1). Discuss your Group Observation Project. Was it a useful exercise?
What did you learn? What was good about the project? What can be
improved?
My group project observation project consisted of me observing my kids daycare. I chose this group because I am fond of people who have a daycare, teachers mainly anyone who is charge of watching kids in some sort. In my project I really had a great time doing this because I got to get hands on experience of what is what like to be in this profession. For those of us who have kids can attest to the fact that we would like to be around our kids 24/7 if we could. We all know that is unrealistic, we have jobs and responsibilities so when the time comes for us to go to work our kids must go to school. Nevertheless observing this group gave me chance to be a daycare provider. I know the assignment said to observe but I could not help myself. I felt the best way for me to observe was to engage and assist with the children and person in charge.
This exercise was useful because like I said I am fond of this type of work and if I do not find a job in the communication field I probably will go into this field of work. After all we all are going to need some type of daycare at some point in our lives, for those of us who have kids and for those who will have kids. I learned that this type of work is vastly under appreciated. It is a lot work watching someone else kids. There is so much that goes in the being prepared. You have to make sure you have enough food, supplies to keep them entertained as well as.
What I liked about this project was that we got to chose the group we wanted to observe. This gave us the chance to carefully chose what we felt was best for us. Some people chose to view volleyball teams while one group decided to step out of their normal position into a different position that they never had done.
What I would change about this project is I would probably make this a group effort. Maybe the assignment could be offered as group project that way it gives us a chance to interact with classmates as well the project itself.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Week of December 3 - 9
2). What have you learned throughout this class? What was your favorite thing about the class? What was your least favorite thing about the class? How can this class be improved?
I have learned much from this class but what stands out for me is that I learned that to give some insightful feedback. This class was taught online and nearly everyone gave someone some type of feedback. Sometimes I wish there was more of exchange of what was said and the feedback itself but the fact that I got and received feedback for my posts put a smile on my face.
My favorite thing about the class was the length that we got to complete the assignment during the week. In another class of mine we got the the assignment on Monday and it was due on Wednesday. I thought one of the benefits of online classes was that you could take your time. This class as you know made it possible to start the homework or assignment as late as Friday and you still had the opportunity to get it done after Sunday night football.
The least favorite thing about this class was that even though the teacher provided us with as much contact to get hold of her (email, blog's or phone call ) I wish this class would have been available to take during the semester. This is one class that I feel needs to be taken face to face rather than online.
My advice to improve this class would be to offer more of chance to meet up with a group. This is small group communication yet I feel that we did not do much with a group. Maybe one group project where we could meet up and do something as it relates to small group communication. That is all I can think of, this was truly and worthwhile class to take.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Week of December 3 - 9
3). Pick a favorite concept that we have covered through this course
and post about it. Explain the concept to refresh our memories. Tell
the class why you have chosen this concept, and what it is you like about it.
A favorite concept of mine that I enjoyed learning about is the concept of leadership in small groups. I really like this because I feel that we are all leaders in some way in our lives. Whether it be at home, school, or work we all have leadership capabilities. Being that we are in college I think it would be safe to say that we all want to be a leader at some point in our life and I feel that chapter 13 serves as a guide as well as gives us some tips on how to be an effective leader. For example Lee Iacocca former CEO of of the Chrysler corporation gives us the nine C's on what it takes to be a true leader. They are clear and straight to the point.
As the chapter goes on it talks about the three characteristics of leaders. They are vision, credibility, communication concept. What I feel is straight forward characteristics on how to be leader I felt that credibility deserves the most attention. Being that I am a coach I can envision my baseball team doing great things but if I do not jack about baseball (fielding, catching, running, throwing) how can I expect my team to even think about buying into my vision. Just as we are in this class I do not know if the teacher is really a credible teacher, all I have is that she is working for SJSU and well that serves as enough for me.
Being that we are graduating from SJSU sometime I think it would be safe to say that we all want to be leaders one day. How are we going to become a leader? Is that leadership role going to fall into our lap, probably not. There are many ways that a leader is going to come about as the book suggests. So I encourage you to be mindful of the choices you make, the type of leader who will become depends on it.
A favorite concept of mine that I enjoyed learning about is the concept of leadership in small groups. I really like this because I feel that we are all leaders in some way in our lives. Whether it be at home, school, or work we all have leadership capabilities. Being that we are in college I think it would be safe to say that we all want to be a leader at some point in our life and I feel that chapter 13 serves as a guide as well as gives us some tips on how to be an effective leader. For example Lee Iacocca former CEO of of the Chrysler corporation gives us the nine C's on what it takes to be a true leader. They are clear and straight to the point.
As the chapter goes on it talks about the three characteristics of leaders. They are vision, credibility, communication concept. What I feel is straight forward characteristics on how to be leader I felt that credibility deserves the most attention. Being that I am a coach I can envision my baseball team doing great things but if I do not jack about baseball (fielding, catching, running, throwing) how can I expect my team to even think about buying into my vision. Just as we are in this class I do not know if the teacher is really a credible teacher, all I have is that she is working for SJSU and well that serves as enough for me.
Being that we are graduating from SJSU sometime I think it would be safe to say that we all want to be leaders one day. How are we going to become a leader? Is that leadership role going to fall into our lap, probably not. There are many ways that a leader is going to come about as the book suggests. So I encourage you to be mindful of the choices you make, the type of leader who will become depends on it.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Week of November 12-18
2). Briefly outline an example of collaborative conflict resolution
that you have engaged in. Contrast that with competitive conflict.
Which was more satisfying to you? To the other party?
If the ideal conflict resolution strategy for any group os one of win-win, or consensus then we would all be living under sunshine and rainbows and drinking mu thai's. Unfortunately the world is not like that, this strategy does have a little bit of conflict just not as personal as the others. A time that I engaged in a collaborative conflict resolution occurred during when I was in the Marines. We had to secure a hill over in Afghanistan and unfortunately we had heard that this place was known to have enemy sniper living in the hills and holes. There were some team leaders that wanted to wait until morning to go begin this mission and some that wanted to complete it asap that way it can be over with already. Each team leader gave the reason why they thought they should go now and other team leaders gave their reasons why they shouldn't go. I was one of the that wanted to wait, not because I was afraid well I was little but because just two days ago we had seen numerous heads and bodies come back blown to bits. I thought that area was still hot and didn't eant to sacrifice Marines lives just so some Captain can get his silver star. Well if you read this I must say that we went out that night and engaged in some skirmishes with the enemy and later on that day that Captain got an earful by the General for sending us out on a reckless mission. He ended up having to clean our plates when we went to chow.
The competitive conflict is a win lose situation. Sometimes people have a bad relation with this. I guess it has to do with the fact that if you happen to be on the losing end of the stick. No one likes to lose but unfortunately it happens. It is how you adapt to ensure you wont lose again is what matters. What I like about this concept is the "healthy competition" portion of it.I used the competition to find out who would be the next squad leader in my platoon. I asked the cook in the kitchen in the if we could use his refrigerator as a battle ground. Here I placed all five Marines in and said the winner is the one who comes out first. two things you had to do, 1. You had do whatever you had to do to make sure the other Marine didn't get out 2. You had to fight. I did this because I wanted to make sure I had the toughest guy leading my squad. At the end after everyone was battered and bloody we all knew who the winner was and were satisfied with the results.
