Okay. First off, the video (below) is a weird one, but it's filled with good stuff - I promise!! So, I'm going to ask you to pretend you're listening to a Podcast - BTW - The OnTeamBuilding Podcast is launching soon....stay tuned - so this will be practice. I got to work with Kim's Crew recently for about 20 minutes (Kim's old Crew helped with some FUNdoing videos last year), but I did not have all the permission to film releases for this new group, so the focus of the video is only on hands and the box-top we worked with (seriously, if you are prone to seizures, don't watch the video - just listen).
Background: I'm collaborating (with a virtual friend - we have never met in person!) on an online course called, Team Building with Letter Tiles, that will include old favorites and new challenges (using large letter tiles). This Pangram Project is a new one I've been working on. In this version we used small (Bananagram) letter tiles and plan to go Jumbo (Bananagrams) when we work out the process.
Below is a partial transcript of my interaction with Kim's Middle School Crew. When you see the part that says, Video Starts Here - that's where the video starts (obvious, I know). The transcript before the start of the video was my discussion with the Crew before the activity. (I wanted to spare you some, pointing at the ground footage - I was basically recording myself through the wireless microphone that goes through my smartphone camera, then pointed my camera at the action.)
Nuff said. This is a long one, but I think there are good take-aways. Let me know your ideas about the activity.
Chris
Background: I'm collaborating (with a virtual friend - we have never met in person!) on an online course called, Team Building with Letter Tiles, that will include old favorites and new challenges (using large letter tiles). This Pangram Project is a new one I've been working on. In this version we used small (Bananagram) letter tiles and plan to go Jumbo (Bananagrams) when we work out the process.
Below is a partial transcript of my interaction with Kim's Middle School Crew. When you see the part that says, Video Starts Here - that's where the video starts (obvious, I know). The transcript before the start of the video was my discussion with the Crew before the activity. (I wanted to spare you some, pointing at the ground footage - I was basically recording myself through the wireless microphone that goes through my smartphone camera, then pointed my camera at the action.)
Nuff said. This is a long one, but I think there are good take-aways. Let me know your ideas about the activity.
Chris
Pangram Project Pre-Conversation Transcript (with Kim's middle school Crew)
Chris (C)
What is team building to you? What does team building mean to you? Obviously, team building is, team building, but what does that mean? You've done team building right? Maybe on your wilderness trips you did some team building things...
Student (S)
Working as a group...
S
Doing things together...
S
Figuring out problems together...
C
Doing things together. That's a key word. You could do things by yourself, but when you work as a team you figure out things together.
Let's play a little, then afterwards I'll ask how we were team building.
As with all activities I'll share with you, you are not required to take an active part. If you want to stand back and keep an eye on the team to see what we're doing you can share your observations about how we did as a team after the activity is over. And, if you want to take an active part at any time let us know and we'll get you involved.
This is how it works. There are 26 letters on top of this box, A through Z. If you want to play come up and step around closer to the box. If you want to just watch you can stay where you are. If you want to move closer up behind the group and watch, feel free to do that.
This is going to be a team project. It has three parts [and we actually added a fourth part - shown in the video]. Part 1 - everyone that chooses to be a part of this project has to have some letters. Your role and responsibility is to keep track of your letters.
For Part 1, you will need to figure out who has what letters. As a group, you're going to touch the letters in order, however you want to do that. Everyone that's in play should have at least one letter if not more than one. Whatever you think you can handle. Decide together who is taking and touching what letters.
(Video Starts Here)
Part 1 is touching the letters A through Z in order with everyone, in play, touching at least one of those letters. Whenever you are ready, you can begin Part 1.....
(Students choose and touch their letters and then put in one more round for practice)
[Introducing Part 2]
At any point in the project you can always practice. If someone says, "Can I practice a bit more," you can stop the group and set this up and practice.
So, here's Part 2 if you're ready, unless you need to practice?
This next Round (Part), you're going to flip your letter over - you touch it, then flip it over in order. In Part 2, here's what's going to happen. You're going to flip the tiles back over, in order, A to Z. So, if you need to practice before you flip the tiles over, get some more practice. When you're ready for Part 2 we're going to do the flip-over thing.
