Fieldtrip Jigsaw - I am the King, but who runs the Thing?

Some thoughts on last week's jigsaw planning for our fieldtrip tommorow.

Dr Chang divided us into 4 expert groups (Content, Pedagogy, Logistics and Instruments). Each expert group met to discuss their domain, and then convened with the home group after to organize separate (presumably, theoretically, ideally?) fieldtrip packages.

Being in the content group (not entirely by choice, but as a service to my group members who shunned content like my girlfriend to durains), we had to brainstorm the subject topic(s) we wanted to teach, the concepts to learn, the lessons to be learnt. Man, we felt important in our expert group - as if we were kings! But with great power comes great responsibility, and the pressure was on. For it felt as if we are not clear of the content, there would be no lesson objective, and with no lesson objective, there would be no lesson plan, with no lesson plan there will be no lesson ....

Wait.. doesn't that sound like psuedo-pedagogy we were worrying about? Surely there's some overlap with the other expert group? Yes, indeed.

Personally, I had an utterly exciting, yet confusing and frustrating session doing the jigsaw. It was cool thinking and brainstorming with my expert group the technicalities of Urban Heat Island and what we can seek to teach in the field on this topic, but it felt really disjunct when we got grouped back into each individual home group.

Firstly, I think the roles of content and pedagogy were not made utterly clear as we embarked on the jigsaw. In the first place, how helpful is it to divorce the two? When together in the home group, I found my pedagogy counterpart not exactly having any clear idea on what lesson objectives to be achieved, for he/she is awaiting imput from me, the supposed content King. I found myself sharing what our expert group has come up with, and in the end, driving discussion on pedagogical design as well. I was aware I may have been over-domineeering in group discussion, so I deliberately stepped back in my contributions - but pedagogical counterparts didn't have much to say, being ill-equipped on content (I wonder what the pedagogy team discussed in the first discussion?).

Secondly, technically, if there was ONE pedagogy expert group, then theoretically, shouldn't there be ONE pedagogical method adopted through all four groups? But it turned out that all 4 groups may be adopting different methods. Cool.. but was that the original aim? Anyways, I don't really know my group's pedagogical method yet, the last discussion we had it seems that we are all just sitting on it...

Thirdly, the logistics counterpart was basically handicapped to do anything, for he/she can only decide on logistics when we know what to do (duh). Ok, so diff ppl adopts different responsibilities in a jigsaw, fine. But then again, how divorced can the logistics guy be? Is a clear distinction of roles that helpful once again?

Fourthly, the instruments experts. They were damn cool lah, esp with the heat spy. Couldn't help but go have some fun with the stuff too. But thinking back - is it good to divorce the instrument guy in fieldwork planning? I know I have the content, but I know I'll be totally clueless when I'm actually in the field tommorow. Kindda like an armchair geographer sitting on the throne, dictating content like a king, but in actual fact hopeless in the field.

So all in all - its too utterly confusing and frustrating for my liking. I'm a control freak I'll freely admit. I need to have a bird's eyes view of what is going on in any given project, and to know that things will go fine. I hate last minute contingencies and I like to plan ahead. And with things like the organising of a field trip, I do believe the teacher has to take greater charge, and be more well equipped and comprehensive in his understanding of the big picture that's going on. On the field itself, there's all the random stuff that's gonna come up - uncertainties in pedagogical design, content to be taught, basic logistical details and instrumental use should be the last thing on our minds. But divided and chopped up in a jigsaw, I feel as if i'm lost and without my arms and legs going into the field. I get so engrossed in my own expert area (content) and think of myself as crucial, but I hardly know what's going on in the other areas. And who drives the fieldwork? The King? Or should the dictatorial one just trust his lackeys? Or was he ever King?

Who drives the thing???? *shrug*

Mental Note: Fieldwork pre-design is so important and must be thought and carried through with much care, or students would feel lost, or even shortchanged, just as I was...