If the ideal conflict resolution strategy for any group os one of win-win, or consensus then we would all be living under sunshine and rainbows and drinking mu thai's. Unfortunately the world is not like that, this strategy does have a little bit of conflict just not as personal as the others. A time that I engaged in a collaborative conflict resolution occurred during when I was in the Marines. We had to secure a hill over in Afghanistan and unfortunately we had heard that this place was known to have enemy sniper living in the hills and holes. There were some team leaders that wanted to wait until morning to go begin this mission and some that wanted to complete it asap that way it can be over with already. Each team leader gave the reason why they thought they should go now and other team leaders gave their reasons why they shouldn't go. I was one of the that wanted to wait, not because I was afraid well I was little but because just two days ago we had seen numerous heads and bodies come back blown to bits. I thought that area was still hot and didn't eant to sacrifice Marines lives just so some Captain can get his silver star. Well if you read this I must say that we went out that night and engaged in some skirmishes with the enemy and later on that day that Captain got an earful by the General for sending us out on a reckless mission. He ended up having to clean our plates when we went to chow.
The competitive conflict is a win lose situation. Sometimes people have a bad relation with this. I guess it has to do with the fact that if you happen to be on the losing end of the stick. No one likes to lose but unfortunately it happens. It is how you adapt to ensure you wont lose again is what matters. What I like about this concept is the "healthy competition" portion of it.I used the competition to find out who would be the next squad leader in my platoon. I asked the cook in the kitchen in the if we could use his refrigerator as a battle ground. Here I placed all five Marines in and said the winner is the one who comes out first. two things you had to do, 1. You had do whatever you had to do to make sure the other Marine didn't get out 2. You had to fight. I did this because I wanted to make sure I had the toughest guy leading my squad. At the end after everyone was battered and bloody we all knew who the winner was and were satisfied with the results.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Week of November 12-18
1). (Regarding chapter 11) Distinguish among a forum, panel, colloquium, and symposium as a mans for making a public presentation. Which one would you prefer? Why?
I am a traditional type of guy I like sticking with what works for me therefore I like forum method as means for making a public presentation. Although each of the formats for the groups presentations are effective the reason why I like the forum method is because it ensures that all parties, opinions, objectives, views, preferences and perspectives can be heard. Recently I attended a forum like this at our unions meeting during this past election. A lot people were not too aware of some the ballot measures that would effect us and some people went to get further clarification for what they were voting for. During this time we heard expert analysis of some of the measures and why we should vote yes or no for the measure at hand. One thing I did notice about this forum from the last time I went to a forum like this was that this forum allowed people to speak after each expert spoke. The last forum asked that we hold all questions until all the speakers had spoken. That nearly made it an hour and half before anybody in the audience got to ask questions and since we only had two hours some questions were not asked or answered.
Although I must say that I do like the colloquium format as well. I recently attended two colloquiums here at the Communication Studies department and I must say that very entertaining and informative. One of the things that I liked the most about it compared to the forum format is that it does take long. Both of the colloquiums that I attended were over in a hour. It was almost short sweet and straight to the point.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Week of November 12-18
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that has not already been discussed during this discussion week, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.
One of the concepts that was talked about comes from chapter 12 and it is the concept called Interpersonal Linkage Power. Interpersonal linkage power is when members of a group have personal access to people or information sources that is useful to the group. Their type of power allows them to engage the services of individuals, groups and organizations or to gain access to resources. In the real world it is commonly known as "who you know" type of thinking. Unfortunately I have seen this happen for the good and for the bad. For example in a psychology course I once took one, our group needed to set up an interview with a prominent member of a company we wanted to work for and get insight about the organization. One of our members had an uncle who worked side by side with the CEO of the company and we were able to get seen a lot faster than other groups who had no pull in trying to get access for their interviews.
I have also seen this happen negatively as well. I once worked in a group that the team leader wanted to set up a karaoke night at bar to help our fundraiser. When the leader was trying locate a DJ who would be the host he found it very difficult. Fortunately for us we had another group member who had a cousin who was DJ and volunteered to help. When we told the group leader we could tell he was bit upset because he really wanted to find a DJ and kind of didn't like asking for help sometimes.
What I like most about this concept is that most of the time interpersonal linkage power always helps the group rather than hurting the group.
One of the concepts that was talked about comes from chapter 12 and it is the concept called Interpersonal Linkage Power. Interpersonal linkage power is when members of a group have personal access to people or information sources that is useful to the group. Their type of power allows them to engage the services of individuals, groups and organizations or to gain access to resources. In the real world it is commonly known as "who you know" type of thinking. Unfortunately I have seen this happen for the good and for the bad. For example in a psychology course I once took one, our group needed to set up an interview with a prominent member of a company we wanted to work for and get insight about the organization. One of our members had an uncle who worked side by side with the CEO of the company and we were able to get seen a lot faster than other groups who had no pull in trying to get access for their interviews.
I have also seen this happen negatively as well. I once worked in a group that the team leader wanted to set up a karaoke night at bar to help our fundraiser. When the leader was trying locate a DJ who would be the host he found it very difficult. Fortunately for us we had another group member who had a cousin who was DJ and volunteered to help. When we told the group leader we could tell he was bit upset because he really wanted to find a DJ and kind of didn't like asking for help sometimes.
What I like most about this concept is that most of the time interpersonal linkage power always helps the group rather than hurting the group.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Week of november 5 - 11
1). Provide an example of creativity from your own experience. How does it fit with the chapter's discussion of creativity?
I like to think as simple man and I tend do do things under the motto business as usual. However there are times when I am looking to improve the things that I do in life. For example recently I noticed that I was always showing up to work right on time. I am not a person that likes to do this, normally I like to get there about 15 minutes prior to starting my shift that way I can hang out, get set up and prepare myself for the day. With traffic being unpredictable when I drive to work from the 101 up to the 280 and then to 880 I decided that I try and find an new way to getting to work. So one day as I was driving there was the same traffic jam that starts at tully road and it last all the way to 880. I decided to call my friend who always gets to work on time and comes from the same town as do and ask her for directions. She gave me them and I set out on my new route the next day. The next day I left about five to ten minutes earlier than I did before just so I can get a sense of how the traffic was going to be on my new route. Tuns out it was actually a lot faster this new route and it got me to work with plenty of time to spare. The book states that when you are driving to work on a new route to avoid traffic jams you are being creative. Id like to think that my creative side has allowed me to enhance myself at work as well. With me being prepared and not rushed when I get to work has led me to be a better employee.
I like to think as simple man and I tend do do things under the motto business as usual. However there are times when I am looking to improve the things that I do in life. For example recently I noticed that I was always showing up to work right on time. I am not a person that likes to do this, normally I like to get there about 15 minutes prior to starting my shift that way I can hang out, get set up and prepare myself for the day. With traffic being unpredictable when I drive to work from the 101 up to the 280 and then to 880 I decided that I try and find an new way to getting to work. So one day as I was driving there was the same traffic jam that starts at tully road and it last all the way to 880. I decided to call my friend who always gets to work on time and comes from the same town as do and ask her for directions. She gave me them and I set out on my new route the next day. The next day I left about five to ten minutes earlier than I did before just so I can get a sense of how the traffic was going to be on my new route. Tuns out it was actually a lot faster this new route and it got me to work with plenty of time to spare. The book states that when you are driving to work on a new route to avoid traffic jams you are being creative. Id like to think that my creative side has allowed me to enhance myself at work as well. With me being prepared and not rushed when I get to work has led me to be a better employee.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Week of november 5 - 11
2). Name five cultural barriers to creativity. Why do you think these would keep a group from being creative? Have you experienced any of these personally? Explain.
