps the most important two - SPEAKING and LISTENING.
SPEAKING reminds us to communicate with the other members of our group. No one will ever know your ideas or opinions unless you SHARE them. We can look at speaking as COMMUNICATION, and as we all know communication takes a number of forms:
- spoken language
- body language
- written language.
LISTENING is another important part of teamwork. We need to remember that not everyone can be heard at the same time. This teaches us patience and offers us the opportunity to refine our ideas, or help to refine the ideas of others.
ORGANISATION. The word kind of says it all. When working in a group you need to remember that your whole group is responsible for the finished product. You need to do what you say you will do, when you said you would have it done - NO EXCUSES.
Tips for working well in a group
1. Listen to each other.
2. Talk through any little issues BEFORE they become big problems.
3. Divide the work up - know what sections you are responsible for and focus on those.
4. Set deadlines. Ideally you should aim to have things completed in advance in case changes need to be made.
5. Remember that IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU. It is about the group. You won't always get your way, but by being flexible you will show yourself to be a much better group member and the process will be much easier.
Like everything else, group work takes practice and commitment to get right.
Look at the group in the picture below
Which group member do you think is the most useful?
Which one do you think hates group work the most?
Which group member were you in the last group project you completed?
Which one do you think hates group work the most?
Which group member were you in the last group project you completed?