Taylor Wood

Parkside School
Fall 2014
Name: Taylor Wood
School: Parkside Junior High, Redcliff AB.
Practicum Dates: Aug. 25 Dec. 19, 2014
Teacher Mentor: Lloyd Bray
School Administrator: Daryn Miller
Faculty Mentor: Janice Rahn
Professional Development Inquiry Project
Assigned
Activity
Individual
Silent
Reading

Individual
Silent
Reading:
Adaptations

Expert
Groups meet
to create
groups notes

Observations/Adaptations: Observations/Adaptations: Observations/Adaptations:

Low Academics, Group A
Standard Academics ,
High Academics, Group B
Group B
Multiple individuals
Generally well
Request to work in
disruptive, struggle
behaved, save for
groups
with sustained
certain individuals
Well behaved,
silence
Some struggle with
most students do
Reading skill and
expectation to read
not struggle with
comprehension
alone
maintaining silence
particularly low
Have reason to
Many students
question retention
simply pretending
of information read
to read required
materials
Establish early on that those students causing a disruption will be removed
from the room
Identify those students who are seriously struggling with individual reading and
read with them outside the room
Allow group reading in small pods, two to three students per group
Read to the class, allowing those who wish to read individually to go into the
hall or an available room
Assign some manner of assessment (formative or summative)to insure students
comprehend/retain material covered
Require almost
Surprisingly
Must find more
constant
productive with
balanced approach
prompting
even the typically
to selecting groups
disruptive students
(cards, assigned #s
Certain individuals
on task
etc.)
causing frequent
distraction to other
Groups respond
Generally
group members
well to prompt
productive though
questions
some groups more
See typically
productive than
quieter students
Insure students
others
leading the groups,
know that if they

Taylor Wood
Parkside School
Fall 2014
cannot work
Stress that they are
effectively in a
meant to be
group they well be
working as pods
required to work
and need to
alone, stress group
collaborate
work as a privilege
Assign, or have students assume, specific roles in groups
Provide prompt questions to guide student discussion,
brainstorm important aspects they should be addressing as a class ahead of
time
Encourage students to speak in turns, mirror some manner of speaking circle
technique (speaking stick?)
Students who cannot work to satisfaction will be removed from their groups a
required to complete the assignment individually
Strictly enforce proper pod seating
Emphasize to students the proper posture/seating arrangements needed to
encourage group discussion and collaboration
Task not completed
Do not allow more
Productive, though
as intended
than two groups to
did not need as
through groups
leave the room
much time
works surprisingly
Allow only trusted
Again only allow
well and
groups to leave the
trusted groups to
accomplished all
room
leave the room
required goals
Certain individuals
Created less
With assistance of
should not be
detailed note than
additional
allowed to leave
other sections
instructor even the
the room
In future if working
most difficult
Enforce proper pod
in large groups
groups worked
seating
have instructor
exceptionally well.
form groups
Allow to elect own
Certain students
partners in future?
should not be
allowed to work in
the same groups
Mirror proper peer teaching techniques to students, this will likely take several
classes to establish
Provide plenty of class time for student led activities
Work in smaller groups, manually form them if working in groups larger than
three
Provide basic framework of possible activities such as basic activities students
can adapt to their own materials
Shows great
Students need
Very quiet,
difficulty in forming
examples of what it
separate into
proper groups
means to be a peer
groups well
teacher,
express
a
Cannot be
Students need
though they are
typically hesitant to
speak to their
group members

Expert
Groups meet
to create
groups notes:
Adaptations

Devising peer
teaching
activities

Devising peer
teaching
activities:
Adaptations

Expert
group/Peer
Teaching

Taylor Wood
Parkside School
Fall 2014

Expert
group/Peer
Teaching:
Adaptations

Research and
multi-media
presentation
project

expected to selfcertain level of

examples of what it
organize, will
confusion towards
means to be a peer
always need some
the expectations of
teacher, typically
form of teacher
the activity
just exchange
intervention when
notes with other
Most groups
forming groups
students
worked well save
Students need
for certain
Some groups
examples of what it
individuals
hesitant to talk to
means to be a peer
each other/limited
All but one or two
teacher, express a
group conversation
individuals can be
certain level of
trusted to work
Use smaller groups
confusion towards
outside the room
in future, typically
the expectations of
no more than three
In future this class
the activity
will require manual
Social pariah
groups if working
aspect, what do
in more than pairs
with students
everyone does not
want to work with?
Again, spend time prior to this activity demonstrating basic peer teaching
techniques and have easily adapted activities ready to go
Limit group sizes, have experts groups assigned before begin the class
In future this project would be better served if structured as a
research/multimedia presentation
Still questioning what to do with those students no one wishes to work with
whether it is maturity or behavioral issues or even just poor attendance. Have
these students work alone? Seems this would only ostracize them further.
Self-selected
Self-selected
Self-selected
groups
groups
groups
Worked well once
Worked well once
Some groups far
in the lab
in the lab
more attentive
than others
Groups respond
Groups respond
well to prompt
well to prompt
All groups
questions and are
questions and are
progressing at
able to describe
able to describe
different rates,
their selected topic
their selected topic
some getting quite
in sufficient detail
in sufficient detail
far in a single
period while others
Students could
Students could
struggle to get
identify application
identify application
started.
of found data
of found data, and
filter content
according to their
needs
Students eager to
pursue specific
aspects of