Does anyone need to practice one more time?
Kim (of Kim's Crew)
Do you feel confident with where your letters are by just looking at it - once you can't see the letters. What do you think?
(An orah of student consensus for moving on.)
Okay, going on to Part 2? Alright. Is it going to be okay to say fail? Because, if we make a mistake, some people call it failing.
Kim
First attempt in learning.
C
Is it going to be okay to make mistakes?
Students (Ss)
Yah...
C
What are we doing with mistake?
Ss
We're learning from them.
C
We're learning from them. Then we're moving on. Trying it over. Getting better.
Alright. So, this time, we're into Part 2 of the project. Part 3 is the final exam. We'll get to that in just a moment.
So, when you touch your letter (this time), touch it and then turn it over - in order.
(students turn over letters in order...all letters tiles are face down)
C
Okay. Are you ready? (I'm a little nervous) Are you ready to try?
Ss
Yes....
C
Okay, here we go...
(students turn over letters in order...without any mistakes)
C
Nicely done! Anyone a little nervous about turning over their letter?
Ss
Yes.....
C
Talking about team building. How...would you define what we're doing as team building?
S
We're remembering where we put it [our letters]...we're working together so we all can figure out where it is.
C
So, you are remembering your part.
S
Yah
C
Your role and responsibility, as part of a team. Right?
Anything else about team on this one?
Kim
Success as a whole?
C
Were you successful?
Ss
Yah
C
Even if you missed a couple, would you still be successful? That's still an 'A' probably.
Ss
Yah
C
Yah. You've got to define your success.
Kim (in the background)
We're helping each other out.
C
Anything else about being a team in this situation?
S (maybe picking up what Kim said?)
We're helping each other out if we forget where a letter is.
C
Yah. I think someone wasn't sure, and someone said, "no, maybe..." So we can help each other out. That's good too, right?
Are you ready for the Final Exam, or do you want to try this Round (Part) one more time?
Kim
I noticed a lot of focus in our group during that round. Do you think we're ready?
Ss
Yes...
C
Okay. Let's get ready for Round (Part) 3, you are going to turn your letters over in order, A to Z. We're going to get ready for the final exam. (students turn letters over, face down again)
C
Do you work on group projects in school?
Ss
Yah
C
What are important things for you about a group project? When you're in a group, what do you like to see happen in a group?
S
Everybody working together.
C
Everybody working together. And, what is one behavior, that when everybody's working together they're doing? What are the things you can see and hear?
S
Focused
C
Focused...on the project. Versus being sidetracked...
S
Yah
C
Anything else you would like to see and hear while working with a group?
S
Communication
C
Talking to each other?
S
Yes.
C
Is it, nicely talking to each other? Or yelling at each other, or...
S
Nicely
C
Nicely. So, calmly, nicely. Intonation is important to you.
Anything else about a project that you like to see when you're working together?
S
Everybody doing their part.
C
Everybody doing their part. Do you all have a part?
Ss
Yah
C
What is your part in this project?
S
"E, P, S"
C
E, P, S [this person's letters]. Oh, I like that. You all have your letters, right? And you feel confident about your part of the project?
Ss
Yes....
C
Is it going to be okay to make mistakes?
Ss
Yup, Yes, Yah...
C
Here's Part 3. Anybody know what a Pangram is? [A sentence that includes all the letters of the alphabet. The pangram challenge is to create the shortest, proper, sentence using all 26 letters.
(See Video. Setting up Part 3 - spell the words in a pangram.)
Part 3: Participants are required to spell the words of the Pangram - flipping letters over in the order of spelling the word in play.
Pangram we used: (31 Letters) The five boxing wizards jump quickly.
(Lots of good stuff in here...)
C (after successfully spelling all words in the first pangram presented)
Help me out with this. What do you think about this as a team building activity? What are some things [this activity] does to build a team? What does it help us practice?
S
We're communicating together.
C
Talking to each other. And, talking nicely to each other. You weren't yelling or making fun of anybody. That's a good quality.
S
We were focused.
C
Seemed to be very focused, especially on our part.
S
Right.
C
And then there are others able to focus on other people's part. It depends on the kind of learner [you are]. Anything else this helps to build a group of people?
