Communication is key. I feel like you hear this constantly in society, whether it is related to relationships or the workplace, but it could really not be more true. If you are unable to communicate your thoughts through writing or speaking, others will not know your ideas and you will get frustrated for not being able to communicate to others. I have seen my students grow the most in their communication from the fall PBL project to the spring, and also in regards to other group projects we have done throughout the year.
By sitting and working in groups, my students have to communicate with each other all the time. While they are expert talkers, they are not always excellent listeners. When working on a project, I find that my students are better listeners, as they all have a purpose. When their group member is talking to them about what they are going to do for the project, their team members listen because otherwise, they will be left in the dark as to what is to come next, or what they are suppose to research/complete. While I feel that all people can continue to grow as listeners, I have really seen an improvement throughout the year. As I try to think about what specifically has helped my students grow the most, I think it just comes down to practice. By sitting in small groups and changing those groups up, students are forced to work with students whom they do not always like and are required to communicate with them in order to achieve their goal. While some groups have not been a success, I would say that most of my students have been able to overcome their dislike for another student and still work together.
Something that has been challenging for me is to not jump in and solve the student’s conflicts when they arise. Students will come to me and say that they cannot get along with Student X or that Student Y is not helping their group. It is so easy for me to jump in and tell them my thoughts, but I’ve really tried hard to take a step back and ask the student if they have communicated that to Student X or Y. Most of the time the answer is no. When it is a no, I tell the student that they need to talk it out with them, not me. While I will stand near the students when this conversation does take place, I have tried not to intervene. By having the students communicate their feelings to their group members they are taking that initiative and developing their student agency. These conversations do not always go well, but I still think they are important conversations that need to take place. Communication is not always easy, yet it is an essential skill that my students have made growth in.
I would concur about the not stepping in part and how difficult it is. We are trained in our education classes and it is refeinforced from most administration, that teachers must be in total control and should almost dictate every aspect of the class. The prevailing theory was if the teacher is in total control then, and only then, will learning occur. As we have been learning, this is far from fact. Greater and more indepth learning occurs when students are allowed to make mistakes and have some input in the learning - project based learning.
ReplyDeleteHi Helen,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you reflecting on communication in this blog post, as it is one of the soft skills we've worked consistently on in our course. Communication along with Collaboration are essential for effective project based learning to occur and throughout this year you have diligently worked to embed your support and opportunities to continually grow and apply them for your students. I am thrilled to read about their growth and yours.
Sincerely,
Dawn