The five cultural barriers to creativity are requirement for conformity, an expectation of practicality and efficiency, particular arenas for competition or cooperation, an expectation of politeness and of following rules for social order, and a reliance on expert knowledge.I think these would keep a group from being creative because of fear. We all have fear in us and sometimes we are do not have enough self confidence in us to overcome that fear and feel that we need the best option for us would be to conform to the rules and stick to business as usual.
I have experienced most of these personally and sometimes when I do decide to go against the grain so to speak it has made me stand in front of the man and explain why I did. For example I mentioned that earlier that I am baseball coach and on my team I have a kid that is not as fast as the other kids but he is a smart base runner. He knows when to steal bases on what counts. Now statistical data shows that kids weighing a certain number of pounds are not that fast and if I elect to authorize him to steal a base he would be thrown out. However I decided numerous times to send him and I am proud to say that he was successful 9 out 9 times stealing. Little did those numbers knew that we both knew what pitches were being thrown and we strategically chose what counts to steal on.
I also have used my creativity to see things slightly different than others. The book gave the example of the Styrofoam cup and its many uses, I also have used the bucket for many uses. I have used it for a piggie bank of coins,to help me wash cars, for laundry detergent, for rice, for weights (fill it up with water and lift it), for keeping a water hose or extension cords winded up properly. Just because the bucket was designed for carrying something has not limited me to just accepting that its sole use is to carry things.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Week of november 5 - 11
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that has not already been discussed during this discussion week, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.
One of the concept from the assigned reading that I found useful was the concept of guidelines for creative problem solution. the text states that creativity is the result of looking at things and seeing them in a new way. Everyone who knows me knows I am die hard San Francisco Giants baseball fan and I am very critical of my team. I have a love hate relationship with the team mainly because baseball is my passion. When the Giants start third baseman Pablo Sandoval went down with an injury the Giants decided to trade for veteran Marco Scutaro. When the Giants decided to make this trade I text my cousins fellow arm chair Giant fan general managers to voice my displeasure over this trade. I said things like he was to old, he doesn't move well, he cant hit. I was did not even think of the guidelines that the real manager seems to always think. In this case Bruce Bochy managed to kept an open mind and withheld his premature judgement about the Scutaro. He knew that the problem of having Sandoval out with an injury was going to create new ways for other players to get involved or the injury was going to give someone else an opportunity to seize the job. Now being that this trade happened it still presented a problem when Sandoval came back, what do to do with Scutaro and other players. Bochy had to be willing to break the rules and draw outside the lines. In baseball conventional wisdom would have told him to wait until Sandoval's injury fully healed but Bochy couldn't wait, he saw his team slipping and called for another trade for another outfielder Hunter Pence. So he activated Sandoval from the disabled list and hit Scutaro second and created a lineup that would help the Giants win their second World Series in three years. You see as the book says when you try something new, something different, something helpful it shows creativity and creative ideas enhance and expand all the possibilities of a product.
One of the concept from the assigned reading that I found useful was the concept of guidelines for creative problem solution. the text states that creativity is the result of looking at things and seeing them in a new way. Everyone who knows me knows I am die hard San Francisco Giants baseball fan and I am very critical of my team. I have a love hate relationship with the team mainly because baseball is my passion. When the Giants start third baseman Pablo Sandoval went down with an injury the Giants decided to trade for veteran Marco Scutaro. When the Giants decided to make this trade I text my cousins fellow arm chair Giant fan general managers to voice my displeasure over this trade. I said things like he was to old, he doesn't move well, he cant hit. I was did not even think of the guidelines that the real manager seems to always think. In this case Bruce Bochy managed to kept an open mind and withheld his premature judgement about the Scutaro. He knew that the problem of having Sandoval out with an injury was going to create new ways for other players to get involved or the injury was going to give someone else an opportunity to seize the job. Now being that this trade happened it still presented a problem when Sandoval came back, what do to do with Scutaro and other players. Bochy had to be willing to break the rules and draw outside the lines. In baseball conventional wisdom would have told him to wait until Sandoval's injury fully healed but Bochy couldn't wait, he saw his team slipping and called for another trade for another outfielder Hunter Pence. So he activated Sandoval from the disabled list and hit Scutaro second and created a lineup that would help the Giants win their second World Series in three years. You see as the book says when you try something new, something different, something helpful it shows creativity and creative ideas enhance and expand all the possibilities of a product.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Week of October 29 - November 4
2). How do anonymity, group size, and proximity influence participation and communication in CMC groups?
Anonymity influences participation and communication in CMC groups by some people being able to hide behind there words. As I sit here I don't think anyone has seen my face to face so that gives me the chance to sit back and press the keys type anything I want. I recently saw in college group course two grown adults exchange get into a heated discussion online about the Presidential election. I had never seen any of the two people before in my life but they were arguing like two people in a bar. I could juts picture them doing this. So anonymity gives people in CMC groups more of chance to hide behind the computer desk.
Group size influences participation and communication in CMC the same way it does it face to face groups. Ive been posting in my earlier blogs that I think you have to wait for the group to get together in CMC just as much as you do in face to face. The only difference is you dont see them. I think that the same 10 people in a CMC group would do just as well in face to face meeting. One of things that Ive noticed in both groups is that in CMC information is waiting for you at the tip of your fingers. The email is already there, the instructions are already there on D2L are already there as oppose to having to go to class and waiting to get the instructions
Proximity can influence participation and communication very much. I have seen it influence it in positive and negative way. When I was in group project I was so confused with an assignment that I desperately needed to get in touch with the teacher to clear things up. He obliged and was able to set up a meeting so I could participate fully in the group exercises. However when I was in course that was online I wanted the teacher to do the same and help me out, however he only came one time to campus during the whole year that I was forced to learn it via the email. I'm not that type of learner and since I was in the group I felt that I had to ask the group to slow down so I could catch up.
Anonymity influences participation and communication in CMC groups by some people being able to hide behind there words. As I sit here I don't think anyone has seen my face to face so that gives me the chance to sit back and press the keys type anything I want. I recently saw in college group course two grown adults exchange get into a heated discussion online about the Presidential election. I had never seen any of the two people before in my life but they were arguing like two people in a bar. I could juts picture them doing this. So anonymity gives people in CMC groups more of chance to hide behind the computer desk.
Group size influences participation and communication in CMC the same way it does it face to face groups. Ive been posting in my earlier blogs that I think you have to wait for the group to get together in CMC just as much as you do in face to face. The only difference is you dont see them. I think that the same 10 people in a CMC group would do just as well in face to face meeting. One of things that Ive noticed in both groups is that in CMC information is waiting for you at the tip of your fingers. The email is already there, the instructions are already there on D2L are already there as oppose to having to go to class and waiting to get the instructions
Proximity can influence participation and communication very much. I have seen it influence it in positive and negative way. When I was in group project I was so confused with an assignment that I desperately needed to get in touch with the teacher to clear things up. He obliged and was able to set up a meeting so I could participate fully in the group exercises. However when I was in course that was online I wanted the teacher to do the same and help me out, however he only came one time to campus during the whole year that I was forced to learn it via the email. I'm not that type of learner and since I was in the group I felt that I had to ask the group to slow down so I could catch up.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Week of October 29 - November 4
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading this week, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
One concept that I found interesting is the concept of gender swapping. According to the text gender swapping is when people identify and portray themselves as a person of the opposite sex in their electronic conversations and in chat rooms, instant messages, and email. Lets ask ourselves why a person would do such a thing. Maybe a person wanted to be deceitful for reasons such as trying be someone they are not. For example you see this a lot in bullying. People portray themselves as boy or girl and try and lure the unpopular, unattractive girl just to get a rise out of this. It is sad but true. Now according to the text Samp, Wittenberg and Gillet conducted a survey and of the 823 respondents 233 indicated that they do indeed do something like this. They also add that 370 of the 823 respondents said they suspected and questioned the sex of another online participant. This reminds me of an ex girlfriend of mine, who I found out used Myspace to create a fake profile. She created a profile of a guy that was asking for weight training advice. She knew that I have my certificate as a trainer as was looking for new clientele. She went as far as to say she was from New Mexico and he was looking to relocate and was interested in finding a new gym. This girl had done her homework she asked all the questions that prospective client would ask but what gave her away is one day she said she was busy today and had to pick up kids from the local school. After that I asked questions like when did he get into town and etc.After that I never heard from "Mark".
