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LEARNING AND EVALUATION SITUATION CREATING A SCARY PHOTOSTORY Creating a Scary Photostory A Learning and Evaluation Situation English as a Second Language Secondary One, cycle one Presented by: Team 3 Joannie Painchaud Hélène Jobidon Richard Gosselin Ema handan Presented to: Mrs. Susan Parks, ESL Pedagogy III DID-3920 May 2013

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Page 1: Creating a Scary Photostory · Creating a Scary Photostory is an LES which follows the MELS program's guidelines for Secondary education (Core program, Cycle One). It embraces a communicative

LEARNING AND EVALUATION SITUATION CREATING A SCARY

PHOTOSTORY

Creating a Scary Photostory A Learning and Evaluation Situation

English as a Second Language Secondary One, cycle one

Presented by: Team 3

Joannie Painchaud Hélène Jobidon Richard Gosselin

Ema handan

Presented to: Mrs. Susan Parks, ESL Pedagogy III

DID-3920

May 2013

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LEARNING AND EVALUATION SITUATION CREATING A SCARY

PHOTOSTORY

Presentation

This Learning and Evaluation Situation (LES) is built around a meaningful and challenging project, which promotes cooperation: producing a Photostory with ESL secondary students. It is about using technologies to involve students in developing their social and linguistic skills as well as their media literacy skills. Students need to associate the development of their English communicative competency with pleasure; therefore, this project triggers their imagination, self-expression and creativity.

Creating a Scary Photostory is an LES which follows the MELS program's guidelines for

Secondary education (Core program, Cycle One). It embraces a communicative approach to second language learning, fosters exchanges and expression of opinions, and integration of the writing and production process. Therefore, we created our own Photostory which will serve as a model for the deconstruction task and for the creative task.

Enjoy this LES with your students and prepare yourself to be surprised by their engagement

and pride at seeing their final product presented to their peers and even published on the web.

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PHOTOSTORY

Creating a Photostory:

Links with the MELS ESL program Secondary Education, Core Program, 1ST cycle

Targeted ESL Competencies

C1. INTERACTS ORALLY IN ENGLISH

According to the MELS program, “the competency Interacts orally in English is the backdrop for the other competencies as English is the language of communication at all times”(583). In this project, students communicate in English throughout the various tasks. A lot of time is provided in class to encourage students to follow the steps in an ESL learning environment. This competency is evaluated on an ongoing basis. Students reflect on their use of English after each period (see team work evaluation). Rubric for C1 is in Appendix.

Evaluation criteria: Content of the message, pertinence of the message, articulation of the message.

Key feature: Initiates, reacts to, maintains and ends oral interaction.

C2. REINVESTS UNDERSTANDING OF ORAL AND WRITTEN TEXTS

According to the MELS program, “the competency Reinvests understanding of texts gives students the opportunity to use and integrate newly acquired knowledge. They listen to, read and view a variety of authentic popular, literary and information-based texts in order to explore ideas and issues associated with the cultures of the English-speaking world, as well as for personal enjoyment (592)”.

In this project, the students view a photostory which is connected with horror movies and scary stories. First, in the trigger activity, the students view a photostory, entitled The Slender Man; react to the media text, share their reactions, and engage minimally in the response process. However, the focus is not on the response process. This competency is not evaluated in this project.

C3. WRITES AND PRODUCES TEXTS

This LES is really oriented on the C3 competency and the three phases of the production process.

“As a teacher, prior to having students do writing, you should provide a MODEL as close as possible to what they have to do. To alert them to the relevant features of what they need to aim for in their writing, you should analyse the model with reference to the internal and external features”. (Course notes ESL Literacy and Language Arts, 2011).

First, with the help of the teacher, in the trigger activity, students examine the text features and recognize the internal and external features of the photostory (deconstructing the text).

Then, the students create their own photostory. They experiment with the three phases of the production process: preproduction, production and postproduction phases.

Teacher evaluates the competency at the end of the project. Rubric for C3 is in Appendix.

Evaluation criteria: Participation in the production process, content of the message, formulation of the message, technical quality, and management of resources

Key features:

Uses a personalized production process.

Builds a personal inventory of writing and production resources (photostory).

