Task 3 Reflection

This week our group created a new ScreenR:  www.screenr.com/f397

We had two face to face meetings to finish this project, and worked late into the evenings, but the outcome was worth the long hours and work.

Thinking back on our group accomplishments, I did my best to keep our group members informed of the task at hand, keep up with my part of the assignments, and attended the face to face meetings to contribute my ideas and notes on the task at hand.  I felt a tremendous responsibility to not let my group members down and to get my share of the work done and submitted on time.

Although it is difficult to do group work in an online class, I thoroughly enjoyed working with my team and taking the time to get to know someone new who had the same interests I have.  The assignments could have easily been accomplished individually, but as a group, the task becomes more of a challenge because we now had to incorporate and organized the ideas and notes of more than a single person.  In the end, the taste of success is all the sweeter when shared with others who were part of the process.

Althea Rodrigues

Task 3-6 Reflection

Because the main concept is to make classroom lessons relevant to the real world, it is important to incorporate team work tasks in Problem Based Learning.  In the real world, in their chosen careers, students will find themselves simultaneously working and interacting with people, whether it is coworkers, customers, clients or CEOs.  To be successful in meeting real world deadlines, being responsible for real world job assignments, and effectively communicating with others, team work skills and training is vital.

Some of the problems I see in student teams is the lack of commitment on all parties of the team.  Maybe it is a question of self confidence on the student's part, maybe it is just their character to let others take the lead and they follow, or maybe other team members are intimidating and a student doesn't want to challenge them.  To get all team members excited and committed to doing their share is a challenge.

One strategy I would use to manage conflict in a student team is to start by laying down the ground rules about the responsibility to complete their assigned tasks, about communication that involves listening and responding appropriately, and about how students will be graded according to their group accomplishment and their individual participation.

The only problem encountered this week was not getting responses from all our group members.  We carried on and completed the task, but I feel it would have been more complete if all our group members had participated wholly.

Althea Rodrigues

Week 15 Group 5 "TEAMWORK"

TEAMWORK AND THE TEAM MARTYR

For this assignment on Teamwork, we were assigned to discuss strategies on how we might deal with a student “Martyr” on a Team.   To quote Richard Dool’s article on “Managing Conflict in Online Student Groups, “The ‘Martyr’ is quick to point out that he has had to do much more than everyone else on the team because no one else seems to be taking his/her part seriously.  His work schedule is ‘unique’ and his commitments unusual.”

Responses from our group sited communication as the number one key to achieving Team success and avoiding any one person elevating to martyrdom. Good communication at the start of the project must be made so Team members understand the individual tasks for which they are responsible and the Team understands the direction the group is going. 

Setting realistic goals for the Team to accomplish is our second strategy to avoid any martyr in the group.  Having face-to-face check point meetings along the way allows members to discuss their accomplishments and offer suggestions to each other to solve any problems another member may be having. This also gives members a chance to encourage and praise each other, keep everyone on schedule and keep the Team excited about the project.

And our third strategy is to remind the Team that their assessment not only depends on what they accomplish as a group, but also how well each individual has contributed to the group’s success.  Letting them know what is expected of them will make each person take his/her part seriously because they will be graded as a group and as an individual.

With these strategies in place, the chances for a person to evolve as the Team Martyr are slim.  With each Team member understanding his/her role, responsibility, and the goal ahead, no one person will be doing all the work for the Team.  Instead, each individual will be working toward their Team’s success.

"The Importance and the Benefit of Teamwork"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLGrfkgYxiQ

Task 3-5 Reflection

This week, the ideas I contributed to our team was to stay focused on our scenario and build this week's task around our scenario's class presentation by the students.  We had developed so much of our scenario in detail, that it seems almost real to us.  What was exciting this week is news that one of our team members shared our scenario with a school teacher who liked our ideas and wants to use some of it in her lesson on nutrition with her third graders.

