As I am the ANALYST this week...

This week I am the analyst so I have to evaluate the teamwork and answer the following questions related with the second practice: “Treasure Hunt: Cartographic Projections”.

· What was the best part of the activity?

The best part of the activity was discovering how a country can change in distance, shape and size of areas depending on their projection ( Mercator, Robinson or Azimuthal). We always had seen  and even worked with maps, but we never could have imagined that each map has a different distortion, which can be detected with the naked eye. So, based on our desire to learn this practice, we work with  more illusion.

· What was the worse?

The worst is still the organization of the group because we are many members in the team and we have to divide and coordinate us in the best possible way and this is sometimes a bit tricky.In addition, each member of the group lives in a different place, therefore, it is more difficult for us to organize. We always opted for divide the work, a fact which sometimes can be positive or negative, because in this way we are working more a part of the practice and the other we can hardly work  in it, but we tried it, so that each member should explain their part to the team in order to everyone have knowledge of the entire practice. Moreover, we had difficulties to find on the web another good example of a treasure hunt, but we tried it some times and we got it!

· What was the best moment of the week (in the work of the group)?

The funniest part of the week has been the representation of the star, because she had to expose the work which we have done during this week in a pleasant and entertaining way. All team members asked ourselves how the exposure will be, and thus, when our star has to expose our practice, we are very nervous and anxious to see her/him. This week has been somewhat unexpected, which we think is innovative and dynamic.This week all the stars of all groups have exposed, and when our star acceded to her turn, we were very proud. 

· What was the worse?

The worst thing was to understand some parts of the activity, because it is very different from the previous, so we had to work harder to achieve understanding of this practice, but with steady work is possible and we know we have done it. At first, my classmates and I were lost because we did not know what to do in a clear way, but between everybody is easier to find out.Thus, we read many times practice and when we understood everything, we started to do it. It was a very long process and sometimes a little frustrating, but it was worth it.

· What have you learnt?

With this second practice “Treasure Hunt: cartographic projections”, we have learned that depending on the projection (Mercator, Azimuthal or Robinson), a map can have different aspects as well as the shape, distance, area... that is, each projection has a different distortion which is noticeable by the naked eye.In addition, we learned the advantages and disadvantages of each proyection. Also, we have learned this very well because we had to put examples of countries, such as Australia and United Kingdom, which we have compared very good. In addition, we learned that anything can distort reality. In this case, we chose a game called "Call of Duty" where we could appreciate that it gives children a very pro-Western and black-and-white vision of reality. The last work that we did was find on the web another good example of it, so we selected "Animals of the wold".

                             

·  What do you need to conserve -as a group- for the next weeks?

All members of the group worked hard their parts to carry out a good job. We did it with great interest and looking forward the weekly practice to be done correctly and successfully. If in a group there are not hard work, desire, illusion and strength, the group will not be very good and thereby the practices will not have a great result. Each and every member of the group work in order to the practice of every week will be prepared in the best possible way and be able to present every Monday successfully. This is an aspect that should be transmitted to next weeks.

·  What do you need to improve –as a group- for the next weeks?

All team members sometimes work better individually and in this respect, all goes well but when we work in groups in certain tasks we encounter some difficulties.Therefore, we should enhance our fellowship, because we have to keep in mind that the group is very large and if we do not work orderly, problems can occur. By this I mean that each and every one of the team members have to be able to do our part to the group's right and good. From my point of view, we should enhance this topic.

·  How THIS content is related to other contents in the course and in your degree?

This practice has been very important for us because for example in subsequent years we will have a class called geography in which we will have to learn the maps, therefore, we will know that there are distortions in the maps depending on its projection. Also, as future teachers, we must know this aspect of the maps, because when we teach our students in a future this, we have to know which map is more accurate and convenient.

    Natalia Martinez Alcazar (ANALYST)