Group Contracts for Collaborative Work:
1. Some issues students may encounter when working in a collaborative group setting might be -
-some members not doing their share of the work
-absent group members
-alpha group members (pushiness)
-how to come to agreements
2. Class issues and possible solutions should be discussed at the beginning of the semester. Team
issues and possible solutions should be discussed every time new groups are assigned. These
issues and solutions should be included in the group contract
3. Consequences for not adhering to the contract should be made clear - maybe start with a warning
and ultimately end with a student being kicked out of the group to complete the project alone.
Expectations and consequences would need to be in place immediately at the beginning of a new
project and group assignment. Also, conferences/group checks would need to be built in to class
time several times during each unit so problems are not only discussed when grades are distributed.
Very few careers require one to work alone. Being able to collaborate, cooperate, critique and receive criticism, revise, and reflect to produce a plan, product, idea, model, lesson, etc. are skills SC graduates should have to be successful in today's world. Collaborative group work allows for these skills to be developed and honed during a student's public education career.
Hi Karen,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that for collaborative work to be effective, the teacher needs to establish clear expectations for group work and also provide scaffolding and examples of what that looks like. I like your idea of pulse checks and conferences through out to monitor group work. Collaborative work can help prepare our students for the future and help them be successful in the present.