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Targeted Cross-Curricular Competencies (CCC)

According to the MELS program, "the cross-curricular competencies are a focal point in all subjects and school activities and can be linked to the three ESL competencies” (MELS 584). The CCC are identified as intellectual, methodological, personal and social, and communication-related competencies.

There is a clear connection between the C3 Writes and produces texts and the CCC Uses information and communication technologies when the students have to use software and digital tools to create their storyboard and photostory. Students develop the CCC use information, use creativity, cooperate with others and communicate appropriately as they interact orally and co-construct with others during the three phases of the production process.

Targeted Broad Areas of Learning (BAL)

The connection of this project with the broad areas of learning is Media Literacy which focuses on the development of understanding of media. The educational aim of the BAL, Media Literacy, is to "enable students to exercise critical, ethical and aesthetic judgment with respect to the media, and to produce media documents that respect individual and collective rights " (MELS, 584).

Targeted Related Content

According to the MELS program (MELS, 597), ESL learners “expand their personal language repertoire as well as their use of communication and learning strategies”. Furthermore, “students use processes to write and produce texts, and to broaden their understanding of text types and text components” (597).

In this LES, there are numerous aspects which are closely related to these elements of the program.

Culture:

The students are in contact with horror and scary stories which have marked the 7th art. They discuss familiar villains and figures that are well-known in the youth culture, in movies, TV series or videogames. Therefore, connections are made with aesthetic aspect of culture and sociolinguistic aspects of culture.

Language Repertoire:

The teacher provides functional language and vocabulary related to the theme of scary stories (characterization, onomatopoeia, descriptive words, theme-related vocabulary, etc.).

Focus on Form:

The teacher draws attention to forms and structures of the English language. In this LES, various subjects can be addressed: e.g. past tense, transition words, adjective word order, onomatopoeia, etc. Also, the teacher can plan language-focus activities to address common errors made by many students in regard to this specific LES.

Production Process:

The teacher goes over and explains the three phases of this process: pre-production, production and post-production. Students explore some social media conventions (layout, sound, image, camera shot, angle, transitions).

Internal and external features of text type:

Students examine and deconstruct the photostory (media text): They notice the internal features (topic, language, text components) and the external features (purpose, audience, culture).

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Targeted Related Content

Strategies (Cognitive/Communication/Social/Affective) Strategies help students to be more aware of the skills they use when learning something new; in this case, writing a scary story in order to produce a Photostory. To carry out this project, the teacher…

models how to use and manage cognitive strategies

elicits or reminds students how to use and manage communication and social/affective strategies (Mels, 599).

Some of the strategies that teacher may model or elicit during this project:

Communication Strategies:

Gesture, Recast, Rephrase

Delay speaking.

Learning Strategies Metacognitive Strategies:

Direct attention: Students pay attention to the various tasks and avoid irrelevant distractors.

Plan: Students use the planning tools that are included in the booklet to help them reach the common goal.

Self-monitoring: Students check and adjust their own language).

Self-or peer evaluations.

In this project, there is a variety of evaluation tools, and students are active participants in evaluation. As a team, they evaluate their work, and their use of English. A user-friendly tool is included in the booklet after each period. Also, at the end of the project, the teams are invited to reflect on the whole process, on what has been learned, and complete a criterion-based rubric (in the booklet). In addition, a peer-review of the first draft takes place. The peer-review form in the booklet is definitely a tool that develops students’ critical judgment and sense of responsibility. Finally, a peer review of other students’ photostories takes place at the Gallery tour presentations.

Learning Strategies Cognitive Strategies:

Practice: Student repeat, rehearse their text before recording the photostory.

Inferring: Students make intelligent guesses based on all available cues such as context, known words and expressions, visual clues, intonation, patterns. > Particularly when watching and examining the model, in the deconstruction task.

Resourcing: Students make use of human and material resources: they consult their peers and the teacher. They refer to the word banks, checklists, thematic and visual dictionaries, information technology (ICT).

Social/affective strategies:

Asking for help or clarification: students request assistance, repetition or precision.

Cooperation: Students work together, learn together, and help each other.

Encourage self and others.

