GoT 2002 Professional Development April 2002

compiled by Tiffany Barnes

Effective Teamwork
What is a team? A group of people pooling theirs skills, talents, and knowledge, with mutual support and resources, to provide effective solutions to problems. Why work in teams? To share perspectives, learn from each other, discover more about yourself and others, learn something new, support each other, experiment, and have fun. Five elements of Cooperative Learning: 1. Positive interdependence: o Each person is responsible for a different learning issue. o Each is responsible for sharing information and teaching each other. 2. Face-to-face interaction: o The team works together to make a solution plan. o The team re-groups regularly to review progress and reassess goals. 3. Individual accountability: o Each person: does research, writes up results for the group. 4. Collaborative/social skills: o The team reviews reports/progress together and edits each others work. o The team shares resources and ideas effectively. o Cooperation, communication, trust, and effective leadership are key. 5. Group processing: o Assessment of group performance by the group. o The team discusses what they have learned and what problems still exist. The Five Stages of Group Development (Bruce Tuckman): 1. Forming o Team building: define team & individual roles, develop trust and communication o Task: define the problem & strategy to solve it, identify needed resources 2. Storming o Conflicts arise, collaboration is low, members realize the task is harder then they first imagined o Diagnose conflicts: Find out if everyone agrees on goals, roles & responsibilities. Try to identify the problem, and work out a solution that meets everyones goals. 3. Norming o Members accept the team, team ground rules, their roles, and the individuality of their fellow members. o Team members begin to cooperate, give constructive feedback. 4. Performing o Team members have gained insight into personal and team processes, and have a better understanding of each others strengths and weaknesses o The group has developed strategies for avoiding or resolving conflicts.

GoT 2002 Professional Development April 2002

compiled by Tiffany Barnes

o Members feel a close connection to the team. 5. Adjourning or Reforming o Bring closure to tasks o Review group processes, make suggestions/plans for improvement Tips for Problem Solving State your views in clear non-judgmental language Clarify the core issues Listen carefully to each persons point of view Check understanding of the disagreement by restating the core issues Use techniques such as circling the group for comments and having some silent thinking time when emotions run high Guide for Giving Constructive Feedback Be descriptive and speak for yourself Don't use labels, exaggerate, or be judgmental

Talk first about yourself, not about the other person Phrase the issue as a statement, not a question Restrict your feedback to things you know for certain Help people hear and accept your compliments when giving positive feedback

Receiving Feedback Breathe Listen carefully Ask questions for clarity Acknowledge the feedback Acknowledge the valid points Take time to sort out what you heard Recipe for a Successful Team Commitment to shared goals and objectives Clearly define roles and responsibilities o Use best skills of each o Allows each to develop in all areas Effective systems and processes o Clear communication o Beneficial team behaviors o Well-defined decision procedures o Use of scientific approach o Balanced participation o Established ground rules o Awareness of the group process

GoT 2002 Professional Development April 2002 Good Personal Relationships

compiled by Tiffany Barnes

Roles of the Teacher/ Camp Counselor

(adapted from: http://www.union-city.k12.nj.us/innovations/studentp/peercoach/coop/role.html)

Setting Task and Positive Interdependence Explaining Task Structuring Positive Goal Interdependence Structuring Individual Accountability Structuring Intra-group Cooperation Explaining Criteria for Success Specifying Desired Behaviors Monitoring & Intervening o Providing Task Assistance, and closure to tasks o Monitoring Student Behavior & Intervening when necessary Management Decisions o Arranging the Team in the room o Planning the Materials o Assigning Roles Teacher's Role o Facilitator, Guide, Co-learner Teachers Create Opportunities for Students o To work collaboratively, to solve problems, to do authentic tasks, to share knowledge and responsibility, rich learning environments, experiences, and activities

References These tips are compiled from these excellent websites on team/group work: Union City, NJ, Cooperative Learning website:
http://www.union-city.k12.nj.us/innovations/studentp/peercoach/coop/index.html

Team Building
(Alabama Supercomputing Program to Inspire Computational Research in Education): http://www.aspire.cs.uah.edu/aspire/workshops/fall2000/Team_Building.ppt

Building a Successful Team (Patrick Boyle, Center for Families and Children):
http://www.cwru.edu/finadmin/humres/eerel/team.pdf