EDUC 6165 Final Blog Post

 This course has focused on communication, such as how we communicate and its importance. Over the past few weeks, I have found great information and new ideas from some of my peers, Dorothy; you always bring new insight to our discussions. I have enjoyed reading your blog throughout this course and can't wait to see your posts in the future; please check it out https://dorothyavant.wixsite.com/website. Virginia's blog is another one I found myself drawn to every week, I made sure to check her blog for her thoughts on the current topic. It is a place that we can be open with each other; thank you for sharing your personal stories. Here is the blog link for Virginia  https://gingeroo6418.wixsite.com/website; I suggest everyone takes a look. Finally, thank you, everyone, for your support and comments throughout this course. I love reading each one and learning from them. 

Groups

 I believe it depends on the type of group you are in, whether it is easy for hard to leave. I have been in many high-performing groups, and some were easy to leave; well, others were hard to leave. I think it has to do with how much you participate and whether or not you like the group. I think it is easier to stay in groups that have established norms, but some people like unpredictability and may prefer those types of groups. One group that was hard to leave was the group I studied abroad with; we took a semester-long class together and spent 2 full weeks in Thailand. We formed a great bond together, but when the trip ended, the group was over. It was hard to leave because we had this amazing life-changing experience together, and nobody else would be able to understand it. The closing ritual that I would have like to experience was a proper goodbye. This ritual would include us sharing pictures and memories of the group and would end with everyone be able to say goodbye. I imagine that I will adjourn from my colleagues from the program bittersweetly. I will be very excited to have completed my degree, but I will also be a little sad, not interacting with my colleagues weekly. I will miss the diverse ideas that each and every person brings to the group. I think adjourning is essential because it means you completed your goal.

Conflict Resolution

 Thinking about disagreements I am currently experiencing, I believe that a comprise would be a great solution. I have always been a big fan of comprising because I think it is a great way for both people to feel like they "win." I think it is effective because no one likes to lose an argument; I also think when a comprise is brought up, both parties can input ideas and work together to come up with a comprise. The second strategy that I believe might be effective for these disagreements would be incorporating the three Rs into the conversation. Conversations that include respect will have a better ending rather than when we disrespect each other. I also think that conversations simply aren't effective when we are not reciprocal or responsive. How have you learned to be a more effective communicator regarding conflict resolution skills?

Communication Assessments

The biggest thing that surprised me about the assessments was that the scores were mostly the same. Between myself and the two people that took the assessments, I fell into the same category each time. This surprised me because I thought that the responses would be different, but instead, they were the same. One insight that I gained about communication is that it is very situational. We talk and listen differently depending on the situation and who we are talking to. The second insight that I gained this week is that my schemas regarding communication affect how I communicate and how I see things. 

Communicating with Other Cultures

 Thinking about the groups that I communicate with often are my workplace, family, and a group of friends. I feel like I do communicate differently depending on who I am talking to; I adapt my tone and communication style. I know which co-workers I can talk to in a more friendly manner were other ones I talk to professionally. I don't really change my communication style based on gender, but based on their personality. One strategy I learned this week, I already knew but did not realize I did it or its importance.  Our book talks about effective communication and the importance of knowing the expectation that someone has and adapting to that (O'Hair, Wiemann, Mullin, & Teven, 2018). A second strategy would be that communication can change based on the setting (O'Hair, Wiemann, Mullin, & Teven, 2018). We communicate differently in a workplace setting and a home setting; we must learn each setting and proper communication. The final strategy I learned is to be aware of other cultures and how they communicate. Each culture has different communication rules regarding eye contact, tone, and more; it is important to be aware of that. 

Reference

O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2018). Real communication: An introduction (4th. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Nonverbal Communication

The show that I picked to watch was “30 Rock,” first it was weird to watch a tv show with no sound. I found myself reminding myself to look at the screen; I didn’t realize how often I looked away. I didn’t really know what was going on in the show; first, I tried to make guesses about the relationships. I could see many nonverbal cues, such as eye-rolling or arms crossed. I learned the importance of using nonverbal communication, along with verbal communication. The two work together to tell a story and to communicate. When we only use one type of communication, strings can get crossed, and we can easily misunderstand one another. My aha moment was to actually watch for nonverbal communication in the beginning I had to remind myself to focus. This can be the same when other people are talking, but it is important to look for nonverbal communication as well.

Communication

 When I think of a person who exhibits competent communication skills, I think of my old professor I had while completing my bachelor's degree. The thing that made her behaviors effect was that she was always on time; if she was ever going to be late, she would message us and let us know prior to class. She consistently kept eye contact with everyone in the class, and if you talked to her personally or privately, she would actively nod along. When I spoke when her, I could tell she was genuinely listening and caring about what I said. Her phone never went off in class, and she never checked it while someone else was talking. If she didn't know that answer to something, she would find out for us and actually got back to us when she found out. I would model some of my communication behaviors after her, specifically actively listening to other people. I always felt like she actually heard and listened to me; I also like that she never checked her phone while we were talking.