Assignment: Get together with your group.

Since groups are still getting to know one another and there are folks still looking for a group to join, I am going to focus this week's work on your getting to know your group better, an evaluation of your performance as a group member, and everyone setting up some shared expectations about how group work will be done.

1. All groups with five or fewer members should advertise on the class list for additional members. There are a few folks still looking. Don't go over six members. If you are one of the folks looking for a group, advertise your need.

2. I would like you to set up a meeting with your group for this week. I *strongly* success you make this an in-person meeting, but a conference call--a far worst choice--might suffice. Knowing and having faces to go with the folks on whom you depend is important. In your meeting, review your performance as a group to date. Talk about ways you can improve group interaction, getting your assignments done and in on time, and establish ways to set mid-week due dates and keep one another accountable. You might also spend some time getting everyone up to speed on using google documents.

3. Using google docs, co-author a group authored review of your performance. By sharing this document with me once you finish it, let me know of specific plans to improve your group performance and to mutually support one another. This isn't about critiquing specific members, focus your review on ways members can improve overall group performance.

4. Use one of your rhetorical analysis for this week to write about how you have communicated with your group and how you might make your efforts more successful. Be honest. You're going to be working with groups throughout the rest of your career. What you learn now will pay off.

The secret to working with a group is to meet and/or communicate regularly. Communication is essential. You know how successful any relationship is without clear and regular communication. When you communicate: 1) establish clear expectations and known responsibilities; 2) set realistic deadlines and share these, in writing, with one another; 3) if work isn't getting done, give one another permission to check in via phone, email, IM, etc.; and, 4) give each other permission to contact me if a problem occurs which your group can't or shouldn't handle.

I'll be happy to attend subsequent group meetings, but not this first one.

Since much of your class participation grade is tied to how your group performs overall and what you learn about working with and using groups to help you write better, your time and effort are well spent. The upshot is I'm not going to make anything else due, but get your group in shape, as you'll soon be learning more from interacting with them than from me.