This entry is part of journal-writing requirement in the Theories of Learning course of the Professional Teaching Certificate program offered by the University of the Philippines Open University.
Hi folks! We just submitted our paper last January 3rd or 4th.
We're a two-person team but we made it!
"Anong Ulam Bukas. A Lesson Guide on Food Security and An Analysis of Learning Processes with Theories in Mind." What a creative title! I wish I could post it here.
Now, on to the reflection. How was the experience?
I will be very transparent here. In one short paragraph, here's what happened during our collaborative endeavor -We started on a good note. Communication became a problem. Shortcomings were admitted. And we moved forward toward collaboration.
It was not perfect but we made the most of the learning experience, I guess? I'm glad it worked out well after all.
What have I learned from working in a group?
I'd say working by pair was relatively easier than my experience with my previous group. Now, that's very honest. This does not mean that the number of members is a vital factor. It could have been. But if a group had 5 members who are all competent, communicative, reliable, and proactive, the activity would still have worked. Good thing, my teammate in Ex.2 was competent, only with a bit of communication problem (R, you know that!!! hehe). Hey, what makes teamwork effective?
What comprises strong and productive teamwork (tools that work)? And how can these components be optimized so I can become a better co-thinker and team collaborator in future activities?
Anong ulam bukas? These are the ingredients of an effective and productive teamwork.
Honesty. We have been honest with each other. When my partner stopped communicating in Messenger, I panicked because the due date was closing in. Apparently, she worked offline. She apologized. Then she provided some points for moving on. That's very good. If we're honest about our thoughts and emotions, and honest enough to admit our mistakes, we could move forward. Understanding also played its part here!
Responsibility. We knew our roles well. We recognized the importance of teamwork. Initially, we had to assign tasks on which we could focus on. So I suggested doing what we are good at - I was a high school teacher so I focused on writing the learning activities and how the theories could be applied in each learning activity. My partner is good in analysis and have had some experience in data analysis so she worked on that. Utilizing our strengths, we sailed on to our journey. We set a date for collaboration - express our ideas and provide constructive criticism.
Accountability. This is related to responsibility which refers to someone's duty to perform an assigned task or set of responsibilities. Accountability, to me, is a checkbox - concerned with the consequences of someone's action. We had to be accountable to one another. After the initial communication problem, I asked that we should keep our communication open. I had a communication problem myself when I could not send her a message on messenger but I used the Google Drive file to keep in touch with her and inform her about the situation. I also used email to which she immediately and actively replied to. We made sure we're accountable to one another as our actions will have consequences on our peer assessment.
Competence. We focused on our strengths. She's good in research and adding structure. I'm confident of my learning design skills and application of theories. We capitalized on each other's strengths.
Commitment. We aimed for our submission date. We committed to reaching our collective goal.
To transform disagreements and conflict situations into a more positive interaction, the first three factors are crucial - honesty to express discontent, share points for improvement, and recognition of mistakes. Humility is the first step to reconciliation. Understanding is the ointment that heals the cut. Responsibility and accountability are correlated elements that are crucial in any group activity. The first implies carrying out the task and the latter implies what happens when the task is not undertaken. To prevent conflict, everyone should show respect and such will mitigate conflict.
After our team output was submitted, we kept our communication open. This is reminiscent of my experience with my group mates in 2020 with whom I enjoyed collaborating!
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