Most days as field educators, we ask students to do group work. Working cooperatively builds critical communication and collaboration skills. But at the same time, everyone who has worked in a group knows that it can also be a pain! During our Advanced Instructional Strategies graduate course with faculty Aaron Nydam, the grad cohort, too, engaged in group work. Through the process of synthesizing all the teaching strategies we’d studied in the course, we gained a lot of empathy for our past and future students. We realized just how “sloppy,” “messy,” and seemingly “inefficient” project-based learning can be, to use some of Aaron’s apt descriptors. At the same time, we truly came to recognize that project-based learning, at its finest, depends on synergy and creativity and yields a project far better than any one person could produce.
The grad cohort is pleased to present the results of our messy – but fruitful – process: an educator’s resource that outlines instructional strategies and suggested ways to implement them. Enjoy exploring our EduMap! While you are there, fill out this scavenger hunt to be entered to win a TSS hat designed by a local artist. We will draw a winner on March 6th, 2017.