Kim
I noticed there was no judgement. We were able to do our part. Sometimes when I'm working with High Schoolers, and they're working in a group, they are quick to judge on how somebody's doing something. But, I know that I was focused on other stuff, and I missed my letter, but nobody was, "come on Kim" giving me a hard time about that at all. Everybody was...
Teacher in the Crew
...supportive...
Kim
Kind and patient. Yah, supportive.
C
[There was a time when] you got stuck...what did a 'teacher' (Kim) do, as a role of a teacher, what did the teacher do to help you?
S
She said, "let's practice"...
C
Sometimes people have advice that can help you move forward. Sometimes you've just got to restart and go from the beginning. But that was a great way...to practice without even looking at the letters.
New: Part 4 (Spontaneous experiment with this.)
Players 'train' the person to their left what letters they have - so, everyone will then have a new letter or letters to remember.
Training occurred, then, with the limited time we had left, players flipped over the letters from A to Z without any mistakes - each person flipping over his/her new letter or letters.
[This was about 70% of the conversations that took place during the activity. Lots more in the video.]
Chris (C)
What is team building to you? What does team building mean to you? Obviously, team building is, team building, but what does that mean? You've done team building right? Maybe on your wilderness trips you did some team building things...
Student (S)
Working as a group...
S
Doing things together...
S
Figuring out problems together...
C
Doing things together. That's a key word. You could do things by yourself, but when you work as a team you figure out things together.
Let's play a little, then afterwards I'll ask how we were team building.
As with all activities I'll share with you, you are not required to take an active part. If you want to stand back and keep an eye on the team to see what we're doing you can share your observations about how we did as a team after the activity is over. And, if you want to take an active part at any time let us know and we'll get you involved.
This is how it works. There are 26 letters on top of this box, A through Z. If you want to play come up and step around closer to the box. If you want to just watch you can stay where you are. If you want to move closer up behind the group and watch, feel free to do that.
This is going to be a team project. It has three parts [and we actually added a fourth part - shown in the video]. Part 1 - everyone that chooses to be a part of this project has to have some letters. Your role and responsibility is to keep track of your letters.
For Part 1, you will need to figure out who has what letters. As a group, you're going to touch the letters in order, however you want to do that. Everyone that's in play should have at least one letter if not more than one. Whatever you think you can handle. Decide together who is taking and touching what letters.
(Video Starts Here)
Part 1 is touching the letters A through Z in order with everyone, in play, touching at least one of those letters. Whenever you are ready, you can begin Part 1.....
(Students choose and touch their letters and then put in one more round for practice)
[Introducing Part 2]
At any point in the project you can always practice. If someone says, "Can I practice a bit more," you can stop the group and set this up and practice.
So, here's Part 2 if you're ready, unless you need to practice?
This next Round (Part), you're going to flip your letter over - you touch it, then flip it over in order. In Part 2, here's what's going to happen. You're going to flip the tiles back over, in order, A to Z. So, if you need to practice before you flip the tiles over, get some more practice. When you're ready for Part 2 we're going to do the flip-over thing.
Does anyone need to practice one more time?
Kim (of Kim's Crew)
Do you feel confident with where your letters are by just looking at it - once you can't see the letters. What do you think?
(An orah of student consensus for moving on.)
Okay, going on to Part 2? Alright. Is it going to be okay to say fail? Because, if we make a mistake, some people call it failing.
Kim
First attempt in learning.
C
Is it going to be okay to make mistakes?
Students (Ss)
Yah...
C
What are we doing with mistake?
Ss
We're learning from them.
C
We're learning from them. Then we're moving on. Trying it over. Getting better.
Alright. So, this time, we're into Part 2 of the project. Part 3 is the final exam. We'll get to that in just a moment.
So, when you touch your letter (this time), touch it and then turn it over - in order.
(students turn over letters in order...all letters tiles are face down)
C
Okay. Are you ready? (I'm a little nervous) Are you ready to try?
Ss
Yes....
C
Okay, here we go...
(students turn over letters in order...without any mistakes)
C
Nicely done! Anyone a little nervous about turning over their letter?
Ss
Yes.....
