Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Study Skills class recommendations needed

This is one reason I think the oft-dreaded group projects, and presentations, can have real value. It obviously depends on how the projects/presentations are implemented, but if well done, they have great value. It’s one way where ‘differentiation’ can happen organically, and if done thoughtfully, can be a real learning experience.
This was done really well in my kids’ foreign language classes- they were constantly preparing videos, written work and oral presentations (for obvious reasons). For some reason, it was less well-done in English courses, though there was certainly emphasis on written work there. DD had a great class in AP bio where this was done particularly well. The lab portion had a lot of focus on communication, which took it well beyond the basic lab. For some labs, groups had to prepare posters, as in a scientific poster session, and present them. They did serious critiquing of each other’s posters, as well- lots of emphasis on reasoning, but also clear, effective communication.
It is one of the main reasons we found the science olympiad team to be valuable, as well (and something I suspect kids also learn in other team settings, to some degree). In our experience, any smart kid can self-study advanced topics (minor hyperbole, I admit), but learning to work well together and balance workload and responsibilities, discover and respect and use each kids individual areas of strength, for the greater success of a group- that is an entirely different thing. There was a significant emphasis here on writing clearly, oral communication and managing group dynamics, motivations, egos, etc. And I agree, it’s difficult to teach unless it is valued by both the teacher and the learner (and this is probably less and less common, as there is not a ready-made assessment to measure this kind of thing).