Group and leadership
We all brought different qualities to the group however, those who were familiar and confident with outdoor activities naturally fell into a leadership position within the group.
Those who acted as group leaders were not formally elected into this position, others just looked to them for assistance. E.g. confirming with the male group members that the structure would stand alone as they have previous den building experience.
The task felt informal which made it enjoyable and easy for everyone to work together. As it was informal, it was easy to speak to and build relationships with people I don’t normally work with.
All participants within the group had a role they were capable of, and comfortable with.
The whole group participated effectively and had a say in the process. We listened to each other and deliberated if certain structures would withstand the wind. Everyone was happy with the outcome and took responsibility for different elements of the den.
Explaining
The fact we were outside did not affect the clarity of the group’s explanation. If any members found ideas complicated, we attempted to simplify it down for each other. E.g. I didn’t understand the structure, therefore Calum physically showed me (with materials) how they were going to build the side. I was still unsure why, therefore Evan explained the purpose of building it a certain way.
I think explanations were clear as all members had the same vision of what out den should have looked like.
In my opinion, we missed out “Planning”. We started building without assessing what the den would turn out like. In result there were a few issues. E.g. We didn’t notice we didn’t have enough sticks for the structure to be as strong as we wanted. If we had planned for this , we could have looked for other materials to use.
Environment
The environment changes how formal a situation feels. For example, communicating outdoors is informal and friendly. It is more enjoyable, in my opinion.
You have to make changes as communicating outdoors is more physical. You move about more and demonstrate things you are not able to in a classroom. You also have to project your voice due to background noise.
Communicating outside wasn’t a problem for our group. However, as a developing student teacher, I understand it is easier to communicate with children by standing against a wall for protection against noise (means they don’t have any other distractions too). Voice projection, body language etc are also important when communicating elsewhere.
The environment did distract me slightly as there were other things going on. Therefore, carrying out tasks in enclosed or quieter outdoor environments may prevent distraction and promote better listening.
Negotiation
Our negotiations were unsuccessful as we were unable to persuade a member of another group to join ours. In my opinion we were not prepared enough to persuade someone else to join our group. Other individuals also worked hard to build a good den, therefore were not very willing to join us.
Challenges
Other groups didn’t understand our vision- they were interested in their own group and den.
We weren’t prepared to negotiate from the start of the task, therefore we didn’t have a valid explanation as to why someone should join our group.
We had a lack of time so weren’t able to convince very well.
