My Topic: Group Work Revisited

I've discussed group work a lot in my blog posts. However, I want to revisit it because of how prominent it is in my service learning classroom.

In my EDU 220 class, we've discussed two types of grouping. These are random grouping, and purposeful grouping. Random grouping is exactly what it sounds like; students are put together in groups randomly. Some advantages of random grouping is that everyone is assigned a task, and it can be done quickly if a teacher makes the spur of the moment decision to group together students for an assignment. However, it can create unequal groups based on students' individual strengths and weaknesses. For example, if a class is learning a new math concept and students are placed into random groups to complete an assignment, every student in one group may really struggle with this particular math concept, while every student in another group may excel at it.

Purposeful grouping differs from random grouping because it's the deliberate placing of students into certain groups where strengths and weaknesses can be balanced. There are many advantages to purposeful grouping. It helps to create a balance of knowledge in groups, so that students can share their strengths that might be another student's weakness. It also helps to mix student personalities and build community in the classroom. However, it can be very time consuming to plan out the groups so that students can have the most success.

In my service learning classroom, the teacher has done a lot of purposeful grouping. She places students together so that there is a fair balance of knowledge, and everyone can contribute to the work. When I asked her why she prefers purposeful grouping over random grouping, she told me that it allows her students to work to their best potential and best understand the material being taught. They can better help each other, and it allows the students to get to know each other better. When the students are split into their groups, they go with either their teacher, an ELL aide, or myself. I've worked with all of the students at least once, and I've seen them work in their different groups. The sense of classroom community has truly strengthened as the students learn to respect what their peers understand and what they don't understand.

I personally prefer purposeful grouping because it brings a balance to the group dynamic. In my EDU 220 class, we've often worked in purposeful groupings, and I've really enjoyed getting to know my classmates and contribute to our group work with my own individual strengths. I think it can really benefit ELL students because it helps struggling students to understand, as well as help their other classmates. When I am a teacher, I want to make it a goal to take the time to use purposeful grouping because I think it can best benefit my students, and I want them to be able to succeed to the best of their abilities.