Risk- taking: Students try to speak English only, experiment with known language, and they attempt to integrate new language.

Engaging

students in

evaluation

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PHOTOSTORY

Creating a Scary Photostory: Tasks Description and Schedule.

Period Work to be done Team work

Assessment Homework

# 1 Trigger and presentation of the photostory

The Slender Man

Deconstructing the text.

# 2 Pre-production phase

Brainstorm (Task 1 in Booklet)

Complete your plot diagram in the

booklet. Include in the portfolio.

Make a plot diagram (Task 2 in booklet)

# 3 Write a first draft (Task 3 in booklet) :

Finish your draft. Include a printed

version in the portfolio.

# 4 Revise: Peer review and teacher review.

(Task 4 in booklet)

Edit (Task 5 in booklet)

Include final draft in the portfolio.

# 5 Production phase

Create a storyboard (Task 6 in booklet)

Computer lab.

Make sure that you completed 6-8

scenes. Print and include your

story board in the portfolio.

Prepare your Photostory:

Prepare text bubbles (Office, Word)

Take Photos (Task 7 in booklet)>Homework

Take your pictures and bring them

with you next class.

# 6-7 Create a Photostory 3 file (Task 8 in booklet)

Record your audio tracks.

Complete if necessary.

Prepare and rehearse for the

Gallery tour presentations.

# 8 Post-production phase

Gallery tour presentations and peer evaluation

(Task 9 in booklet)

Include peer-evaluation of

photostories in the portfolio.

Team evaluation and checklist.

(Task 10 in Booklet)

Extra Extra period if needed

Optional Focus on form (optional)

Past tense; story structure and transition words;

onomatopoeia; adjective word order.

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Creating a Scary Photostory: Task Description – Detailed Guidelines

Period 1 Project Overview: Trigger and Photostory presentation

Trigger: Activate students’ prior knowledge.

Present a series of pictures of well-known scary characters on a PPT or WBD format.

Present some pictures of The Slender Man, a recent video game scary figure (Google for some pictures).

Invite students to discuss (exchange) about scary characters they know from movies and video games. Stimulate students’ interest about these characters. Discuss briefly heroes and villains.

Elicit some of the questions and answers: What characters do you know? Which ones do you like or dislike?

Photostory presentation: Explore a Model (Deconstructing the text)

Present the photostory The Slender Man. This photostory will serve as a model for their writing task. Students explore the photostory individually, and engage with others.

Help the students examine and become aware of the following text features (internal & external features). What are the characteristics of a photostory, as a text type? Question them, elicit answers.

Text features

Internal features Topic Notice the title page, the topic: a scary story

Language Notice the language level: descriptive writing which conveys the feeling of suspense. It is a literary type of text; it is not a technical, information-based, or popular type of text. Notice the language conventions: adjective word order, transition words, onomatopoeia; verb tenses (past tense).

Text Components Notice the scenes, pictures, camera angles, setting Notice the speech bubbles, inserted script Notice the plot, the characters Notice the stance of the narrator

External features Purpose What is the intended purpose? Is it to inform? No. Is it to express emotions? Which emotions?

Audience What is the intended audience? Your peers and teacher in the class.

Culture Notice the references to the students’ culture. E.g. s’mores, camping, Justin Bieber, villain from video games.

Ask students to Share: Ask students to share their comments about the Photostory that was presented to them. Guiding questions:

What did you like about the photostory? What didn’t you like? Would you do differently? What do you suggest?

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Period 2 Creating a Scary Photostory: Brainstorm, plot diagram.

Preproduction phase: Prepare to write and brainstorm (Period #2) Explain to the students the different phases of the production process: preproduction, production, postproduction or before-while- after. Present the Booklet, a step-by-step guide for the project. The booklet has many purposes. It contains a schedule and explanations of the tasks, a checklist, a rubric for team assessment, a peer review form, etc. Form groups of four: heterogeneous teams (survey for ICT skills and interests; consider strong, average, and weak students). Explain to the students that you want to see traces of their work. Tell students that they are responsible for logging information about the team work in the booklet (team evaluation after each period), and emphasize the importance of evaluation as part of the learning process. Present and explain the Portfolio to keep other traces that cannot be written in the booklet.

