Group projects are a hit and miss for me. At times, I feel that I have benefited from working in a group. Other times, I had to do all the work for the project or people would fight about the minute details for the project. The times that I felt group projects benefited me the most were in science labs. I believe that science labs work well for group projects because the protocol is usually very well written so, the group follows the directions and there is usually a rubric. I know that it is important to be able to work in a group because almost every job requires some sort of group work.
I really liked the Lego activity we did in class. I did not think that there were roles while working in groups. The roles will allow for a project to be done in, hopefully, an efficient, organized manner. During the group project, I was the initiator. I was not very comfortable with the role because I had to come up with the ideas while others either agreed or questioned my ideas. I would say that my role in group project is usually the coordinator because I like help with the work but I do not like to be the one who initiates the project or ideas.
The group dynamics like the role each person will play, the atmosphere of the group, and good communication are just a few things that will benefit a group. As a peer mentor, I will be working in a group with others and I will have the students in my recitation work in groups. Understanding how groups work is very important in order to be able to help in a group and to help others whose group may be struggling.
Liz,
ReplyDeleteI agree that group projects can be more appropriate for some situations than others. As for roles, I think that I am usually an initiator, but like you I can identify somewhat with being a coordinator. I hate the feeling that I am being the opinionated one or that I am not giving others a chance to express their thoughts. Great post!