Wednesday, August 17, 2011
What does it mean to work together well?
Above is a long segment from Monday August 15th from which I want to pull several shorter illustrative episodes to illustrate what I think to be a really positive interaction. In scholar meetings we've been discussing the general question of what makes for "good" interactions in a small group--a huge question, really. I've been observing the folks in the video above (Leanna in blue, and then clockwise Christine, Tim, and Russell) for several days and I find that their interactions are consistently emotionally positive and respectful. A comment came up from another scholar who watched this same group Tuesday that this group seemed almost "too nice" in the sense that perhaps they weren't pushing each other, or really assisting one another delve into their own cognitive dissonance. I'm intrigued by the question of whether discomfort is really necessary for learning, and if it is, what role the group plays in either mitigating or exacerbating that discomfort.
In the segment as a whole, Lane comes over to the table and leads the group through an explanation/inquiry about when magnetic energy is high or low in a particular configuration of the ball/magnet system. Russell, midway through, asks Lane to repeat his demo and expresses confusion about why the energies of the two different configurations differ. Tim seems satisfied by the explanation, and is ready to move on. Leanna, like Russell, still wants to discuss things. She solicits Russel's help, knowing from his earlier comment that he too has some remaining confusion. During that solicitation, though, she seeks to involve the larger group--very consciously--and to shape the "two and two" conversation into a foursome. Russell makes a conspiratorial bid towards her--this is one of the things that fascinates me, the exact character of this gesture--and Leanna responds, and laughs, which achieves her objective of getting the whole group involved. They then have a lively discussion about the magnetic energy, in which Christine gestures eloquently. The main sequence I see in the big video is: Lane talks, Leanna announces she doesn't buy it/ conspiracy unites the group around their "wrongness", and then the group members start talking conceptually about the physics in a warm, energized fashion.
Conspiracy, anyone?
In the short segment below, which is the pivot point between Lane's discussion and the warm group discussion, I am fascinated by the way in which Leanna, who sits quietly through most of the initial discussion, announces that she "doesn't buy" Lane's explanation of the interactions between the magnets and the balls, and then carefully solicits support for her point of view by addressing Russell with her concerns. Meanwhile Tim and Christine are carrying on a separate conversation about "honoring" the work they've done. After LEanna involves Russell, who responds with his own concern or confusion, she solicits support from the group by turning her body toward Christine and re-addressing her statement that she "doesn't buy it". As she turns away, Russell responds to her bid for support in a new way by leaning in and whispering in a conspiratorial voice, "But I think we definitely have something wrong". The whole group responds in a remarkable fashion, nonverbally joining in the "conspiracy", heads lowered, voices lowered, and chairs pulled close. Tim actually moves Lane's chair out of the way in order to decrease the whole group's physical dispersion. There's no doubt that this interaction is fun for all the members, and Leanna and Russell "milk" it for maximum humor and connectedness:
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The first thing that really stood out for me in this clip was how they really wanted to figure it out for themselves even after Lane told them the answer. We've been talking a lot around here about when it is and isn't OK to "tell them the answer," and have concluded that it's fine to tell them the answer as long as they view you as a resource rather than an authority and are willing to question what you say. That is definitely the case here!
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, there is also a sense that they see Lane as an authority who knows when they've got it wrong, because he came back to check in on them after lunch. My sense is that the "conspiracy" here is less about supporting each other to figure out their problem, and more about their sense that they've gotten a behind-the-scenes look at something Lane is doing that they think he doesn't want them to know about. They think that his checking in *after lunch* shows that he knows they're wrong and is trying to help them get to the right answer, but that he is trying to pretend that he's just casually checking in. They think they know a secret about Lane, and they don't want him to know that they know.