All of us have taken a high school biology class, and I am sure that all of us had to dissect a worm. When I taught 10th grade biology, my class had to dissect a worm and many other specimens as well. I have no problem dissecting or teaching students how to dissect, so that is not where this project went astray. The problem was in the communication between me and the more seasoned biology teachers.
For all other dissections throughout this course the specimens where stored in a tub filled with formaldehyde. However, I did not know that the other teachers did not use these worms; instead they used "Walt's Crawlers" i.e. night crawlers used for fishing. It seems the formaldehyde worms were not of great quality... I did not know this, but now I do.
This problem could have been resolved on my end by talking with the other biology teachers, completing the lab in advance, or even reading online that in most classes the live version is preferred. While I would not call this project a complete failure, it was not a success either. The worms were not of the greatest quality because they were old, since no one ever used them. Also, once the students caught wind that all the other classes got to dissect live worms, I heard from that end. It is not nearly as fun to dissect a stinky preserved worm as it is to dissect a fresh one.
My lack of pre-planning and communication caused the lab project to be less successful than I, and the students, would have liked.
It sounds like maybe the other biology teachers could have been your SMEs - since they had done this lab in the past and had identified "best practices".
ReplyDeletePlanning and communication seem to be the most critical factors ahead of and during successful projects. Regardless of the project size - these 2 are important.
thanks for sharing your experience!
Sheri
In my post on our class discussion board, I hightlighted communication as the most important aspect of a project. Commitment to a strong Communication Plan is a key element to the success of every phase of project management (Portny, et. al., 2008). In the experience you've shared, perhaps a full blown "Communication Plan" wasn't needed... but when we simply stop to consider what communication might be of value in our work/project, it can circumvent a lot of trouble! Also, taking the time to complete a task analysis helps us identify all of the tasks/activities we need to care for and helps us identify gaps. These project management activities would have helped in your case.
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteBrave woman! Dissecting worms? This shows we will be faced with most anything. I wonder why the biology teachers failed to tell you this. Sometime attitude in schools are less than professional. The good news is that teams can change and this is unfortunate for this lesson but a reminder for the future. "To change these behaviors or attitudes, the project manager (or a respected team leader) must take initiative to "be the change," modeling it and showing it to be a worthwhile adaptation." On my blog Beth Graham suggested a walk through and in your case a practice lesson or a successful model from the SME might have changes the course and direction of this biology presentation.
Graham, B. (2011)http://bethgrahamidtblog.blogspot.com/
Greer, M. (2010) The Project Manager Minimalist: Just enough PM to Rock Your Projects (Laureate custom ed.) Laureate Education Inc. Baltimore, MD
Hi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteSo glad I never had to dissect a worm in class. Just frogs and cow eyes. As Beth mentioned, I also talked about communication in my discussion board post. I would totally blame you. Communication is a two-way street. The good thing is now that you know for future references to use live worms instead of the preserved ones. Pre-planning is always a good idea because it helps you to identify your resources and project tasks. This will enable you to have a quality deliverable to you client or in this case a fun learning experience for your students.