C
Talking about team building. How...would you define what we're doing as team building?
S
We're remembering where we put it [our letters]...we're working together so we all can figure out where it is.
C
So, you are remembering your part.
S
Yah
C
Your role and responsibility, as part of a team. Right?
Anything else about team on this one?
Kim
Success as a whole?
C
Were you successful?
Ss
Yah
C
Even if you missed a couple, would you still be successful? That's still an 'A' probably.
Ss
Yah
C
Yah. You've got to define your success.
Kim (in the background)
We're helping each other out.
C
Anything else about being a team in this situation?
S (maybe picking up what Kim said?)
We're helping each other out if we forget where a letter is.
C
Yah. I think someone wasn't sure, and someone said, "no, maybe..." So we can help each other out. That's good too, right?
Are you ready for the Final Exam, or do you want to try this Round (Part) one more time?
Kim
I noticed a lot of focus in our group during that round. Do you think we're ready?
Ss
Yes...
C
Okay. Let's get ready for Round (Part) 3, you are going to turn your letters over in order, A to Z. We're going to get ready for the final exam. (students turn letters over, face down again)
C
Do you work on group projects in school?
Ss
Yah
C
What are important things for you about a group project? When you're in a group, what do you like to see happen in a group?
S
Everybody working together.
C
Everybody working together. And, what is one behavior, that when everybody's working together they're doing? What are the things you can see and hear?
S
Focused
C
Focused...on the project. Versus being sidetracked...
S
Yah
C
Anything else you would like to see and hear while working with a group?
S
Communication
C
Talking to each other?
S
Yes.
C
Is it, nicely talking to each other? Or yelling at each other, or...
S
Nicely
C
Nicely. So, calmly, nicely. Intonation is important to you.
Anything else about a project that you like to see when you're working together?
S
Everybody doing their part.
C
Everybody doing their part. Do you all have a part?
Ss
Yah
C
What is your part in this project?
S
"E, P, S"
C
E, P, S [this person's letters]. Oh, I like that. You all have your letters, right? And you feel confident about your part of the project?
Ss
Yes....
C
Is it going to be okay to make mistakes?
Ss
Yup, Yes, Yah...
C
Here's Part 3. Anybody know what a Pangram is? [A sentence that includes all the letters of the alphabet. The pangram challenge is to create the shortest, proper, sentence using all 26 letters.
(See Video. Setting up Part 3 - spell the words in a pangram.)
Part 3: Participants are required to spell the words of the Pangram - flipping letters over in the order of spelling the word in play.
Pangram we used: (31 Letters) The five boxing wizards jump quickly.
(Lots of good stuff in here...)
C (after successfully spelling all words in the first pangram presented)
Help me out with this. What do you think about this as a team building activity? What are some things [this activity] does to build a team? What does it help us practice?
S
We're communicating together.
C
Talking to each other. And, talking nicely to each other. You weren't yelling or making fun of anybody. That's a good quality.
S
We were focused.
C
Seemed to be very focused, especially on our part.
S
Right.
C
And then there are others able to focus on other people's part. It depends on the kind of learner [you are]. Anything else this helps to build a group of people?
Kim
I noticed there was no judgement. We were able to do our part. Sometimes when I'm working with High Schoolers, and they're working in a group, they are quick to judge on how somebody's doing something. But, I know that I was focused on other stuff, and I missed my letter, but nobody was, "come on Kim" giving me a hard time about that at all. Everybody was...
Teacher in the Crew
...supportive...
Kim
Kind and patient. Yah, supportive.
C
[There was a time when] you got stuck...what did a 'teacher' (Kim) do, as a role of a teacher, what did the teacher do to help you?
S
She said, "let's practice"...
C
Sometimes people have advice that can help you move forward. Sometimes you've just got to restart and go from the beginning. But that was a great way...to practice without even looking at the letters.
New: Part 4 (Spontaneous experiment with this.)
Players 'train' the person to their left what letters they have - so, everyone will then have a new letter or letters to remember.
Training occurred, then, with the limited time we had left, players flipped over the letters from A to Z without any mistakes - each person flipping over his/her new letter or letters.
[This was about 70% of the conversations that took place during the activity. Lots more in the video.]
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