Prepare ahead a Portfolio folder for each team. Reassure them that they will have time and some help; it is a feasible and fun project. It is a recursive process and students can rework and modify previous steps. Preproduction phase Brainstorm (Period #2, Task 1 in booklet) Ask the students:

- To brainstorm in teams about their story (topic), about the characteristics of a scary story? - To choose four characters, but describe two main characters (a hero and a villain). - To name their characters and build a list of descriptive words. Construct two word banks.

Make a plot diagram (Period #2, Task 2 in booklet) Explain the plot diagram that is provided in the booklet to structure the story:

- Ask students to determine the time and place of the events. - Ask students to determine the sequence of events (introduction, rising action, conflict, climax, falling

action). - Remind students “that plot, setting, descriptive writing, characters, and suspense are important to a

scary story.

Period 3 Write a first draft

Write a first draft (Period #3, Task 3 in booklet)

Period 4 Peer Review, Edit

Peer Review (revising). Peer review and teacher review (Period #4, Task 4 in booklet) Invite students to use resources and peers to review and correct their text. Invite students to rethink what has been written, and modify the text, if necessary (Recursive process). Ask students to exchange stories with another team. Ask students to fill-in the Peer Review chart provided in the booklet to correct and comment on their classmates’ story. Invite students to ask the teacher for comments. Ask students to rework their drafts; to make adjustments to their story based on the teacher’s and their classmates’ comments (feedback).

Edit (Period #4, Task 5 in booklet) Ask students to make final corrections to their text using their resources (dictionaries, text editor). Remind them to consult their peers and the teacher, if necessary. Ask students to write (or print) a final draft.

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Period 5 Create a storyboard, prepare appropriate elements for the photostory.

Production phase Create a storyboard (Period #5, Task 6 in booklet)

Tell students to think about their pictures, setting and accessories. Ask them to organize the text into six to eight scenes. Follow instructions in the booklet.

Prepare a photostory: (Period #5, Task 7 in booklet) Go over and explain the instructions in the booklet. Make sure students understand. Set time for the computer lab (reservations if necessary)

Include appropriate elements: Prepare text bubbles (Office, Word), record audio tracts, Take Photos.

Periods 6-7 Creating a Photostory 3 File

Create the media from the plan: Photostory 3 file (Period #6-7, Task 8 in booklet)

Set time for the computer lab (reservations if necessary) Read, go over and explain instructions in the booklet

Help students in the publishing phase with the software Photostory III: Editing and publishing the software (either publicly on You Tube or on CD) Ask students to practice and rehearse for the Gallery tour presentations.

Period 8 Gallery tour presentation, evaluation

Postproduction phase: Present the media text to the audience (Period #8, Task 9 in booklet) Prepare a Gallery tour presentation.

Set time for the computer lab (reservations if necessary). Print out peer evaluation forms, to be handed out. Divide the teams in two groups. (A-B) Ask group A to present their photostory twice. Then, ask group B to present their photostory twice. Students complete a peer review of the photo stories they have seen. They hand in their peer evaluation form in the folder.

Integration: Final Team evaluation and checklist (Period #8, Task 10 in booklet)

Invite students to reflect on the work completed in the project. “Did you use some strategies? Which one? Did you take risks?” “Did you enjoy this project? What did you learn?” “Did you improve their ICT skills? Did you work cooperatively?” A) Ask the teams to fill-in the criterion-based rubric which is in the booklet. B) In team, look at the checklist (in booklet) and make sure all the requirements are fulfilled and traces

are collected, either in the booklet or in the portfolio.

