|
|
Time
10 - 20 hours
Module Description
This optional module introduces students to situations that might require them to write as a member of a team. The module stresses the importance of communication skills in such a situation, and examines the differences between individual and team writing, both in purpose and process. The module encourages students to extend their organizational and group management skills.
Purposes
Foundational Objectives
Specific Learning Objectives
Suggested Topics
Team Communication
Managing Collaborative Writing Projects
Preparing Manuals
Other Forms of Team Writing (e.g., television)
Suggested Resources
Teacher Information for Module 15
All of the effective writing practices featured in this curriculum apply just as validly to writing that is co-authored as they do to independent writing. However, when a writer works as part of a writing team, there are additional challenges to be me t.
Effective writing teams know why they exist and what they intend to accomplish. They know their responsibilities, resources, strengths, and weaknesses. They know how to communicate well.
Some characteristics of effective team communication are listed below:
Managing Collaborative Writing Projects
Writing in groups presents a unique challenge. Individuals have different interests, different backgrounds, and different attitudes toward writing. Following are several processes which are necessary for the management of effective team writing experiences.
Team Building
Students working on a project will spend a great deal of time together, and at some point may be asked to put team goals ahead of their own. Therefore, they need to make a conscious effort to learn more about each other.
Practising basic democracy is another aspect of team building. Every member needs to be given a chance to speak, and respect must be shown for each person's ideas.
Analysis of the Task
The group must analyze the task to be done so that each member has the same interpretation. They must consider the major questions to be answered concerning the writing project (e.g., What is the purpose of this document? Who is going to need it?).
Management of the Writing Itself
The writing task should be divided into sections. The group can then decide which individuals or teams will work on each section, and plan how long each activity should take. The most common ways to do this are to make an outline of the document or a n outline of the steps that will occur in the writing process. Either approach may be used to divide up the tasks.
When the group members have identified the work that is to be done, they must make some decisions regarding the following:
Management of Time
Time deadlines affect group writing tasks constantly. Not only must the group find a common time to get together, but they must see that each section of the project gets accomplished in a reasonable amount of time.
To keep the writing on schedule, it is a good idea to post a large chart or graph on the bulletin board, displaying both the names of the sections to be completed and the estimated dates of completion (e.g., a type of line graph or bar graph). As each task is finished it can be shaded in; everyone can then see at a glance how the work is progressing. An alternate idea would be to post sections of the work itself, using a type of storyboard format.
Management of Document Stages
In a large writing project, keeping track of the document itself can be a problem, both at the beginning when the work is so spread out, and later on when individuals start making revisions. Often, writers complete as many as six or eight revisions. It becomes difficult to know if the version you are reading is the latest one. Writers need to find a way to keep track of what is being written.
Management of Style and Format
It is a good idea for the group to develop a style and format guide at the very beginning of the writing project. The group should consider questions like the following:
Agreement and understanding regarding basic style and format will make the final editing of the document an easier task.
Conflict Management
Conflicts of both personalities and ideas are common in writing groups. Groups need to face these conflicts and respond to them directly.
If there appears to be a personality conflict between two group members, other members should take steps to resolve the conflict as soon as they become aware that it exists. They need to find the source of the problem. For example, does one group member feel over worked? Is credit for work done being given in an unfair manner? If group members know what the problem is, there is a good chance they can find a way to reach a satisfactory resolution.
Careful management of group meetings are essential for all members to remain receptive to new ideas. One or two group members should not be allowed to dominate group discussion. One technique that will allow for more individual involvement is that of
polling each member every so often. The group leader or meeting chairperson can ask each group member in turn what she or he thinks of an idea, giving all members time to talk. As a result there will be more ideas, more discussion, and better solutions
.
