Educational Tasks, Activities, and Student Grouping Strategies

Educational Tasks and Activities: Definitions

The educational task is a coherent set of activities with more or less explicit goals. It reflects an educational style and a way for the teacher and students to understand and carry out educational practice. Tasks involve both the teacher and students, serving as core activities and orderly sequences of action that allow the organization of teaching practice.

Activities are the actual execution steps that, in turn, break down and sequence the overall task. They are crucial to intellectual development, and are not limited to cognitive maturation and delay.

Defining Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are developed as a complement to classroom instruction. They should always be supervised by the teacher, even if they are not executed directly by them. These activities take place outside the school and/or classroom, scheduled by the center and specialized teachers.

These activities should be reflected in the curriculum of both the classroom and the center at the beginning of the year.

Student Groupings for Activity Implementation

Different learning situations require varied and flexible student groupings, which are essentially four types:

• Work in Large Group: Can be formed by 100 to 250 students. This grouping often involves more than one school unit or class (e.g., multiple classes at the same level or an entire cycle). This type of grouping is suitable for activities such as: screenings, festivals, school assemblies, or prior explanations on common themes.
• Work in Medium Group (The Class): This grouping typically refers to the standard class size (e.g., 25 students). It allows teachers to explain basic concepts, clarify common concerns, and establish debates.
• Team Work: Designed to perform a task or joint activity by several students (it is not recommended to exceed 6–8 members).
• Individual Work (Self-Employment): This is done individually. Activities suitable for this type of grouping include studying, reading, writing, making crafts, or conducting experiments.