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Reflective Analysis

In this ESL pedagogy III course, our team had the opportunity to design a photo story and reflect on the positive and challenging aspects it creates for students. Designing a Learning and Evaluation Situation (LES) based on the use of software and ICTs is an interesting and stimulating task for teacher-candidates. The goal of this LES is to develop the communicative competency (C1 and C3), and also, on a wider scale, to develop media literacy (BAL) in a communicative learning and cooperative approach. The pedagogical value is undoubtedly present in a variety of connecting ways. In this reflective analysis, we will first reflect on some pedagogical aspects of such a project, particularly on technical problems. Next, we are going to explore the classroom management issues that may arise. Finally, we will comment on our group processing. Technical problems, for low-tech schools Students nowadays are considered technology savvy individuals. However, when carrying out such a project with Secondary cycle 1 students, we must not assume that all students are at ease with the Storyboard and Photo Story III software. Some students will know the program “Movie maker”, and have experience with making/editing some videos for other courses, but others will lose time figuring how it works. Therefore, although the student booklet includes only an overview of each task, teams must complete a scene-by-scene scary story, which integrates their choice of scenes, characters, emotions, dialogue, sounds and narration with the “Story Board That” software. Then, they must upload each scene picture and record the dialogue, narration, music and sounds using the “Photo Story 3” software. We have created a step-by-step explanatory tutorial of those two programs, which is made available for students who are not familiar with those programs. Moreover, cooperation between peers is promoted between technology experts and novice in order to scaffold between peers and accelerate the production process. However, since it is not possible to add illustrations in front of the uploaded slides with Story Board 3, we therefore stressed the importance of adding dialogue bubbles or other images before they import their pictures and record over them. Unfortunately, if students wish to add images or dialogue bubbles after the recording, they lose all the audio track of the slide they modify. As a team, we also experienced some difficulties to convert the story board in a readable video format because the conversion step of the process is rather unusually complicated. In order to prevent such technical difficulties, perhaps using Windows Movie Maker (WMM) would be more appropriate with students since the separation of the video and audio tracks allows for individual image and sound editing, and the WMM projects naturally convert into readable video files. Finally, a few changes can be made in order to adapt the project for low-tech schools. First of all, instead of using www.storyboardthat.com to draw scenes, characters, narration and dialogue, students can draw their storyboard on paper. Second of all, instead of using the Photo Story III software, students can make an actual storybook with real pictures. Pictures taken from the previous step would be stuck on a page. Narration, voices and sound would be written on the page in a comic strip form and would be read collectively during their team presentation. Classroom management aspects

1. Cooperative learning structures and positive interdependency

This integrative project relies on the cooperative learning approach, which promotes positive interdependence (Johnson & Johnson, 1994). Positive interdependence is embodied throughout tasks, where all team members are obligated to work together to reach a common goal (Johnson & Johnson, 1994). Research and experimentation have shown that positive role interdependence and goal interdependence are beneficial and the current MELS program promotes such interactive avenues. In this LES, we have included different cooperative learning structures that help students complete the various tasks as a group. These cooperative

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learning structures are advocated by Kagan (2004) as building blocks to create effective learning projects. As a team, we have brainstormed on the project, discussed the tasks, given feedback to teammates all along the production process. Also, we worked cooperatively to edit our work throughout the project, “face-to-face” in class, or online (Facebook, Google doc, and emails). We have met frequently outside of class to work on the project. One problem that arises frequently in teamwork is unequal share of workload. When students are given specific tasks or sub-tasks associated to their role, it reduces the unequal division of tasks, while intentionally promoting cooperation between partners.

2. Cooperative roles

Spencer Kagan (2004), in Win-Win Discipline, has determined a dozen of cooperative learning roles, which allow more efficient management and improve social skills (Kagan, 2004). Kagan sustains it is paramount to have roles attributed for team projects to assure each team member participates in the production process of the project. That is why, in terms of classroom management, it is appropriate to give roles to students such as English keeper, praiser, cheerleader, gatekeeper, coach, question commander, checker, taskmaster, reflector, captain quiet and material monitor. Role attribution, which aims at reinforcing students’ autonomy, solicits students’ individual accountability, thus creating a positive interdependence team relationship.

3. Multiple intelligences and multiple literacies

According to Schumann, motivation, which is universally considered to be quintessential for learning, consists of many permutation and stimulus patterns (Schumann, 1997). Supporting the Multiple Intelligence Theory (MIT), cognitivists such as Schumann sustain that tasks, which solicit various stimulus, enhance motivation and coping abilities. The photo story project requires five of the seven MIT frames associated with language acquisition. Writing, reading and discussing tasks solicit linguistic intelligence. The musical-rhythmic can be solicited when mixing the photo story with music extracts. The visual-spatial and the bodily-kinaesthetic intelligences are solicited throughout the photographing and editing process. The interpersonal intelligence frame is required throughout the whole project because this team-oriented task requires students to cooperate and communicate to reach a common goal. Therefore, students are likely to feel motivated and focused on the project because its tasks require the use of many intelligence frames.

