InTASC Standard #3: Learning Environments. The Teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
In the district where I student teach, the 7th graders complete an interdisciplinary documentary at the end of the school year that connects their social studies and english classes. In order to prepare them for this end of the year project, I implemented a group documentary project for the Era of Reform, helping students to get comfortable with creating a documentary and using the website “WeVideo”. Since the project was to be done in groups, students were aware from the start of the project that there would be a “Group Grading Survey” at the end. This survey is pictured on the right. This survey provided background information on how the students worked together and gave students motivation to be personally accountable for their roles in their group. By the end of the project, only a select few groups had trouble collaborating with one another. Overall, knowing that they would be able to privately tell the teacher about problems in their groups, the students worked together collaboratively and in a healthy manner. Students also split up their roles in the documentaries in a shared document that was shared on google docs with the teacher. This way it is possible to keep track of who was in charge of what and how the students planned on completing the project. Students were often reminded that they should hold themselves “personally accountable” and this is a phrase and idea we use often in class. I want my students to be team players and be able to work collaboratively. By implementing strategies such as the group grading survey, I can ensure that my students learn to be a productive group member as well as create a class that works together in a positive manner.
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