One concept that I found interesting is the concept of gender swapping. According to the text gender swapping is when people identify and portray themselves as a person of the opposite sex in their electronic conversations and in chat rooms, instant messages, and email. Lets ask ourselves why a person would do such a thing. Maybe a person wanted to be deceitful for reasons such as trying be someone they are not. For example you see this a lot in bullying. People portray themselves as boy or girl and try and lure the unpopular, unattractive girl just to get a rise out of this. It is sad but true. Now according to the text Samp, Wittenberg and Gillet conducted a survey and of the 823 respondents 233 indicated that they do indeed do something like this. They also add that 370 of the 823 respondents said they suspected and questioned the sex of another online participant. This reminds me of an ex girlfriend of mine, who I found out used Myspace to create a fake profile. She created a profile of a guy that was asking for weight training advice. She knew that I have my certificate as a trainer as was looking for new clientele. She went as far as to say she was from New Mexico and he was looking to relocate and was interested in finding a new gym. This girl had done her homework she asked all the questions that prospective client would ask but what gave her away is one day she said she was busy today and had to pick up kids from the local school. After that I asked questions like when did he get into town and etc.After that I never heard from "Mark".
Friday, November 2, 2012
Week of October 29 - November 4
1). How does CMC differ from f2f communication? (Think outside the box).
In order to answer this question I am going to recall the time I graduated from this Santa Clara county three month long hybrid course. The course was about computers and iI remember taking courses face to face at my community college. Being that I am a father of two and work 40 hours a week I wanted to strengthen my computer skills and basically get a certificate that I can use on my resume for a job. When our first group assignment came up I noticed we were all engaged in what the assignment was. Looking back I can recall times when I was in other classes such as the computer courses at my community college and the time came to form groups I notice that some students tend to stand around before getting started. When the time came to start and complete the online resume I notice how fast everyone was moving to complete this assignment. It was almost as if they were completing the assignment to get it out of the way and focus on the next assignment. When I was in my other communication courses which is face to face as well I notice how long it takes just to get started. First you have to gather the group members, exchange information, pick a date, time, location on where to meet and once you are there you have discuss what you are going to talk about that is providing that everyone shows up. It can be some what of pain to go thru this process as opposed to CMC. I noticed the attitude did not change in CMC during thus course. Although you do some of this in CMC you do not do as much of it, if I had to guess I would say that you save about an hour to an hour half in CMC than face to face in terms of man hours.
Another things that I noticed in face to face communication that the book talks about against CMC is that attitudes change all the time. For example when I was in another communication course a guy and girl became a little bit more closer than what they were originally. In what started out as classmates turned into puppy love then when the boy decided to cheat on his new girlfriend with the another girl in our group all heck broke lose. We did not even get the chance to complete our assignment we had to go ask the teacher if we could all do our own assignment because of so much high tension. In face to face you do indeed have to see that person as opposed to sitting behind the desk as I am doing here.
In order to answer this question I am going to recall the time I graduated from this Santa Clara county three month long hybrid course. The course was about computers and iI remember taking courses face to face at my community college. Being that I am a father of two and work 40 hours a week I wanted to strengthen my computer skills and basically get a certificate that I can use on my resume for a job. When our first group assignment came up I noticed we were all engaged in what the assignment was. Looking back I can recall times when I was in other classes such as the computer courses at my community college and the time came to form groups I notice that some students tend to stand around before getting started. When the time came to start and complete the online resume I notice how fast everyone was moving to complete this assignment. It was almost as if they were completing the assignment to get it out of the way and focus on the next assignment. When I was in my other communication courses which is face to face as well I notice how long it takes just to get started. First you have to gather the group members, exchange information, pick a date, time, location on where to meet and once you are there you have discuss what you are going to talk about that is providing that everyone shows up. It can be some what of pain to go thru this process as opposed to CMC. I noticed the attitude did not change in CMC during thus course. Although you do some of this in CMC you do not do as much of it, if I had to guess I would say that you save about an hour to an hour half in CMC than face to face in terms of man hours.
Another things that I noticed in face to face communication that the book talks about against CMC is that attitudes change all the time. For example when I was in another communication course a guy and girl became a little bit more closer than what they were originally. In what started out as classmates turned into puppy love then when the boy decided to cheat on his new girlfriend with the another girl in our group all heck broke lose. We did not even get the chance to complete our assignment we had to go ask the teacher if we could all do our own assignment because of so much high tension. In face to face you do indeed have to see that person as opposed to sitting behind the desk as I am doing here.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Week of October 15-21
2). Give a personal example where you have had selective attention. Why
do you think that is? Is there a way you were able to overcome it?
I feel that I already gave my answer to this in an earlier post this week, so I wont give that example instead I will give the example that occurred today. Since the idea of selective attention suggests that we have learned to pay attention to those stimuli that are familiar to us and that have a particular significance for us allow me to use the following as an example. At my work there's is a guy named Juan and he always talks about his wife and their marital problems. When I first see Juan I always ask him hows it going and that is his invitation to tell me the latest drama that him and his are going thru. It is not as if I have never been thru my own personal relationship problems no its just the fact that that I have no real interest in the daily report of his marital problems. There are more important things that we could be discussing (work issues). I can relate to what the text suggest, that when I hear Juan and his marital problems I put my imaginary "emotional cotton" in my ears to not fully pay attention to Juan about this matter.
However Juan is one of my best friends, Ive known him for seven years and I know that he been thru so much with his wife that I found value in his experiences that I now look for red flags in my relationships. Even though I do not like hearing it everyday I still find myself drawn to it because I do not want to miss the opportunity to learn something new and perhaps something useful later down the road.
I think selective attention is just hearing what we want to here not hearing anything else. It is like we select what we want to hear, store it in whatever memory bank (short term or long term) and discard the other things said to us. Unfortunately I don't think we are able to overcome it, the only thing I could suggest is try and not get in a position that you are going to take on more information that you are able to handle.
I feel that I already gave my answer to this in an earlier post this week, so I wont give that example instead I will give the example that occurred today. Since the idea of selective attention suggests that we have learned to pay attention to those stimuli that are familiar to us and that have a particular significance for us allow me to use the following as an example. At my work there's is a guy named Juan and he always talks about his wife and their marital problems. When I first see Juan I always ask him hows it going and that is his invitation to tell me the latest drama that him and his are going thru. It is not as if I have never been thru my own personal relationship problems no its just the fact that that I have no real interest in the daily report of his marital problems. There are more important things that we could be discussing (work issues). I can relate to what the text suggest, that when I hear Juan and his marital problems I put my imaginary "emotional cotton" in my ears to not fully pay attention to Juan about this matter.