4. Use of the target language

In order to enhance participation in English, students are required to complete together a team evaluation after each class. The teacher adds feedback remarks next to each team evaluation and can modify any team’s grade. Of course, the evaluation is formative. Nonetheless, it brings conscience of students’ behaviours in class. Providing feedback allows teachers to pay closer attention to what students do or do not understand, in order to adjust and adapt teaching strategies to meet identified student needs. According to studies led by Dale H. Schunk, tracking progress after each class helps to orient students towards overall common goals of learning (Schunk, 1996). Therefore, the teacher navigates from team to team with his/her C1 grid to evaluate each student’s English participation. A set of oral interaction criteria, which rely mostly on participation, content and articulation, allows for the reinforcement of the use of English during the project. The teacher can remind students that he/she is individually evaluating their C1 participation in order to stress the “English Only” rule of the classroom. In addition, a “Captain English” is elected in each team to remind their peers to use English throughout the project. To maximize English team interactions, the project’s tasks were spread across 8 classes with little homework. Finally, to encourage the use of English in the classroom, we propose to apply the “thermometer” motivational system. The teacher evaluates each team from 1 (little English participation) to 3 (Always speak English), and enters accordingly 1, 2 or 3 bars on the team thermometer by the end of class.

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The reward allocated to teams that attain 20°C out of 24°C (20/24 bars on the thermometer) by the end of the project serves as a positive extrinsic motivation to English participation.

5. Use of resources: Important in such a Cooperative Learning (CL) project.

Students placed in cooperative learning (CL) teams as group work have shown to differentially engage in linguistic scaffolding (Storch, 2001, 2002). Moreover, in order to maximize scaffolding, resources such as dictionaries, functional language posters, key words on the board, and written video software tutorials are available to students during this CL project. A study lead by Parks and Gagné stressed the importance of using resources, which include both reminding students to check with their peers before asking the teacher as well as referring to material resources such as dictionaries, posters or words on the board. Emphasizing on resources also serves to make students more autonomous language learners (Parks, 2013). Group processing Despite the fact that our team was made up of people in different age groups and that some team members were unknown to others, we collaborated very well and managed to tie in all team members’ interests and strengths. We communicated with respect, we listened attentively to each other’s point of view, and we were able to express opinions. We decided together on the planning and the division of responsibilities. Moreover, we discovered new aspects or qualities of each team member. Richard and Ema who have good computer skills wrote and edited a scary story using the software “Story Board 3.” Richard is also an enthusiastic and positive person; he is the motivator. Richard and Ema made us discover new audio and video software programs, but we decided to continue with Photostory III in order to explore new software. Ema expressed pertinent remarks all along and recalled the importance of having clear instructions. Putting herself in the position of a teacher, she insisted on clear steps and easy to comprehend LES, which are major criteria. Joannie’s organizational skills helped us in planning correctly and following the schedule. Her graphic skills were appreciated. Joannie and Hélène worked together on the LES planning. Hélène’s interest in the MELS program was helpful to ensure a constant link between the tasks (Photostory), the main objectives of the project and the MELS competencies. Although we often worked in cooperative pairs, our team of four regularly peer reviewed and comment each other’s work. Our weaknesses as a team originated most of all in task division. Because certain tasks of Project II were less time-consuming than expected, some team members were left unintentionally with a larger portion of the work. Therefore, this reminds us that when allocating roles and tasks to students, it is important to consider fairness and equity of the amount of work given to each team member. Our experience working in a team will definitely help us in setting up teams for projects during our fourth practicum and other teaching contexts. First, we realized the importance of forming teams with members who have different skills in order to be able to do the project from A to Z. Then, we understood the necessity to define roles – which promote cooperation and expectations – at the start of the project in order to reinforce teams’ organization and allow team members to attain a common goal. Finally, we became conscious that one part of a team’s success is its ability to communicate and respect each other.

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