Taylor Wood
Parkside School
Fall 2014

Research and
multi-media
presentation
project:
continued

Research and
multi-media
presentation
project:
Adaptations
Biography
Research

researched content
Long periods on
Students eager and
In future this class
Mondays, great
on task
may not be
time to be in the
allowed to form
Tired/lethargic
lab, allows extra
their own groups
given it was first
time for weaker
period on a
Assign group
class
Monday
member roles if
In future this class
working in more
Most well
may not be
than pairs
underway, should
allowed to form
be finished in a
Be on top of
their own groups
single additional
students for noise
class
levels, some
Most groups
working well,
students
Some may
certain individuals
exceptionally loud
scramble to get
should not be
done but overall
Smaller groups and
allowed to work
appropriate time
larger workloads
together in the
has been given
would work better
future
for this class
Do not allow
certain students to
derail class, simply
remove them once
they become a
distraction
Allowed for socially
anxious student to
present their
project to me
outside class rather
than to the group
If allowing students to self-select groups add the stipulation that it cannot be
someone they have worked with before, mixes up students and makes it so
problem groups are unlikely to reform
Institute clock partners mechanic to decide groups
Adjust assignments and workloads to better address student abilities
Group lost 2
Large majority of
Similar concerns as
periods of work
students working
that of B group
time to holiday and
well, however
Students used time
extra-curricular
certain students off
wisely
activities
task
Some students
Assignment is
To what point do
leaving completion
altered to reflect
you allow students
of their
the limited time
to waste their own
assignments till the
available to
work time? Raises
last minute
complete the
questions of self Similar to B group
assignment
management and
to what point do

Taylor Wood
Parkside School
Fall 2014

Biography
Research:
Adaptations

personal
you allow them to
responsibility
waste their own
time?
Am concerned that
if given the
Use working
minimum
outside the
requirements
classroom as a
students will aim
privilege given only
only for the
to those showing
minimum
they can handle it
Would be advisable
Provide a clear
to give them
layout of the time
expanded
available to
expectations so
complete the
that they might
assignment
aim for that.
Overall students
used time wisely
Outline the time available to complete the assignment when first introducing
the assignment, this can later be revised if more time is needed
Clearly outline the expectations for those students working outside the room.
Students are to take all supplies with them when they leave, no coming back
and forth repeatedly, not talking with other groups outside the room or
students from other classes. Cell phones are to stay within the room and work
must be getting done or students must return to the room
Work extremely
well when given
exact requirements
of what needs to
be done

Conclusion:
Over the course of this project it was my overall goal to attempt to create a comparative guide for
beginning teachers for implementing group activities into the classroom. My original intention had been
to categorize my observations around three separate categories that I believed offered a general
summarization of the three grade 8 sections I instructed in social studies. What quickly became obvious
however was that these categories would be an inaccurate representation of the students in these
groups, particularly Group B who I had originally characterized as having serious behavioral problems in
the classroom. What quickly became apparent however was that students rarely fit so conveniently into
easily defined categories. This became particularly obvious with Group B who became the most
manageable class shortly after starting the project and implementing some simple classroom
management techniques. I do however feel I achieved my main goal with this project which is the
development of my own classroom management strategies in regards to group activities.
One of my primary conclusions is that one must always seriously consider the consequences of
allowing students to choose their own groups. For the vast majority of students this privilege will
present no issue as they are more than capable of identifying peers they work well with and those with
which they will accomplish little, yet it will consistently present a problem with specific types of

Taylor Wood
Parkside School
Fall 2014
students. Self-selected groups will consistently present a problem with anti-social students who will
repeatedly choose to work on their own, certain students will only work with specific friends regardless
of how much work they accomplish, and I have found unmotivated students will inevitably gravitate
towards each other. Issues such as these can largely be avoided by forming the groups yourself or
having some strategy in place to quickly form assigned groups. Another aspect I found vital was that
one must always inform the class exactly how long they have to complete the assignment when
introducing the assignment, elsewise students will invariably waste the first few classes believing they
have limitless time. Knowing what time is available to them to complete a project greatly increases
students ability to self-regulate during work periods. If it becomes apparent that students need more
or less time once they have begun working on the project they can be informed of the change.
Although this project failed to fall within the structure I had originally proposed I still feel the
undertaking was more than worthwhile. Through observation and reflection I have identified several
logistical and instructional concerns that have been immensely valuable during this term and will
continue to be in future teaching positions. Over all I feel I have only begun to scratch at the complexity
of my guiding question of whether project and group based learning can be used to address common
classroom management issues. While it is obvious that projects and group work can alleviate certain
concerns such as talking during instruction and excessive fidgeting these assignments raise a host of
separate concerns that at times can seem no less daunting. Generally however I found that by
observing what was successful and what failed miserably I was able to adjust my teaching methods and
assignment designs in order to maximize student productivity and success.