Groups

We just completed a portrait shooting assignment in Photo I on Friday.  I always pair the kids up for this.  This time I had them interview each other so they could get to know each other better,  Ten questions.  The photographer had to use the answers to inform how he/she designed or planned the shoot.  The subject was to have no input.  The viewers are to get a better idea of what the subject is like based on the resulting images.

Did  this count as a "group" project?  Apparently to the kids it did.  I had a few ask if we were going to do more group projects because they liked it.  So does pairing kids count?  You know, in the grand teacher evaluation, rigorous reformy movement?  I didn't think so based on my readings of these stupid rigor demands, but the kids see it as cooperative when they have to work with others, even one other person.  But, hey, the opinions of students do not count.  These reformers want to see a teacher (boss) give a task (job) to a grouping of many students (employees) and have them complete the task (job) sufficiently.  Much of this testing and observing and evaluating is developed by corporations that are interested in having schools produce amenable workers.

However, if they came into an art room, they would see the kind of group work and cooperation that benefits society, not CEOs.  Things like assisting each other with loading film in the camera, developing rolls of film cooperatively, sharing darkroom stations, taking turns to clean up the darkroom with a partner or partners, gathering together to talk about a classmate's really cool print and how she got that, gathering together to figure out how a classmate can improve his print, setting up and taking down equipment, mixing the chemistry for a project.

Having to do some dinky group report or presentation has its merits, but it is not the only way we have our students work cooperatively.  I guess I would be fine if the end goal of this group work was teaching our students to be good, cooperative citizens of the world.  However, with all the reading and research I have done, I know that is not it.  The goal is to create good little minions who will follow what the boss says.  I can't be a party to that.