Say you give kids a group project. You tell them that they are stranded on an island, and they have to build themselves some form of government with jobs that will tend to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. If you don't teach kids how to first work in a group, their government will crash and burn. They need to be taught how to work with others and accept the ideas of everyone. Everyone's voice must be heard in a collaboration.
One of my classmates, Emily, had a good point, however. Certain aspects of collaboration will make students successful. She said that,
"The idea that collaboration skills help children learn to work well with others is a huge benefit. Even in college we do group projects. We probably don't enjoy it entirely, but it happens. In the work force we frequently have to work with our fellow employees whether it be on a specific project or we just have to work as a team in general. This is a valuable life skill that translates to many different areas of life." (Google Docs Comment, Emily).
I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. I don't particularly enjoy group projects. Honestly, I hate them because I have that innate fear that I'll be the one in the group that ends up doing the work. And I'm also, quite honestly, the one that has to be in charge of the project. I am an idea imposer. I prefer to work on my own, but there are so many situations where I will have to work as a team with other people. My job as a teacher will be no exception. I need to collaborate with my fellow teachers and bounce ideas and projects off of them in order to be successful. It doesn't change the fact that I hate group projects, but it just goes to show that it is essential for me to develop skills in collaboration.
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