Group Presentation Unit + Pacing Tips

Hey all,

The semester has definitely hit us all like a ton of bricks this week! I'm here to help you navigate the upcoming unit and figure out how you'll tackle the upcoming assignments. What I'll offer here is a little preview of the teaching meeting on Friday with a broad overview of how to plan a unit. [With the caveat that I am crazy and not everybody does this kind of stuff.]

Arc of the Group Presentation Unit

Consider every unit as a huge arc, pointing toward an assessment. For the Group Presentation, that arc looks something like this:

Notice that the entire unit has an arc--and so do the individual lessons (as each one is driving toward some sort of outcome as well). With the group project, my first goal was to build cohesive groups that respect each other. We worked on that today through the sharing of stories about themselves. I also need to get students thinking about logistical things this early. So, I gave them  five minutes at the start of class to decide on a schedule of times to meet, ensure they all agreed on a topic, and share contact information.

After that, the next two classes will be a slight diversion from the arc of the group presentation. That's okay. The project can roll around in the back of student heads for a while. In the interim, I'll teach them about job interviewing (which I'll discuss more at Friday's meeting) and have them review one another's interview outlines to offer constructive feedback. During the interpersonal unit, we'll tackle gendered and mediated communication.

Then, the group project will be back in focus. Here are the steps:

Interpersonal Conflict: On this day, we'll practice scenarios (provided by Annie Laurie on the message board) in which students work through hypothetical conflicts. In groups of four (two arguers, a mediator, and a note-taker), students will confront complex situations and try to work them out. Afterward, we'll reflect on what these things mean for their interactions as a group;

Concept of Groups: Rather than simply talking about the concept of groups and applying it to an abstract context, I am going to try to get students applying the group ideas to their own work. At the start of class, students will craft an agenda based on the expectations I'll communicate to them about the assignment. I will reinforce research expectations (students will bring laptops to class), and then have students work and collaborate. During this time, I will create "fishbowl videos" of group interactions: filming student conversations/discussions as they work through problems for their project.

Participating in Groups: Going meta. On this day, we'll apply the concepts of group dynamics, leadership, various interaction styles, etc. to actual student conversations filmed in the previous class. Students will reflect on how they have operated as a team so far, and consider how they can improve their teamwork as well.

Rehearsal: Since we can knock out the presentations in two class days instead of three, the first day will be dedicated to students rehearsing and addressing specific parts of their assignment. Rather than meet all at once, students will be assigned fifteen minute chunks of class to come to during which I will see approximately one minute of each student's presentation in the group. I'll then offer general feedback to the group and address possible issues that will arise during the presentations. This "last minute check" will help me catch any major problems before they arise!

Obviously, this isn't all we're doing on these days; we'll also have a number of videos, examples, and other small activities to reinforce concepts as we go. But, what I'm focused on here is the trajectory of the group project and how I'll address the development of their group as we go.

Pacing a Lesson

Some people were looking for tips on pacing a lesson. Here are a few things I do:

1) Plot out ahead of time what time you should be at at which part of the lesson. This might mean simply anticipating how long each part of the lesson will take. (15 minutes for this, 30 minutes for that.) But it might be more valuable and effective for you to plot out the actual times and check your watch as you go. [At 8:15, we need to be here; at 8:30 we need to be here...]

2) Be realistic about how long things will take. Every single person in the room memorizing one fact and the name of every single other person who spoke before them, until all 24 people have gone? That's a 20-minute endeavor, not a 10-minute one (unless your students just have insanely good memories).

3) Be adaptable. Don't assume your activity will eat up the entire class period--sometimes students reach the major takeaway or point very quickly. Always have a backup activity just in case. Likewise, be ready to change gears if an activity just isn't working.

4) Be wary of meandering discussion. Always make sure your discussion is driving at something. It doesn't have to be super-concrete, but the point is that your discussion should have some sort of terminus or end-point that it logically drives toward.

5) Careful with the tangents. Don't be afraid of breaking from the flow of the lesson if it's a teachable moment or an excellent point; but don't regale everyone with stories from the time you _____ if it hasn't got a thing to do with the lesson.

6) Keep it moving. A class is like a shark: if it stops moving, it dies. If you give five minutes to discuss, and students start getting quiet after two minutes, don't sit in silence for the next three. Keep the momentum going, and move urgently--"We have so much to get through!"

Hope that helps!

Michael