Group Work

Last week it was my turn to lead class.  Thoa and I led a group activity and class discussion about group work.  Chapter six was about looking at group work as a system.  Many factors like communication, group mood, group behavior, and roles were brought up.

At the beginning of class Allie and Silas had us peer mentors do a partner activity.  One partner had to be blindfolded, and the other had to help him or her to successfully navigate a minefield.  The minefield consisted of playing cards, Frisbees, ropes, and desks.  This activity fit nicely into the lesson that Thoa and I presented.  It emphasized the importance of clear communication and having trust in the people you work with.  I also brought up a point about roles.  I thought that roles were significant to this activity because, some people may be better at giving direction, and others may be better with listening and navigating.  In any group, each member will bring different strengths and talents—therefore the roles that people play in a group may need to change depending on the goal or project. 

The class also did another activity prior to the class discussion about group work.  Thoa and I had the class complete The Magic Carpet activity, while we observed.  This activity involved everyone keeping their feet on a blanket, while tuning the blanket over.  The Magic Carpet proved to be a challenge, and took collective collaboration.  While the success of this activity depended on many of the same factors as the minefield activity, I did take notice to the effect distractions or interferences can have on group activities. 

I was very pleased with the interactive activities that we did in class last weak.  Rather than talking the entire hour, we were able to do hands on things to learn about groups as a system.