Adult Group Work Guidelines Support
FNDS 6253 Task #3 - Assignment #6
Team Members: Angham Aljanaby, Jennifer Byrom, Zack Feldman,
Kimberly Stewart and Frankie Scott
Introduction: One definition of organizational learning is the thoughtful use of individual, group, and collaborative learning to reinvent new thinking and practices that continuously renew and transform the organization in ways that support shared goals, Collinson & Cook, (2007). Success for organizations demands nothing less than “the power to think, learn, and innovate”.
I. What is an effective group size for adults?
To avoid isolated pairing of group members, many studies suggest that an odd number of group members is ideal for group functionality. Most studies show that the ideal number for group members is 5. In a study conducted by Hackman and Vidmar (1970), they asked groups ranging in size from 2-7 members to evaluate the group process and performance on various tasks assigned. Few people thought that seven was too large; few thought two was too small. However, where both lines crossed, the ideal group size averaged to be about 4.6 members, keeping in mind that size is not the only factor in a groups’ success. Sensitivity, understanding, leadership, cooperation, and mutual effort are also important to gain success in a group project.
II. How do you select members of a group?
Choosing group members should be based on indicators of competence. People depend on indicators that give information about competence in the person’s specific area of expertise that is vital for the success of the task at hand. According to Hinds, Carley, Krackhardt, and Wholey (2000), effort is not a measure of ability but of willingness to put in the hours on a project. This suggest...
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... Set up cycles of school-wide inquiry into learning and teaching performance. Allow for optimal times for group members get together and discuss projects one on one.
3. Identify and address staff assumptions about norms, values, and beliefs related to learning. Be sure to make it clear what your expectations are in regards to learning and participating in the project.
4. Recruit teachers who work from a values base, which is consistent with the school culture the leaders seek to develop or “get the right members on the bus”.
5. Create opportunities for staff to have a voice in decisions about issues related to teaching and learning. These issues must be important and administration should not disregard the majority vote.
6. Celebrate accomplishments in student and teacher learning in a genuine manner, not just for putting on a`````` show for the school or community.
As a leader candidate, I can understand the challenges and multiplicity of complications that administrators must face each day. However, I will not accept any remote possibility that the students must be affected by some flaws of the school organization. We all as leaders, must be strategic with people, time, and money to guide our students towards an academic success.
A learning organization is a developmental model leaders use to help their organization do three key things: (a) know what to do, (b) do what it knows, and (c) expand its capacity to learn new things and act on that new knowledge (Garvin, 2000; Senge, 1990)
I was curious about how is work going to be divided. Since the project requires everyone’s participation, the group work was divided fairly and equally among us. Also, I was excited to have a real working experience with my classmates. In fact, this project gave me an insight of how much we get along together regardless of our differences. During the project, pride was the dominant feeling. That is mainly because the outcomes of this project will most likely benefit the students, teachers, and faculty of The Wilson Elementary School.
In deciding how to meet the skill needs of the teaching staff, Ben begins with the hiring process. Knowing what our School Improvement Plan goals are, his interview questions include specific skills and knowledge that will help Falcon Creek students meet these achievement goals. Mr. Rhodes is very clear about his high expectations of the teaching staff. He is currently in Denver University’s P.H. D. program in Educational Leadership and he utilizes his knowledge of best practice research. His assessments of staff learning needs are gleaned from a variety of sources that include feedbac...
I’ll begin with what I learned about myself. Throughout this course, I learned a great deal about my future interests and the characteristics I exhibit when participating in a group project. When working with Rob Geis and Martin Castro, I searched constantly and relentlessly through the CIA database to find any information relevant to our project and the argument we wished to make. Certainly when dealing with a History project, this is strength. It takes a great deal of time to sift through the necessary amount of information to make a sound conclusion. However, when deadlines are firm and very near, this type of research method is very time consuming and could result in an unfinished or inappropriately approached end product. I also found that in the course of the project I was attempting to micromanage certainly elements of the project. For example, Sam had trouble finishing his part of the PowerPoint because his Mac didn’t have office. I texted him a few times within a few days to see if he had finished his portion. During the final rehearsal, I asked both Drew and Sam to re-word things simply because I didn’t like the way they sounded or felt they weren’t serving their necessary purpose. Sometimes this type of person is needed in a group in order to help perform quality control. This type of behavior reflects my behavior and value in a group project. In terms of resea...
In order to evaluate my role within the group it is important to identify what makes a group. A group must firstly consist of more than three members, “Two members have personal relationships; with three or more there is a change in quality” of the personal relationship. (Bion 1961, p26) The group must have a common purpose or a goal in order to succeed.
In order to gain some purpose while working in a group, I know it can be challenging task to do because every group member is required to agree and cooperate. I am privileged to become a part of a group and completed our task successfully. Our group consists of 5 members and we experienced the stages of group development along with which different roles being considered. Our group formed with the common interest of competing and representing ourselves as competent and knowledgeable. The storming phase involved a trial being held to determine the capabilities of each other and positions were found to be disputed due to which we voted on leader of team. In the norming stage, roles of every group member have been stated and identified with the
I would like to focus on three important elements that should help you to put your group project in perspective and set up attainable goals.
The learning organization is the opposite of the traditional organization. It believes that there is always a better way to do things, it listens to those who work within the company, utilizes a systems approach, is orientated towards people and ideas, prevents problems, quality and customer-service is essential, and accountability to the team is essential (Anderson, 2003). The lear...
Many times people forget that teamwork is a combination of the words TEAM and WORK. Which means it takes more than a combined group of people or a team, but it takes that and actions. Positivity, effective skills and effort from each group member. A good team member does their share of work in the group. equity and fairness are key in being a good team member also. A few other characteristics that help a group be successful are , positivity, complimenting other members, communication skills and fairness. By fairness I mean allowing everyone the chance to do something. This group project taught me the ability to be a team player. This is a skill needed to be successful in a group. I feel like it benefit me and my group members because normally
Scarnati, J. T. (2001). Cooperative learning: make groupwork work. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 67(Fall), 71-82.
Projects can be completed individually or as a group and assesses academic learning goals, how well students work together cooperatively, and individual accountability.
A group can be define as ‘any number of people who (1) interact with one another; (2) are psychologically aware of one another and (3) perceive themselves to be a group’ (Mullins, L, 2007, p.299). Certain task can only be performed by combined effort of a group. Organisation can use groups to carry out projects, which will help to achieve its overall aim. However, for the group to be successful they must understand what is expected of them and have the right skill to complete the task. . (Mullins, L, 2006)
Besides, as stated in the book The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge (1990) defines a learning organization as an organization where individuals constantly grow their ability to produce the results they genuinely seek in their life. He also mentioned that in a learning organization, new and broader mindset is cultivated, collective aspirations set free and the organization is continually discovering how to learn to create their own future.
...s must be held for accountability for the success of the program. Staff and parents must communicate on a regular basis to keep the program running smooth.