EDU101BuildASchoolTeamTask

We brainstormed as a class some of the important things that determine what makes a school:

 * Who are schools for (Talented and Gifted students, specific grade levels, magnet schools specifically for students with a specific interest area (the arts, math/science/engineering, law careers, . . . )
 * What is the purpose of schools (educate students in specific skills, babysitting service, socialization, . . . )
 * How is that purpose carried out (classes, science labs, field trips, good teachers, guidance counselors, sports programs, block scheduling, independent studies, reading programs at the local library, school spirit, . . . )
 * Who decides (school board, teachers, parents, community, . . . )

Now it's your team's turn to design your own school.
Imagine that a new community has been created (A new state emerged from the long and bloody unraveling of Yugoslavia when the Serbian province of Kosovo declared independence in February 2008, Texas decided to take advantage of its treaty of 1845 with the United States and subdivide into 5 new states, a group of survivors from //Survivor// decide to stay on their deserted island and start a new civilization, . . . ) and is ready to design a school or education system. OR imagine that an existing community is looking to design a new school.

You and your teammates are to design that school. Answer the 4 main questions:
 * Who will your school be for?
 * What is the purpose of your school?
 * How will that purpose be carried out?
 * Who decides?

Additionally, you can create any other components of your school that you would like: what/who is the community your school serves, a school name, mascot, logo, song. ..

Present your school to the class.
Once you make those decisions, prepare a presentation to give to the rest of the class that tells us about your school. All members of the team should be involved in the presentation in some way.

Some tips on a successful team experience

 * Before your team starts working, individually, each of you dream of the ideal presentation--imagine when all the planning is over, what do you think the school will look like and how will you present it. Do you have that idea in your head? Good. Now know that absolutely, your team's school cannot and will not look like that. If everyone puts their ideas together (which is the goal), then the school should not look like the ideas of only one person.
 * Nobody has been appointed the boss of your group. If someone attempts to take on that job, stop what you're doing and have a vote: a) will there be a boss or will there not be a boss? b) if there is a boss, who will it be
 * Have fun
 * Be creative--allow yourself to be creative. The crazy ideas--even if they're not used--will at least inspire new ideas that might not have come out otherwise and those might be the perfect ideas you're looking for.
 * Enjoy the process.
 * Speak up for yourself. You are a part of the group. If you have something to say, only you can say it. There are no mind readers on your team.
 * As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." So if you feel miserable as this is going on and don't say anything or do anything about it, then it's your own fault that you're feeling miserable.

What to do if your "team" becomes "just a group"
> tell you that they've gone too far to let you join them.
 * This project can pretty much be pulled off in one meeting most of the time. If a team member fails to show up to your agreed upon meeting (whether they notify you or not), the team should carry on without that team member.
 * If something goes wrong in a team meeting and you feel like you can't participate, you may tell the group you're bowing out and leave the meeting.
 * If you are more than 10 minutes late to the team meeting, upon your arrival, the team may let you in and catch you up on what's been accomplished so far. The team has permission to assign you any extra tasks at the end to make up for the time you missed. Be careful. ;-)
 * If you are more than 10 minutes late to the team meeting, upon your arrival, the team may
 * Any individual who doesn't make it to a team meeting or is too late to a team meeting or bows out of a team meeting will build their own school and turn in a one paragraph explanation of why they are creating their own school individually. You will also not get full points for the project as having team conversation is a big part of the project.