Suggested Activities for Module 15
This section includes brief descriptions of activities that teachers can use for this module. The activities are suggestions only, and teachers should adapt and add other activities appropriate for their students and teaching styles.
| Note: Teachers should take care to introduce all activities within the context of their applicability to effective communication in personal life, work, and lifelong learning. Activities and projects should be relevant to students' lives, and whenever possible students should create their own scenarios for communication projects. Mini-lessons related to module content and language processes should be taught to individual students, small groups, or the whole class as demanded by need. |
Activity: Consensus
Have students work in teams of four or five. The task is to have the team reach consensus on the solution to a problem related to the school somehow. The following are examples:
Students can proceed by defining the problem, brainstorming solutions, evaluating possible solutions, and selecting a solution. They should be reminded that consensus means all group members agree. If a solution is objectionable to even one group member, it should be discarded if that member cannot be convinced to change his or her mind.
Activity: Listening
The purpose of this activity is to have students practise listening to the opinions of others.
Have students work in groups of four or five. Assign each group an issue for discussion. The issue statement should be worded in such a way that a person could agree or disagree with it. The following are examples:
The groups should proceed in the following manner:
Activity: Practice in Writing Step By Step Instructions
Have students prepare a set of instructions (25 to 30 steps) for some process with which they are very familiar: how to teach a dog to sit, how to take a bus from La Ronge to Saskatoon, how to tie a fly for fly-fishing, how to do a skateboard trick.
Students should make ample use of notes, cautions, and warnings. They should organize their instructions into five or six groups under appropriate subheadings, and create diagrams or illustrations as appropriate.
Activity: Collaborative Writing Practice
This project should be done in groups of three or four students.
Give students the following scenario: Your local Chamber of Commerce, which is updating its tourism brochure, feels that certain attractions in your town or city should be described in more detail. Your team has been asked to draft a 250 word description of sites and activities which might be of interest to tourists. Three to five photographs should be used to clarify the description.
Have students work as a team to brainstorm, research, outline, draft, and revise the material which will be submitted to the Chamber of Commerce.
Activity: User Manuals
Have students collect several user manuals from home and the classroom (manuals for appliances, cars, games, computer software, etc.). In small groups, have students compare three different manuals. They should consider the following:
When they have examined the three manuals, they should make a judgement about which manual is the most effective for its purpose. They should present their findings to the rest of the class, explaining the reasons for their selection.
Activity: Group Project
For this project, students will work in a group of four or five. The project will take place in two stages.
Stage 1: Have students "invent" a new product. This product can be practical (e.g., a remote control with which you can control all electronic appliances in your house) or fanciful (a vehicle for space travel). Students should draw diagrams of their invention and imagine as many details as they can.
Stage 2: Have students work as a team to create a user manual to accompany their invention. The manual should be 15 to 20 pages in length. Students should complete their manual in as professional a manner as possible, including diagrams as appropriate. Upon completion of the document, put the manuals on display. Have each group complete a group self-assessment form.
Activity: Television Writing
Television writing is often undertaken and managed by writing teams. If students are interested in this type of writing, have them undertake a group writing project related to a television program (sit com, current events documentary, etc.).
Have students work in a small group to prepare a script for a television program. Have each group complete a group self-assessment form.
Activity: Comic Book
Comic books are also often created by writing teams. The team might create the story idea; then, the tasks could be divided up. Students especially interested in this form might work in a small team to create their own comic book (writer, illustrator, story editor, perhaps).
Have each group complete a group self-assessment form.
| Note: For this module different groups of students might work on different team writing projects, according to their interests. One group of students might choose to write the script for a television sit com; another group might write an instruction manual; another pair of students might work collaboratively to create a comic book, etc. |
| Note: Teachers should conclude each module with discussion or other reflective activity that encourages students to make and understand connections between the module and communication in people's personal lives, work experiences, and lifelong learning. |
Sample Group Self-assessment Form
for Team Writing Project
| Title of Writing Project:
Group Members: 1. How were individual and group tasks decided?
2. What type of schedule was drawn up, and what alterations, if any, were made?
3. How were group meetings worked into the team schedule? Were they useful?
4. What methods were used to keep group members updated on the progress of the document?
5. Was any conflict experienced by the group? If so, how was it managed?
6. Would you say this was successful team writing project? If so, what made it successful? If not, what prevented it from being successful?
|