However Juan is one of my best friends, Ive known him for seven years and I know that he been thru so much with his wife that I found value in his experiences that I now look for red flags in my relationships. Even though I do not like hearing it everyday I still find myself drawn to it because I do not want to miss the opportunity to learn something new and perhaps something useful later down the road.
I think selective attention is just hearing what we want to here not hearing anything else. It is like we select what we want to hear, store it in whatever memory bank (short term or long term) and discard the other things said to us. Unfortunately I don't think we are able to overcome it, the only thing I could suggest is try and not get in a position that you are going to take on more information that you are able to handle.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Week of October 15-21
3). Pick one concept from theory assigned reading this week, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
One of the concepts that was not already discussed but I found interesting was the concept of memory: retaining and responding to the message. The text states that we have two types of memories, short term and long term memory. Short term memory is our working memory and is said to last 1 to 60 seconds. That means by the time you would have up to this point in my post, you will have already decided whether to keep this information or not. However through our selective attention should you chose to decide to continue reading you will decide what information is to be retained. Some factors that also could influence your short term memory on which information should be attained are influenced by external and internal noise. Some examples of when short term memory is used can be when you decide to create a grocery list. You write down what you need, go get what you need from the store then toss the list away after you have gotten what you need.
Now if my post is very stimulating ( which I am hoping it is) and you decide that this information is useful, this could be stored in your long term memory. Bits and pieces will gain access to your long term memory.. Now since we have an enormous amount of information trying to gain access to our long term memory, sometimes we have to hear something several times before it is stored in our long term memory. An example of long term memory can be recalling that vacation that you took when you were 15 to Disneyland. If it was fun and you can recall the experience that means the feeling that you experienced were stored in you long term memory.
One of the concepts that was not already discussed but I found interesting was the concept of memory: retaining and responding to the message. The text states that we have two types of memories, short term and long term memory. Short term memory is our working memory and is said to last 1 to 60 seconds. That means by the time you would have up to this point in my post, you will have already decided whether to keep this information or not. However through our selective attention should you chose to decide to continue reading you will decide what information is to be retained. Some factors that also could influence your short term memory on which information should be attained are influenced by external and internal noise. Some examples of when short term memory is used can be when you decide to create a grocery list. You write down what you need, go get what you need from the store then toss the list away after you have gotten what you need.
Now if my post is very stimulating ( which I am hoping it is) and you decide that this information is useful, this could be stored in your long term memory. Bits and pieces will gain access to your long term memory.. Now since we have an enormous amount of information trying to gain access to our long term memory, sometimes we have to hear something several times before it is stored in our long term memory. An example of long term memory can be recalling that vacation that you took when you were 15 to Disneyland. If it was fun and you can recall the experience that means the feeling that you experienced were stored in you long term memory.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Week of October 15-21
1). Think of a recent situation in which you found listening difficult.
Which one (or more) of the four phases presented the most difficulty
for you? Why? How could this have been overcome?
Of the four phases that present the most difficult to me is sensing. Here at SJSU I have taken courses that I have really liked but during this past year I was late registering for a class in the area v department so all that was left was some food culture class. It sounded like an easy class for to take and probably get some free samples along the way so I enrolled. However as of late I have found myself dragging my way to class. It has nothing to do with teachers or materials covered it is just I work at 5am until 130pm and the have to rush to class. So I then I find myself going through what the book calls "selective attention". Meaning I choose one message over another. Now since hearing and listening to the message are influenced by selective attention and amounts of external and internal noise I am going to show you how this is difficult for me.
For the most part I am good student in the class, I show up, take some notes, engage in discussion and listen but in my mind I am zoning out big time. However earlier I mentioned I go to work at 5am and that means I should go to sleep at 830, but I don't. I got to sleep at 10 and have five to six hours sleep and then the next day I'm sleep deprived and then have after an 10 hour day I have to drag myself to class that at the very least has no air conditioning. On top of being sleep deprived I am usually am thinking about whats for dinner, whats time the Giants play and how much longer until class ends. These things are more important to me than what are Islamic eating habits are.
I guess what could have been overcome was that maybe I could have not waited and registered for the classes that I really wanted, but like I said I am good student in the class,I make a good effort try and get somewhat interested in food culture however it is still difficult to focus especially when we are talking about things that I just do not find interesting. For me I will just get my passing grade and move on.
Of the four phases that present the most difficult to me is sensing. Here at SJSU I have taken courses that I have really liked but during this past year I was late registering for a class in the area v department so all that was left was some food culture class. It sounded like an easy class for to take and probably get some free samples along the way so I enrolled. However as of late I have found myself dragging my way to class. It has nothing to do with teachers or materials covered it is just I work at 5am until 130pm and the have to rush to class. So I then I find myself going through what the book calls "selective attention". Meaning I choose one message over another. Now since hearing and listening to the message are influenced by selective attention and amounts of external and internal noise I am going to show you how this is difficult for me.
For the most part I am good student in the class, I show up, take some notes, engage in discussion and listen but in my mind I am zoning out big time. However earlier I mentioned I go to work at 5am and that means I should go to sleep at 830, but I don't. I got to sleep at 10 and have five to six hours sleep and then the next day I'm sleep deprived and then have after an 10 hour day I have to drag myself to class that at the very least has no air conditioning. On top of being sleep deprived I am usually am thinking about whats for dinner, whats time the Giants play and how much longer until class ends. These things are more important to me than what are Islamic eating habits are.
I guess what could have been overcome was that maybe I could have not waited and registered for the classes that I really wanted, but like I said I am good student in the class,I make a good effort try and get somewhat interested in food culture however it is still difficult to focus especially when we are talking about things that I just do not find interesting. For me I will just get my passing grade and move on.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
week of oct 1-7
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading this week, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
The section of verbal and nonverbal cues in computer-mediated communication talks about the reduced opportunity for nonverbal communication, creates a loss of social cues. The reason I found this fitting is because it is exactly what we in this are doing. It states this reduced accessibility to social cues can lead to personal and more stereotyped impressions of other group members as presented by their gender, social class, race, ethnicity or other categories and can facilitate the development of more biased and less effective communication relationships within the group. I was just wondering how many of you made such stereotypes impressions just based on the profile pictures. I thought to myself as I chose my picture, did I want to put up one that was more like a facebook profile pciture or more of one that would look like i sell real estate. I decided to have fun with it because that is who I am. The text adds that most people can adapt to the absence of nonverbal vocal and facial cues in CMC. However they also add that communicators in CMC may require more time to develop the social-relational aspects of their communication but given enough time they are able to express develop relationships and engage in group decision making. This holds true to me because this is my fourth CMC class and in my last class we were placed in the group early and at first it was hard to communicate since most people took the class online to avoid going school, however we were able to develop a relationship as well just created facebook account as another way of communication for our assignment.
