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Cara Vallance

Professor Moran

PS 1010

26 April 2017

PS 1010: A Reflection

Sometimes working on a group project can help you learn things that maybe should have

been obvious before; but the beauty of experience especially that which is shared with others

is that it teaches you such notable things.

Primarily, this group project showed my group (and myself specifically) just how prevalent

and pressing the issue we studied is within the city of Detroit our very community. As we

studied together, gathered research from different perspectives, and joined our thoughts and

gatherings together, we slowly began to understand more deeply the issue of poor education and

lack of college-readiness in Detroit. It taught us and gave us greater passion and interest to work

with this issue and the people which it affects. In relation to recognizing this issue in such

prevalence, we have decided to continue to work with this problem. More than anything, we

have recognized the importance of playing a small part in a large goal, and that is how most of us

will continue with this project. Tutoring, specifically, is the approach which we will take to

continue to work with this problem. My particular involvement with tutoring thus far, as well as

my involvement with students in other capacities (such as visiting schools), has shown me the

importance of the students; they are not just numbers or test results, they are real individuals with
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legitimate needs. This understanding, chiefly gained as a result of this project, will stay with me

undoubtedly.

Another aspect of this project was the group work itself. One of the main things I learned

from the group work in this project was that communication between members is essential. This

may seem obvious, but working with others this semester showed me that in order for the project

to move along in an effectively and methodically, and in order to allow everyones ideas to be

clearly shared and dictated, the group must communicate well and often. I feel that although my

group struggled with this a bit at first, we progressed greatly in this toward the middle and end of

the semester. In relation to sharing ideas, though, I also learned that while it is important to give

your opinion and share your ideas, it is more important to understand that your ideas do not

always have to win; sometimes, it is better to sacrifice what you think for the benefit and

progress of the group. With this attitude, I found that I was more willing to explore others ideas

and that more progress was made overall. Finally, as far as learning from group work, I learned

how crucial it is to actually work together. Yes, this may sound quite obvious, but it is incredible

to notice how the group suffers when people progress on their own and/or do not share their

ideas with the group.

There are other aspects from this project, though, that taught me a great deal about my

involvement in society both now and in the future. First of all, I have learned the importance of

taking action specific action. One of the ways this matter manifested itself in our project was

that we contacted Cass Technical High School various times, through email and phone call, and

received no reciprocated communication. After a few weeks, we then decided to actually visit the

school. This decision to take specific action provided great results, as we were able to meet with

a school official and have meaningful conversation with her. This experience displayed that it is
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so important to take specific action and follow through with things, and this can be applied to so

many areas of life. Furthermore, I understood from this project the need to be proactive. Often

times in group situations, one can get caught in the trap of thinking that because there are various

people involved, things will work themselves out. Needless to say, that is not the case, and after

working with my group this semester, I understood that in order to make significant progress, the

group needs to be proactive. This is relevant not only to group work, but also to making personal

goals and decisions; clearly, it is a very practical and applicable concept.

Aside from the aspects of proactivity and practical group-work, another skill I learned from

this project that can be applied to my life is that it is important to know your own personality and

how you work in a group. This understanding is crucial to work best with other people and to

move group work forward most efficiently. Working with my group this semester really showed

me how I interact with others in a project setting, and it allowed me to critically evaluate myself

in order that I could work in a way that would most benefit the group; this was an extremely

valuable lesson that resulted from this project.

Certainly, this semester and this project provided both myself and my group members with

an array of experiences. After reflecting on the semester, it is clear that the most valuable

experience I personally had was tutoring kids through Centro de San Jos. This effort was part of

my service hours, but consequently resulted in giving me great insight to the problem my group

identified/worked with. Tutoring these young kids truly impacted me with the significance of

individual students, as mentioned previously, and it showed me how much impact working with

even just one student can have it can change his or her attitude, perspective, and passion

toward learning and education in general. This understanding allowed me to realize how I could

practically and directly approach the issue my group had identified, and it was very meaningful.
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As far as a least valuable experience there truly was not one. Each experience, even if

some may have been more stressful and hard, was necessary and important for the progress of

the group or, at the very least, for learning valuable lessons. However, if my group were to redo

the project and/or semester, I think we would agree that it would be extremely beneficial to start

earlier working on the project itself, and to seek to be more deeply involved with it. This would

alleviate stress and allow us to work together more effectively overall.

The implications of this project and working with a group in society are certainly more

significant that I initially imagined. Furthermore, this process my group and I have gone through

relates to so many aspects of this course itself. As a result of this project, I learned how to

effectively be an agent and work directly in society in the midst of structure (i.e. working as a

tutor within in the realm of Detroit Public schools). Additionally, I understood just how real

structural barriers are, and that they are often very hard to overcome, even by people who are

directly involved with structure (i.e. the Vice Principal at Cass Tech struggling to overcome the

barriers of DPS). Most importantly, I learned how to be a small part in accomplishing a large

goal. Altering the education of Detroit is certainly a large goal, and although with time it is

attainable, there are also ways to become involved presently, and this project showed me that. In

relation to that, I also understood what it means to match the scope of the solution to the scope of

the problem, but at the same time, still find practical ways to become involved with the problem

right now. Within the scope of such a large problem, however, I learned that you cannot

accomplish everything at once no matter your passion, but it is imperative, meaningful, and fully

impactful to seek involvement nonetheless.