There is no “I” in the Word “TEAM”!
A Blog About the Effects of Group Projects in the Classroom
A quote from the late Henry Ford, famous automobile manufacturer sums up what it takes to be a team. He said “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” For years, educators have been provided professional development and training opportunities related to evidence based research theories that support the concept of building collaborative skills through group projects. However, without all credible elements, bringing theory to practice can oftentimes be a challenge for teachers and students and result in an accountability nightmare. As a future educator, I want to learn how to eliminate the barriers of group projects so that I can successfully implement this practice in the most effective way possible, even when the collaborative experience goes beyond a face to face setting and into a virtual space. If all the research conducted on this topic points to a perspective that student collaboration is vital to learning, then we have to look beyond the outcomes we want to see from content learning, We need to also plan for intended outcomes that students can gain from working together to build interpersonal and social emotional skills, Humans are social creatures, so in most cases, everyone likes collaboration. However, when a teacher uses the term “group project”, there tends to be a not so popular response. Group work is a term that educators would say is the most commonly used method for student collaboration. Yet, they would also add that it can be complicated and messy when attempted in the classroom. Students often feel that for some group members it’s a “get out of work” card, leaving one or two people to do all of the work. For the more reserved and introverted student, they may tend to feel left out. Any of these results can create a lack of ownership in the work. In order to positively promote such a complex and messy type of work, educators need to take a deeper dive into the structures that ensure successful group work. This youtube video called “Making Group Work A Win for Your Students’ provides an inside look into the roles of group work to support effective implementation. The phrase “Teamwork is Dreamwork” really speaks volumes to group work success. In order to understand the elements of group work success, we have to clearly define what a team truly is. Notice there is no “I” in the word “TEAM”. Therefore, when teams are formed, educators have to help students understand the concept of team does not equate to four or five individual contributions. With no “I” (meaning individual work) each letter can be unpacked like an acronym as T-Together E-Everyone A-Achieves M-More. Using these catchy methods when introducing group work can help students focus on the process of collaboration rather than focusing on the end product with a “get-er-done” approach”. Another powerful quote that can be used to explain the power of collaboration and teamwork is HC Lullock. He said “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.” You may be thinking, there is just too much involved in setting this type of learning experience up. While it does seem time consuming, we have to remember that these opportunities have been proven to create more than academic success. In today’s workforce, employers are not only looking for competency. They want creative thinkers and collaborative learners. In today’s fast paced decision making environment, workplace collaboration can optimize workflow processes, improve employee and team relationships, maximize productivity and increase efficiency.(simpplr.com) As a future educator, “I” want to be a part of a “TEAM” that finds value in the need to set up our classroom environments to reflect our twenty-first century globally competitive society. By doing so, we can support our students in being globally competent with the skills they need to have upon graduation and beyond. Anyone up for joining my orchestra and playing the symphony called “Group Work Success”???