The section of verbal and nonverbal cues in computer-mediated communication talks about the reduced opportunity for nonverbal communication, creates a loss of social cues. The reason I found this fitting is because it is exactly what we in this are doing. It states this reduced accessibility to social cues can lead to personal and more stereotyped impressions of other group members as presented by their gender, social class, race, ethnicity or other categories and can facilitate the development of more biased and less effective communication relationships within the group. I was just wondering how many of you made such stereotypes impressions just based on the profile pictures. I thought to myself as I chose my picture, did I want to put up one that was more like a facebook profile pciture or more of one that would look like i sell real estate. I decided to have fun with it because that is who I am. The text adds that most people can adapt to the absence of nonverbal vocal and facial cues in CMC. However they also add that communicators in CMC may require more time to develop the social-relational aspects of their communication but given enough time they are able to express develop relationships and engage in group decision making. This holds true to me because this is my fourth CMC class and in my last class we were placed in the group early and at first it was hard to communicate since most people took the class online to avoid going school, however we were able to develop a relationship as well just created facebook account as another way of communication for our assignment.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Week of October 1-7
1). Return to the eight principles of nonverbal communication. Pick two principles, and provide new examples of how they operate in a group or team.
Principle no.1 states that "Our nonverbal communication affects the quality of our relationships". An example of how this would operate in group or team could be if a group member just comes to the group meetings and is non-existent while they are there. The group member could do things such as text message, be on their lap top, or listen to the iPod that can be interpreted as negatively. An example of how our non-verbal communication can be viewed as positively in the group, is when a group member takes notes of the meeting or is serving as observer of the meeting. The text adds that our nonverbal behavior gives off information that allows other group members to interpret our words as well as our actions. For example the way I stand and stare at my kid after I have asked her to do something dictates whether she knows whether I am serious or not.
Principle no.5 states that "Cultural norms and expectations guide our expectations". An example of how this would operate in a team group depends on who is in your group. For example if I am in group that is dominant one race then I more likely to operate within the norms and expectations of the culture of which they are apart.
Oct 1-7
2). Explain proxemics and chronemics. Are there universal rules for
all cultures regarding these concepts? Give personal examples if
possible. Give examples of personal experience in other cultures
regarding these two concepts.
According to the text Proxemics is the study of how we use space to communicate. The ways we structure, use, and are affected by space, that is our proximity to one another. According to Edward T. Hall (who coined the phrase) he believed "that the value in studying proxemics comes from its applicability in evaluating not only the way man interacts with others in his daily life, but also the organization of space in his houses and buildings, and ultimately the layout of his towns." Hall also identified the study of personal space as the invisible boundary individuals draw around themselves.
A personal experience of mine I can relate to happened when I was stationed in Thailand. In America we tend to be very "touchy-feely" to one another. Over the years our public display of affection has grown so much over the last couple of decades that one would not be surprised to see X-rated public display of affection going on in the streets. Nevertheless while stationed there my fellow comrade of mine liked a pretty girl in Thailand and went up to her and tapped her on the shoulder to gain her attention. He was immediately greeted by four to six male Thai's that wanted to give him the biggest beat-down. Luckily for us we had an interpreter with us and he explained to both parties what is ok for us and not ok in Thailand. Apparently you can only touch a female if she is married and you happen to be her husband or if shes a prostitute. Luckily we were saved.
According to the text Chronemics is the study of use and time. The text adds that a universal rule for Western Culture is very particular when dealing within the concept of time. As the saying goes "time is money". Time is considered to be a positive nonverbal behavior because it is does not keep people waiting and it gives adequate time to others.
I will use my time in Japan as an experience. When we trained with the Japanese and they taught us karate and various forms of defense, they noticed how prompt we were. In the Marines we had the the rule that if you were 15 minutes early for formation you were considered on time, but if you were there on time you were considered late. Tough place to earn a living I know, nevertheless they lived under the same philosophy saying that lateness was considered disrespectful. They used to say that the only time they would not be there if the two D's happened. they are died or they are dead. Which I always thought was funny.
According to the text Proxemics is the study of how we use space to communicate. The ways we structure, use, and are affected by space, that is our proximity to one another. According to Edward T. Hall (who coined the phrase) he believed "that the value in studying proxemics comes from its applicability in evaluating not only the way man interacts with others in his daily life, but also the organization of space in his houses and buildings, and ultimately the layout of his towns." Hall also identified the study of personal space as the invisible boundary individuals draw around themselves.
A personal experience of mine I can relate to happened when I was stationed in Thailand. In America we tend to be very "touchy-feely" to one another. Over the years our public display of affection has grown so much over the last couple of decades that one would not be surprised to see X-rated public display of affection going on in the streets. Nevertheless while stationed there my fellow comrade of mine liked a pretty girl in Thailand and went up to her and tapped her on the shoulder to gain her attention. He was immediately greeted by four to six male Thai's that wanted to give him the biggest beat-down. Luckily for us we had an interpreter with us and he explained to both parties what is ok for us and not ok in Thailand. Apparently you can only touch a female if she is married and you happen to be her husband or if shes a prostitute. Luckily we were saved.
According to the text Chronemics is the study of use and time. The text adds that a universal rule for Western Culture is very particular when dealing within the concept of time. As the saying goes "time is money". Time is considered to be a positive nonverbal behavior because it is does not keep people waiting and it gives adequate time to others.
I will use my time in Japan as an experience. When we trained with the Japanese and they taught us karate and various forms of defense, they noticed how prompt we were. In the Marines we had the the rule that if you were 15 minutes early for formation you were considered on time, but if you were there on time you were considered late. Tough place to earn a living I know, nevertheless they lived under the same philosophy saying that lateness was considered disrespectful. They used to say that the only time they would not be there if the two D's happened. they are died or they are dead. Which I always thought was funny.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Week of September 24-30
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading this week, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
I am going to talk about Verbal Interaction and Content Analysis. These are two devices that can be useful for evaluating the group process. Verbal interaction traces the number of times members address one another. In figure 14.2 it gives an example of verbal interaction between a group of 5, with each arrow indicating how many times that person spoke and to whom. This will show who might not be participating and who has emerged as the leader. For example I recently did this while at a company meeting. It was group of 12 and each manager talked to each other about four to five times while only speaking to the employees about once or twice. It was clear who the leader was (my boss Kate) who spoke 11 different times and it was clear who not participating (Dave) who only spoke once and that was to ask when the next paid holiday was.
The next concept is the content analysis. This device is used to keep track of how comments being made and how often. The text states that if you wanted to know who displayed the most leadership behaviors, you would develop a list of desired leadership activities and then keep track of how often group members engage in these activities.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Week of September 24-30
2). Outline and discuss the guidelines for providing observer feedback to a group.
According to the text there are when you are asked to provide individual written or oral feedback the following guidelines should be observed.
1. Avoid generalization. This can include sayings such as "Well Done, Good Job etc", the more specific the feedback the better. A generalization is just a general statement.
2. Focus on behaviors that can be changed. For example you could use task oriented roles to assist the group accomplish its goals or you could use self centered roles which are concerned with individual needs.
3. Do not debate or argue with the group you are evaluating. As an observer you are to provide insight,ideas,analysis based on your observations that can be useful to the group but you are not to demand that the group accepts them.
4. Do not micromanage the group process. As an observer you may want to go over everything that you have observed but it is best that you choose specific areas and and develop them for it would be wise to go over two to three items than go over every single detail.
5. Remember your role. An evaluator should function as a facilitator and developer.
6. Accentuate the positive aspects. Always start with with the positive and and try to spend the most of the time finding things the group did right. For example coaches every sport do this at the conclusion of their events whether they win or lose. They focus on the things things they did well and go over them.
7. End with specific suggestions for improvement. For example coaches do this as well whether they win or lost. They will point out the things they did not do so well and go over them in hopes of improvement next time.
8. Be clear and concise if you present your ideas orally or in writing. For example when I used to give Marines instructions on what I needed them to do, I had to clear on what it was I exactly wanted. If I needed something at 12pm and not 1201 or 1159, it also helps eliminate confusion.
