To Team or Not to Team

    When my classmates and I were given the decision to either work cooperatively or independently for the AICE Media Studies portfolio, I decided that I would work alone. When you work alone you can set your own pace to accomplish work. Working alone also allows you to make your own decisions and concentrate easier. By working independently, I can have more focus and progress throughout the entirety of my project. 

    The “Lost at Sea” activity showed me how I worked better independently. Compared to the coast guard’s report, my answers were more correct when I worked independently than when I worked in a group with my peers. I found from the “Social Media Peer Account” activity that some people can be very absorbed with themselves and their friends. By having an account so filled with yourself, it can lead one to assume you have a narcissistic personality. If someone is focused more on themselves, working in a group with that person would be difficult. These activities supported my decision to work independently. 

    My personality can be described as introverted. I desire to be alone where I can work without others interfering with my thoughts. I enjoy my time alone because I become more productive when I can truly be myself. Other people distract me from my work causing me to become less productive. In some previous projects from other classes, I would be the one to conduct the project while the people in my group would be careless and distracted. It was a burden to have helped complete someone else's work when you need to finish your own. 

    Many factors affect the difficulty of organizing a successful group project. Working in a group requires a connection and the ability to “trust each other and understand how to have healthy conflict.” To have a platform of collaboration, a team should have aspects of the “five distinct pillars of teamwork: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results." Even in the world of art, collaboration can be seen between collectors and artists. Author Georgina Coburn states “A unique gathering of more than 190 paintings, sculptures, collages, drawings, photographs, original prints, artist books, objects, design, and ephemera from four extraordinary collections, it provides an expanded and intimate view of artists' works, their collaborations with each other and with their collectors.” If a group lacks trust, collaboration, and productivity among themselves, the project might not be completed adequately. 

    My final decision is to work alone. By working alone, I do not have to worry about meeting up with my peers or making sure everyone has finished their work. If one person has not completed their work, it can set the whole group behind. So much work relies on every person in each group. It would be a better decision to work independently then cooperatively.