Today, we as a cohort participated in an EdCamp along with the UVIC cohort, and other professionals. This was my first time ever hearing about an EdCamp, and because we were given very little notice about the change in schedule I did not have the time I would have liked to prepare myself for something like this. However, thanks to some help from classmates, and the welcoming nature of the UVIC cohort I was able to temporarily place anxiety on the back-burner for the time being and really engage in observing how something like this went.
The group I was in was discussing “How to Use Group Work in the Classroom in an Effective Way,” and it was predominantly populated by members of the two cohorts. The depth of conversation generated by the ideas of everyone in our group was truly impressive. There was a large focus on maintaining the balance between individual responsibility and group collaboration. Specifically, we discussed how to ensure there is a fair amount of onus placed on each individual in the group, rather than being opaquely shifted towards members of the group striving to achieve a higher mark.
We all discussed experiences we have had in the past where we have been made to work with individuals whom were uninterested in contributing to the project, or simply do not mesh with the group. We acknowledged that while it is certainly true that a certain level of developing the skillset to work with others whom you may not necessarily like on a professional level, however we thought that it was also important to recognize that at the end of the day certain people just can not work productively together when under the pressures of academic success. Therefore, as teachers we need to be hyper-aware of the dynamics that exist or are created in the groups we assign or allow to form.
We also spoke as a group about our respective experiences in shifting from physical group settings to the digital world in our current programs. We noted that while in person conversations can often include layers, inferences, and polite interruptions, however while discussing on Zoom, it takes a certain additional level of discipline in the progression of the conversation in order to make sure that everyone has a turn to speak. Similarly, we found it interesting that while it may sound more time consuming to meet in person and work on a group project, it often ends up being more difficult to organize a schedule by which everyone can meet online.
My observations from today certainly operated in layers. First, I enjoyed an exceptionally well spoken conversation about the merits, potential risks, and ideas for promoting positive group work. We were also able to bring that conversation to the present, and discuss our experiences while going through our respective teaching programs. Finally, I was able to personally observe what it looks like when a large group of like minded individuals gets together as a group for a discussion. The fluidity, respect, patience, and encouragement were such a day brightener, and it was these specific things that I want to take to my practice.
Thank you.