Monday, December 8, 2008

Group Work

Students in all groups are working diligently. Interview write ups are due Wednesday. A group grade is issued for each member turning his/her interview write up in on time or earlier; an individual grade is issued for the content of the write up. Surveys must be complete and tallied by Friday. Presentations start next Monday.
Remember, too, our reading schedule of three chapters per evening, so that we finish the novel by Friday.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Group Work and Ordinary People

As we just start the group research project , which ends in a major group presentations, students are encouraged to explore group dynamics. The majority of the points in this project are group points, with each individual receiving the same points as a group. For success, students MUST communicate within their groups; they MUST hold one another accountable; they MUST help one another find individually success for the group's (and consequently their own) success.
This is new. This may be uncomfortable.
So far, I have seen most groups step up to the challenge. However, a group, or two, has yet to recognize that individually "blowing off" group time will lead to disaster. Worse, the group allowing that, even laughing at that, will crash.
GROUPS, start and continue to assign, check, and do work. Create and follow your plan. On the plus of all of this, there is dramatic freedom of choice in content, development, and style. Instead of resisting all that responsibility, embrace it as an opportunity to finally do what YOU want in school. Then do it.
Ordinary People reading schedule is also out. The final pages are due next Friday, and the test is the 19th, following the presentations that start the 15th.
Before you know it, we're at Winter Break!