Em’s Blogtime Fun

     I have been meaning to post about this since I started my position as a blogger here at IWCC.  One thing that can always tick me off, and has since I’ve been a little kid in elementary school, is working on group projects in school.  I remember being about nine or ten years old and being stuck in a group at school.  Now, it’s not the social interaction that I disliked, but the fact that I could never trust the other kids in my group to do their work.  It’s not like I hadn’t tried to trust them to do what they were suppose to do; they have failed me time and time again in many ways.  Which is why I am so bitter.  Bitter bitter bitter.  All because of some little kids who can’t cut in straight lines and don’t color their parts of the project.  Bitter.
     I’m not really bitter because of the kids.  It was just the beginning point on the line of group-project-hatred.  It seems that whenever I work in groups, I somehow get stuck with the students who really don’t want to do anything.  And, you know, that would be fine if we weren’t graded as a whole.  That is where the problem really lies, I think.  Too many teachers grade the project as a whole, giving everyone in the group the same grade.  Which, would be fine, if we lived in some sort of utopia of scholars and every person felt like giving the project the same amount of attention and care.  But, that does not happen.  There is always that one member who doesn’t want to do anything, or doesn’t come to class, and then there is another student who is persistent on what they want to do– no compromises, and then there are others who just float through.  Any way you look at it, the members aren’t doing the same amount or quality of work.  Most of the time they aren’t even collaborating correctly or producing something a 2+ group should.  Mostly, what I am saying is that a grade cannot be based on the group as a whole; it would be best to divide the duties and grade on whether or not that specific duty was filled by the designated person.
     In college, I don’t think group projects should even be an option for teachers.  I pay my thousands of dollars and spend countless hours of my time to get the grade I deserve for the work I do.  I don’t think I should have to depend on others for my grade.  It’s all too common to have someone in your group that doesn’t come to class, doesn’t care about their expenses, doesn’t try because those of us who care do the work, etc.  It just isn’t fair to give someone like that a free ride.  If teachers were considerate of that fact and graded on an individual scale, then it wouldn’t be as bad.  However, when you’re in a group, you can’t do what you want to do to your potential.  I was talking to my friend who is working on a group project, and her teacher told her that group projects ‘help prepare them for the real world.’  That might be so, however, I do not think that is something the teacher can do in regards of group projects.  I think the teacher’s position is to give the student the tools to do what he or she wants when they leave the school.  Meaning, the teacher teaches.  I don’t think it is their place to put you in a position that holds you back from what you want to achieve in your own academic career.  You are not in school to help others succeed.  Just as you are not there to ride on others’ success.  College is an individual process, and I think that group projects take away from that.
     Mainly, I hate group projects.  Nothing ever gets done to the extent or quality I want it done, and it isn’t fair to be graded on it.  On another note, though, I got a new film editing program and tested it out tonight.  Below is a cartoon I made about group projects and a personal experience of mine.  You know, minus real people and stuff.  Just click the picture below to be linked to the cartoon.  Watch it.  Love it. Down with group projects.