9. Compliment in public and criticize in private. For example there were many times in the Marines that I had to do both. I would compliment the platoon on doing a good job but if someone was not pulling their weight, I made sure not to single a person out, instead I would talk them in private in hopes of correcting the matter.
10. In an organizational setting, developing positive relationships during the feedback process will repay itself in time and again. Your job is to help the group or team develop and improve.
According to the text there are when you are asked to provide individual written or oral feedback the following guidelines should be observed.
1. Avoid generalization. This can include sayings such as "Well Done, Good Job etc", the more specific the feedback the better. A generalization is just a general statement.
2. Focus on behaviors that can be changed. For example you could use task oriented roles to assist the group accomplish its goals or you could use self centered roles which are concerned with individual needs.
3. Do not debate or argue with the group you are evaluating. As an observer you are to provide insight,ideas,analysis based on your observations that can be useful to the group but you are not to demand that the group accepts them.
4. Do not micromanage the group process. As an observer you may want to go over everything that you have observed but it is best that you choose specific areas and and develop them for it would be wise to go over two to three items than go over every single detail.
5. Remember your role. An evaluator should function as a facilitator and developer.
6. Accentuate the positive aspects. Always start with with the positive and and try to spend the most of the time finding things the group did right. For example coaches every sport do this at the conclusion of their events whether they win or lose. They focus on the things things they did well and go over them.
7. End with specific suggestions for improvement. For example coaches do this as well whether they win or lost. They will point out the things they did not do so well and go over them in hopes of improvement next time.
8. Be clear and concise if you present your ideas orally or in writing. For example when I used to give Marines instructions on what I needed them to do, I had to clear on what it was I exactly wanted. If I needed something at 12pm and not 1201 or 1159, it also helps eliminate confusion.
9. Compliment in public and criticize in private. For example there were many times in the Marines that I had to do both. I would compliment the platoon on doing a good job but if someone was not pulling their weight, I made sure not to single a person out, instead I would talk them in private in hopes of correcting the matter.
10. In an organizational setting, developing positive relationships during the feedback process will repay itself in time and again. Your job is to help the group or team develop and improve.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Week of September 24-30
1). Why use a consultant or an observer for a small group?
You should use a consultant or an observer for a small group when it is appropriate. There is no best time to use one, the reason why small groups use them is because consultants and observers are not directly involved with the group work but rather are there to provide insight. They also can help the group develop by offering evaluations of the growth and development that they see.
For example I mentioned that I coach baseball however I am only 3 years into coaching I only have my knowledge of the game, clinics that I have attended and my own personal experience of the game. However when I decided to coach softball it is different sport. Since I was only coaching seven to eight year olds I was able to incorporate some of the methods from baseball into my coaching. As time went on I knew I had to make the switch from baseball to softball. So I went with my uncle Joe who has over 20 years of expericence. I consulted with him on certain techniques, how to run a practice, and how to make the game fun for him. I would ask him to come and watch me coordinate my practice and later he gave me some tips on what I could do better and what he saw as my strengths when teaching the game of softball.
You should use a consultant or an observer for a small group when it is appropriate. There is no best time to use one, the reason why small groups use them is because consultants and observers are not directly involved with the group work but rather are there to provide insight. They also can help the group develop by offering evaluations of the growth and development that they see.
For example I mentioned that I coach baseball however I am only 3 years into coaching I only have my knowledge of the game, clinics that I have attended and my own personal experience of the game. However when I decided to coach softball it is different sport. Since I was only coaching seven to eight year olds I was able to incorporate some of the methods from baseball into my coaching. As time went on I knew I had to make the switch from baseball to softball. So I went with my uncle Joe who has over 20 years of expericence. I consulted with him on certain techniques, how to run a practice, and how to make the game fun for him. I would ask him to come and watch me coordinate my practice and later he gave me some tips on what I could do better and what he saw as my strengths when teaching the game of softball.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Sept 10-16 question
1). Does valuing diversity come easily? Why or why not? Can you make
some suggestions to enhance a group's ability to value diversity?
No valuing diversity does not come easy, nothing ever does. I am going to take this time to tell the story of Babel. In the beginning there was one language that everyone spoke and the people tried to create a tower that would lead them all the way to Heaven. It is said that the man upstairs did not want them, life or anything to be that easy so he instantly made them start speaking different languages so that they had to learn about their fellow neighbor.
Of course many people interpret this differently but I use this as an example of why you should take the opportunity to value diversity. If they had taken the time to learn what the other person was saying they could have finished the tower instead of arguing. Of course one of the benefits that you might get of getting to know someone is you might make a friend. When I was in the Marines, I met many people of different races, never was race an issue. We all valued each other and each others thoughts, positions etc mainly because we had one common purpose and that was being in the Marines. So we had to get to know them. My suggestion to enhance a groups ability to value diversity starts with taking the opportunity to get to know someone.
No valuing diversity does not come easy, nothing ever does. I am going to take this time to tell the story of Babel. In the beginning there was one language that everyone spoke and the people tried to create a tower that would lead them all the way to Heaven. It is said that the man upstairs did not want them, life or anything to be that easy so he instantly made them start speaking different languages so that they had to learn about their fellow neighbor.
Of course many people interpret this differently but I use this as an example of why you should take the opportunity to value diversity. If they had taken the time to learn what the other person was saying they could have finished the tower instead of arguing. Of course one of the benefits that you might get of getting to know someone is you might make a friend. When I was in the Marines, I met many people of different races, never was race an issue. We all valued each other and each others thoughts, positions etc mainly because we had one common purpose and that was being in the Marines. So we had to get to know them. My suggestion to enhance a groups ability to value diversity starts with taking the opportunity to get to know someone.
Sept 10-16 question no.2
2). Explain the concept "white men of privilege". Do you agree with the concept? Why or why not?
White men of privilege is when white persons have an advantage over others based on the fact that they are white. Those advantages can be categorized by class,education,social ties,power,wealth etc. Do I agree with the concept? Yes I agree that the concept exists, one example I can give is wealth, never once has African,Mexican,Asian, or any other race have made so much more money than whites do. Plain and simple white people are afforded more opportunities than others. Do I agree with the concept? No I do not. I wish that life and all aspects were on a level playing field, but that is more of a personal trip to fantasy land. Unfortunately we live in a dog eat dog world and when push comes to shove it comes it is always going to come down to have's and have not's.
White men of privilege is when white persons have an advantage over others based on the fact that they are white. Those advantages can be categorized by class,education,social ties,power,wealth etc. Do I agree with the concept? Yes I agree that the concept exists, one example I can give is wealth, never once has African,Mexican,Asian, or any other race have made so much more money than whites do. Plain and simple white people are afforded more opportunities than others. Do I agree with the concept? No I do not. I wish that life and all aspects were on a level playing field, but that is more of a personal trip to fantasy land. Unfortunately we live in a dog eat dog world and when push comes to shove it comes it is always going to come down to have's and have not's.
Monday, September 10, 2012
september 10-16
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
I would like to discuss the concept of Conflict management. This concept is probably the most important concept that small groups are surrounded by when establishing communication rules and expectations. It is an inevitable part of group creativity and communication. When we are in group whether it be family,work,sports etc we are going to face some sort of conflict. Add to the equation that some of the people that you are interacting with and having conflict with it is wise to remember that not all conflict is bad.