My first assignment was to set up the new Google Document to be shared by the team and our instructor.  Then, I attended our face-to-face meeting on Thursday and assisted in recording and organizing ideas and notes from the team.  That night I was assigned to complete the assessment rubric that we started at the meeting but couldn't finish because the laptop battery had run out.

This week, I tried to encourage my team members by supporting their ideas and incorporating their ideas in our final document.  

The only problem we encountered was not having the full participation of all team members. Our absent team member  did express to us that it is difficult to make the face-to-face meeting because of work obligations. Although we managed to finish on time,  I feel accomplishing a team task is more fulfilling with all members actively participating.

Althea Rodrigues

Task 3-4 Reflection

The ideas I contributed to my team this week is the suggestion to make our Screenr presentation using the Excel program and incorporating ideas from our SLO scenario.  I thought that using photos of students in our Screenr would make the presentation visually appealing, so I downloaded photos from the internet that would fit into our presentation.  

As group leader, I again solicited attendance at our face to face meeting on Thursday, for group members to pose questions and answers and contribute ideas for our assignments due.  

I tried to encourage and support my team members by email reminders, requesting at least some input of ideas on our Document and attending the meeting myself, prepared with notes and ideas and suggestions for a plan of action.

Our problem this week was again, not having 100% attendance at our meeting, and not hearing from one of our team members.  However, we did complete our tasks as best we could with those members who were active, willing and able to contribute their time and ideas.

Althea Rodrigues

Task 3-3 Reflection

For this week, I continued my role as the group's Team Leader, requesting early on in the week, that we make an effort to have a "face to face" meeting to brainstorm ideas and format our Task 3 entries on our Google Document.  As Team Leader, I assigned each group member their part to complete on the Google Document.  A time and place was set for our group "face to face" meeting and although all group members could not make the meeting, for those who did attend, a great deal of ideas and work on our Document was accomplished.

At our meeting, I suggested we continue to develop our Student Task toward a class presentation and assembling a display at the community health fair.  We started building the weekly steps of our Student Task one by one.  What we at first thought would take six weeks, we decided will instead take eight weeks for our Students to accomplish, taking into consideration that we are asking for the Student's family to be involved and we wanted to give students and their families enough time to work around their schedules to complete the task.

This week, I tried to encourage and support my team members by first giving them information on what has to be accomplished this week, arranging a face to face meeting and requesting their attendance,  and giving group members directions on finding examples to help them with their assignments.  And even for those who did not attend our meeting, I posted notes where I knew it would be read, on our Google Document, and the notes could be erased after being read.

The examples posted on the Laulima Modules for this Task, answered most of the questions from group members.  It is difficult for all group members to make "face to face" meetings.  Despite the absences, there were no problems reported.  Everyone understood their roles and completed their assignments on time.

Althea Rodrigues

Week #11 Current Event

  Group 5 Article Choice for Week 11

“PENNSYLVANIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LAUNCHES CLASS-SIZED IMMERSIVE SIMULATOR”

By Dian Schaffhauser

http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/03/14/pennsylvania-elementary-school-launches-class-sized-immersive-simulator.aspx

On March 20, 2013, Shaler Area Elementary School in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, launched the Dream Flight Adventure.  A classroom was converted into the bridge of a spaceship, the IKS Titan.  Students enter the simulator, each with an assigned role that they are responsible to perform to help the IKS Titan complete its mission, whether it is in outer space or in the deep ocean.  The missions, designed by professional educators, involve unique adventures that expose students to critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and effective communication with the use of 21^st century technology and skills.

“The IKS Titan classroom simulator makes learning fun and memorable and inspires students to develop greater knowledge and skills in STEM...” said Cindy Foht, school principal.  STEM, an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  Because of the potential shortage of employees in high-tech fields, educators are working hard to keep up with the emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education. 

“Shaler Area School District has committed itself to interdisciplinary learning and development of 21^st Century skills among our students, and Dream Flight Adventures will be instrumental in taking this effort to the next level,” said Wes Shipley, superintendent of schools.

Dream Flight Adventures at a Glance

http://vimeo.com/62150983