Might I vent? (group projects yet again)
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| Mon, 06-04-2007 - 4:18pm |
Kristen is doing a group "book report" but the group is only one other kid. So they decide to do a video report of Black Beauty. Last week the other kid comes with us to riding lessons and they do all the filming. Kristen does all the editing and sound because this kid has an old computer. Saturday she realizes they need to film an intro so she tracks this kid down at someone's house near us and they meet to do it. Well after she gets home she realzes the tape didn't work and its due today (in theory) so Kristen just tapes the intro herself and does all the editing. She worked several hours on the video. Now today she finds out the due date has been moved to next week. I asked her if she was going to retape the beginning since they had time but this other girl can't even see it because it won't work on her computer and the teacher won't let them do it at school. But I am sick and tired of these projects being all one sided. Its Kristen who is trying to set things up, me who's offering to bring kids to my house, go to their house, whatever they need to do. The other parents either don't care or don't know. That other kid spent ALL weekend at her friend's house (2 full days, not home until Sunday night - and her parents weren't out of town)


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I can't stand group projects.
Can you believe that my son's teachers actually put in his 504 plan that he should "be encouraged to work with others' because he likes to do projects alone. Gee I wonder why?
As he says, "either I do it all anyway or they shoot down my ideas because they involve too much work or research" (Connor likes getting into projects and taking them to the next level).
I'm praying that they aren't required much in high school.
stacy
How would you like it if your kids learned doing group math?
I have always hated the group thing.....Jackie had group math this last year she came home really discouraged. It took alot to help her "fight" through learning it. She really took it hard when the other kids expected her to recite some of the answers off the top of her head. there were times that i felt like saying something to the teacher.
Sometimes you just want to step up and tell these teachers to their face what is really going on.
I am sorry you and Kristen have to deal with this.
Good Luck and maybe the teacher will see that Kristen is in the video more than the other girl and say something.
Since it seems that both parents AND kids hate group projects, what on earth makes teachers continue them? Yes kids have to learn to work with others, but when I'm at work if someone on my team is not pulling their weight, I go to the boss and they are replaced. The boss doesn't just say "Oh well, then I guess you'll get a poor annual review too, YOU make them do the work, YOU show them how." Ummm, that's not my job and it shouldn't be my kid's job either.
Sigh. Nice to know I'm not alone. And that math thing sounds like a nightmare. My DD worked for awhile in a special math group with 4 other kids and while they worked cooperatively on somethings, in the end their results on the test were there results, not a shared one.
Ugghhh, I hate group projects too.
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That really stinks!
Ooh, you're going to have to get a video of that interpretive dance & share...lol.
The only type of group projects I did were those that could be done COMPLETELY in class. In fact, I had one this year that was optional, but the kids were so excited to do it (I put them into teams for a 3-week Olympics challenge thing and I gave them one day to work on group flags and any extra time after that). Well, I told them right up front, if you want one of your group members to take it home, that is UP TO YOU, but I am not responsible for it if they don't bring it back. OR they could leave it with me. During the first 3 hours, very few groups let me hold it, but the last 3 hours, most of the groups wanted me to hold it. But, again, like I said, it wasn't for a grade, it was completely optional and just for fun. BTW, there were no problems with those that didn't let me hold them.
That said, my very first year teaching, at open house before school started, a mom asked me if I required group projects that they had to work on at home. I think I looked at her like she had three heads (not meaning to), but I just could NOT imagine a teacher expecting kids to HAVE to get together outside of school...I mean, it's not like these kids live in one large apartment complex or where they can all walk to the local library and meet. Anyway, she was relieved (regardless of how I looked at her) and a lot of other parents were too. Possibly these parents have had issues with that in the past???? But, honestly, I went INTO teaching with a school-age child, so I'm a parent first.
Alysha
I agree - a group report should be done equally by everyone in the group - the grade is shared, isn't it? This kid's parents are either unaware of what the kid has to do, or just doesn't care. Let the kid not be in the intro because she wasn't available to help and when the teacher asks, she can answer. You and your daughter have gone above and beyond - you should get an A and then an EE for Extra Effort as well!
If she ever gets paired with this kid again, maybe she can ask for another partner?
Good luck with this and the dancing - that should be interesting. ;o)
Chris
I surely hope you are voicing your concern and frustrations to this teacher!
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Group projects in school are pointless, IMHO. There are other ways to learn how to work with people. And the stakes are much higher in school than in the workplace, because the grades you get determine a big chunk of your future. No one wants their future determined at age 12.
DD is a straight A student. And if a teacher will give an A+, that's what she strives for. She always goes the extra mile and works her tail off because she really cares about her grades. So she hates group projects. (And yes, our MS does have them.) But the really good teachers make it optional. Her science class had to test various consumer projects and they had the option of working in groups or alone. Abigail was the only kid in the class who chose to work alone because she didn't want to be graded on someone else's work.
Her English teacher requires group projects, but he always puts the motivated kids together so they won't have to suffer or do all the work themselves.
I never think to ask about group projects at the beginning of the year, they never seem to show up until about mid-way through or at the end. In DD's class she's not allowed to work with the other motivated kids because the teacher wants to pair up a child with learning disabilities or who just doesn't care with one who does care so they can sort of drag the other kid along with them. They know if all the unmotivated kids paired up they'd all gets D's so they don't want to do that. THAT makes me crazy. My DD is not a tutor for the other kids, its not her job to help them get a good grade. If she wants to help fine, but mind HATES that role (I was the same in school).
Hopefully I will not have forgotten this frustration by Sept. when she starts at the new school. I like the idea of a choice. Sometimes my DD would like to work in a group but SHE wants to choose her partner, someone who is more in the same mind-set as her but her teacher insists on making up groups for them to ensure that the kids who need help or don't care get with someone who does. Not fair in my mind.
I was glad to read Aly's post that not ALL teachers think group projects are the greatest thing since sliced bread. :-) Gives me hope there are more out there like her.
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