People handle conflict differently. For example when I was growing up with a traditional Mexican grandmother I dared not even raise my voice at her. One day I did and I received the biggest beat down a kid could ever get, rightfully so. However up across town my friend who was white would often tell his own mom things even I was shocked to hear. What was even more alarming was that the mom just would nearly reward him for it. She would say "Mark if you continue to talk me like that, you wont be getting a playstation" or some other treat. I was expecting for Mark's mom to fully unleash hell on his behind but sometimes she just wouldn't.
As the book says working with conflict is almost never easy. Whether conflict has a positive effect on how it is handled. If it leads to animosity and individual's withdrawals from participation, it may lead to negative effects on the group. However when conflict is taken as necessary and inevitable part of the process it can be constructive. Sad to say that I recently ran into Mark and it was at work. This is not a good thing because I work at a jail and I could not believe what he was in jail for. he was in jail for domestic violence against his own mother. I am willing to bet that had Mark's mother had dealt with Mark's outburst in the first place, probably in the way that I was handled by my own grandmother, things might have been a little bit different.
As the book points out,diverse backgrounds,so critical to the successful analysis and resolution of issues, can create barriers if they are not recognized and accepted.
I would like to discuss the concept of Conflict management. This concept is probably the most important concept that small groups are surrounded by when establishing communication rules and expectations. It is an inevitable part of group creativity and communication. When we are in group whether it be family,work,sports etc we are going to face some sort of conflict. Add to the equation that some of the people that you are interacting with and having conflict with it is wise to remember that not all conflict is bad.
People handle conflict differently. For example when I was growing up with a traditional Mexican grandmother I dared not even raise my voice at her. One day I did and I received the biggest beat down a kid could ever get, rightfully so. However up across town my friend who was white would often tell his own mom things even I was shocked to hear. What was even more alarming was that the mom just would nearly reward him for it. She would say "Mark if you continue to talk me like that, you wont be getting a playstation" or some other treat. I was expecting for Mark's mom to fully unleash hell on his behind but sometimes she just wouldn't.
As the book says working with conflict is almost never easy. Whether conflict has a positive effect on how it is handled. If it leads to animosity and individual's withdrawals from participation, it may lead to negative effects on the group. However when conflict is taken as necessary and inevitable part of the process it can be constructive. Sad to say that I recently ran into Mark and it was at work. This is not a good thing because I work at a jail and I could not believe what he was in jail for. he was in jail for domestic violence against his own mother. I am willing to bet that had Mark's mother had dealt with Mark's outburst in the first place, probably in the way that I was handled by my own grandmother, things might have been a little bit different.
As the book points out,diverse backgrounds,so critical to the successful analysis and resolution of issues, can create barriers if they are not recognized and accepted.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
class discussion sept 3-9 #3
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading this week, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
One concept that I found useful is the concept of cohesion. Cohesion is the degree to which an individual member of group feels attraction to the group and how well the group members interact. I am big sports fanatic, I also coach baseball for leagues in Gilroy and in Hollister. When ever I am conducting practice I like to see how cohesive my team is. I can get a sense of how cohesive they are by seeing if I need to be there for every moment or if they can conduct a practice by themselves. At the beginning of the season I will lead to stretching drills and continue to do this over time until I feel that it is time for the players to conduct the stretching by themselves. Later I will add drills and stations of various baseball techniques but as the season goes on and they show they are capable of doing it by themselves I then will let the players run the practice. I then will turn into a coach/cheerleader coaching them if they still have problems with certain tasks and cheering them on with praise if they are able to do it by themselves.
I found out that the more I turned into cheerleader, the more cohesive the group became. In the end the players would at times correct other players if they did something wrong or they would give praise if the player did something right.
One concept that I found useful is the concept of cohesion. Cohesion is the degree to which an individual member of group feels attraction to the group and how well the group members interact. I am big sports fanatic, I also coach baseball for leagues in Gilroy and in Hollister. When ever I am conducting practice I like to see how cohesive my team is. I can get a sense of how cohesive they are by seeing if I need to be there for every moment or if they can conduct a practice by themselves. At the beginning of the season I will lead to stretching drills and continue to do this over time until I feel that it is time for the players to conduct the stretching by themselves. Later I will add drills and stations of various baseball techniques but as the season goes on and they show they are capable of doing it by themselves I then will let the players run the practice. I then will turn into a coach/cheerleader coaching them if they still have problems with certain tasks and cheering them on with praise if they are able to do it by themselves.
I found out that the more I turned into cheerleader, the more cohesive the group became. In the end the players would at times correct other players if they did something wrong or they would give praise if the player did something right.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Class Discussion Sept 3-9
1. Yes there are group norms at SJSU. In every group certain actions are approved of such as being on class on time and at certain group meetings. I have seen teachers tell students to leave if they constantly showed up late. The type of norm that I have also seen is the "Peripheral norm"in which students will be on their laptop while the students or the teacher is giving a lecture. In my Comm 101C course Dr Byrd was very good at letting the students aware of the "Explicit" norms such as task requirements and deadlines of certain assignments.
When I hang out with my friends we are very aware of the group norms. For example recently we attended a San Francisco Giants baseball game and we decided to tailgate. Instead of assigning what to bring and who to bring it, we all knew that food and drinks were needed for the tailgate party to be a success. So when we finally showed up at our destination I brought beer. However I had brought beer that I know people would drink. Meaning I know Bubba only drinks budlight, Jesse only drinks tecate, and Anthony only drinks Newcastle. The girls brought the food and the guys brought the beer.
In both cases I just went with the flow. As the saying goes if it isn't broke why fix it. While at SJSU I could have opened up my laptop or got on my Iphone and not paid attention the teacher like every other students i have seen do but that would have totally defeated the purpose of going to school, I could have just done that at home and saved gas. When I hang out with my friends I could have called up and set up a list of what to bring and who to bring it but we have been doing this for so long that everyone already knows what to bring, where we will meet up, what time we are leaving,where we will sit that it would just created chaos.
When I hang out with my friends we are very aware of the group norms. For example recently we attended a San Francisco Giants baseball game and we decided to tailgate. Instead of assigning what to bring and who to bring it, we all knew that food and drinks were needed for the tailgate party to be a success. So when we finally showed up at our destination I brought beer. However I had brought beer that I know people would drink. Meaning I know Bubba only drinks budlight, Jesse only drinks tecate, and Anthony only drinks Newcastle. The girls brought the food and the guys brought the beer.
In both cases I just went with the flow. As the saying goes if it isn't broke why fix it. While at SJSU I could have opened up my laptop or got on my Iphone and not paid attention the teacher like every other students i have seen do but that would have totally defeated the purpose of going to school, I could have just done that at home and saved gas. When I hang out with my friends I could have called up and set up a list of what to bring and who to bring it but we have been doing this for so long that everyone already knows what to bring, where we will meet up, what time we are leaving,where we will sit that it would just created chaos.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Introduction
Greetings classmates of Comm 141 my name is Mike Gonzalez and I will be your classmate for the Fall 2012 semester. I am senior (so Ive been told) and I have been coming to San Jose State since 2010. I have always been proud to be here. I am the first and only person to come to college. Thankfully Uncle Sam has paid all of my college fees for me after I served in the military. I am only two more semesters away from graduating and I can already see myself standing tall on the podium receiving my diploma with my family and friends watching. I like to think I am good classmate, I like being here so Id like to do my best in case you want to join up in a group. However I'm not much of a blogger so I will cut it short for now. I wish you all the best this semester.
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