Unlocking Group Potential to Improve Schools

Drawing on columns he wrote for the Journal of Staff Development, as well as interactions with groups, Garmston (educational administration, California State U., Sacramento) shows educators how to develop group culture, enhance facilitators' knowledge and skills, and develop group members to improve student achievement. He defines the principles and practices of group work, the tasks involved and strategies for improving how the group accomplishes them, collective intelligence and the factors that bring about a group that is greater than the sum of its parts, the understandings that characterize the work of groups that are moving into a more mature stage, and ideas for teacher leaders and others who wish to develop skills as citizen facilitators. He discusses standards for effective meetings, group roles, decision making, creating focused agendas, dialogue and discussion, challenging mental models, working with conflict, intervening as a facilitator, and setting up the room. Annotation Ac2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)