This week’s chapter was about working as a group.  When I looked up the word GROUP in the dictionary, this is what I read: A number of people or things that are located close together or are considered or classed together.  Some synonyms are cluster, team, and troop.  I like that TEAM was a synonym because when I think of a group I think about how important TEAMwork is.  As the definition states, a number of people or things, meaning that a group can be any more than one single person or thing.  That is what is neat and also useful about working in groups, you can adjust the number of people in each group to satisfy the activity you are doing.  I think that in classes like we will be teaching this coming fall, that it is always a good idea to include group activity.  For me, anyways, when participating in a group doing activities that pertain to me learning about resources, college, etc. I get more out of a group experience; it seems to stick in my head for a longer amount of time.  I also liked reading about the ten things that define people as a group in the chapter, I found it very interesting and fun to read.  I am really looking forward to using group discussions and activities in my classes next semester. 

Some ways in which I find groups really useful (observed in Hixson class):

-Discussing a class question in small groups, then reporting from each group back to a class as a whole. 

-Doing icebreakers or small activities

-After completing an assignment, switching or sharing assignments with the  person next to you (Learning more from both of your experiences).

-Acting as a whole class as a group in discussion