Debrief: Pegs
Hey! So did everybody get it?
Once you have the patterns - it's difficult to lose it. The most important thing I think when facilitating this activity is to allow your group to fail - to experience the "trial and error". I've seen teachers, parents, and facilitators step in too early because it's hard to watch people struggle. But struggling and working through different ways to do things is a part of life. We as facilitators have the ability to show students and adults of all ages to have the courage to fail, get up and try again. It takes more character to continue trying than it does to quit.
I have seen groups try and fail over 30 times in this activity. When I explain it - I also let them know that I have a couple of hints that I can give them but the whole group must agree together that they want the hints. Most of the time - the group will want to find the answer on their own but they need to know that it is okay to ask for help. Asking for help is often more difficult than failing over and over again.
In my own experience - this activity draws out the strategists and big picture thinkers in the group. So many of our activities are physical or require balance, strength, and lots of interaction. A program that reflects those can push the deep thinkers to the "back of the room" where they either think they are above the task or that they cannot add anything positive to the group. I have gone from a physical task where a few in the group do really well in directing their peers to this activity where those same peers are completely stumped by the delicate problem it presents. This is the moment where the strategists and big picture thinkers can shine. There has even been a few times when the kid who hasn't said a word for an hour take one look at this activity and solve it in seconds. In that moment, that kid becomes a giant to his or her peers.
Are you a big picture person? Are you able to see a puzzle like this one and derive the answer without assistance? What is your tolerance to trial and error? Can you attempt something many times before frustration gets the best of you? Do you prefer working independently or in groups?
Most often, I have found that the direction that our processing takes revolves around seeing the larger picture and not being afraid to fail. That through experiencing failures - success will reveal itself. Conflict can arise in this activity because participants can become convinced that they know the answer and will talk over others. If this continues - I will often have the group appoint a leader and the rest must remain silent. The "leader" can be tagged out by another participant.
How did the change in communication style (being able to talk vs. not being able to talk) change how you solved the problem? Did it improve teamwork or was it another obstacle for you to overcome? Who stood out to you as a leader in this activity? What communication styles did you connect with?
Most problem solving activities present a problem if there is a teacher or parent in the group. Struggle and failure is a hard thing for adults who care for youth to deal with. This is possibly a point to address in the debrief if you find that the adult is open to addressing it with you. Allowing the youth to talk about the need to struggle and the desire to find answers on their own is important for adults to hear. Always protecting our youth is not necessarily the best solution. Just because our parents want to teach us from their mistakes does not mean that we no longer have anything to learn from the process of failing. It is often in the failures and rising from failures that teaches us the most. Removing that risks losing the teachable moment altogether.
Can you name a time when you tried to intervene in the process of learning? Are you able to watch someone fail so that THEY can learn from their mistakes? What emotions do you experience when you watch someone fail?
If you find a group is hitting the same wall over and over again (making the same move multiple times) you could pull the group back together and have a discussion about the sticking point and what changes could be made to get through it. These are important skills to teach participants - to stop "banging their heads" against a wall and recalibrate their direction so that success can be achieved.
What are some insights that you have in this activity? What did you learn about yourself?
I would love, LOVE, LOVE some feedback and comments...don't be afraid - we are all learning together!
Once you have the patterns - it's difficult to lose it. The most important thing I think when facilitating this activity is to allow your group to fail - to experience the "trial and error". I've seen teachers, parents, and facilitators step in too early because it's hard to watch people struggle. But struggling and working through different ways to do things is a part of life. We as facilitators have the ability to show students and adults of all ages to have the courage to fail, get up and try again. It takes more character to continue trying than it does to quit.
I have seen groups try and fail over 30 times in this activity. When I explain it - I also let them know that I have a couple of hints that I can give them but the whole group must agree together that they want the hints. Most of the time - the group will want to find the answer on their own but they need to know that it is okay to ask for help. Asking for help is often more difficult than failing over and over again.
In my own experience - this activity draws out the strategists and big picture thinkers in the group. So many of our activities are physical or require balance, strength, and lots of interaction. A program that reflects those can push the deep thinkers to the "back of the room" where they either think they are above the task or that they cannot add anything positive to the group. I have gone from a physical task where a few in the group do really well in directing their peers to this activity where those same peers are completely stumped by the delicate problem it presents. This is the moment where the strategists and big picture thinkers can shine. There has even been a few times when the kid who hasn't said a word for an hour take one look at this activity and solve it in seconds. In that moment, that kid becomes a giant to his or her peers.
Are you a big picture person? Are you able to see a puzzle like this one and derive the answer without assistance? What is your tolerance to trial and error? Can you attempt something many times before frustration gets the best of you? Do you prefer working independently or in groups?
Most often, I have found that the direction that our processing takes revolves around seeing the larger picture and not being afraid to fail. That through experiencing failures - success will reveal itself. Conflict can arise in this activity because participants can become convinced that they know the answer and will talk over others. If this continues - I will often have the group appoint a leader and the rest must remain silent. The "leader" can be tagged out by another participant.
How did the change in communication style (being able to talk vs. not being able to talk) change how you solved the problem? Did it improve teamwork or was it another obstacle for you to overcome? Who stood out to you as a leader in this activity? What communication styles did you connect with?
Most problem solving activities present a problem if there is a teacher or parent in the group. Struggle and failure is a hard thing for adults who care for youth to deal with. This is possibly a point to address in the debrief if you find that the adult is open to addressing it with you. Allowing the youth to talk about the need to struggle and the desire to find answers on their own is important for adults to hear. Always protecting our youth is not necessarily the best solution. Just because our parents want to teach us from their mistakes does not mean that we no longer have anything to learn from the process of failing. It is often in the failures and rising from failures that teaches us the most. Removing that risks losing the teachable moment altogether.
Can you name a time when you tried to intervene in the process of learning? Are you able to watch someone fail so that THEY can learn from their mistakes? What emotions do you experience when you watch someone fail?
If you find a group is hitting the same wall over and over again (making the same move multiple times) you could pull the group back together and have a discussion about the sticking point and what changes could be made to get through it. These are important skills to teach participants - to stop "banging their heads" against a wall and recalibrate their direction so that success can be achieved.
What are some insights that you have in this activity? What did you learn about yourself?
I would love, LOVE, LOVE some feedback and comments...don't be afraid - we are all learning together!
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