This week is Spring Break. Have a wonderful and relaxing week.
I will still be available by email on and off all week. My response time may be a bit longer this week, but I will still be around.
See you next Sunday!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Furlough Day Reminder
As a reminder, Thursday, March 25th is a furlough day for me. I will not be holding office hours. I will however, be checking my email on and off, but not consistently. I will resume checking my email consistently on Friday.
Gosh I can't wait until this furlough stuff is over......
Until Friday......
Gosh I can't wait until this furlough stuff is over......
Until Friday......
Listening
The act of listening can be quite difficult at times, can't it? Teaching Public Speaking classes over the years has taught me a lesson about the art of listening. Think back to your PS class. How many speeches did you listen to? 15, 20, 30? Did you find it difficult to listen to so many speeches throughout your semester?
Or take for instance a work meeting. Or perhaps a classroom setting where one person dominates a conversation. Was it difficult for you to listen to that person......for the hundredth time......rambling on and on and on about the same thing......AGAIN???
This week's discussion is interesting for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is diversity of personal experience. Quite a few of my discussion questions ask for personal examples. Have you wondered why? Of course I ask about course concepts, but your person experiences are very interesting to me. I love reading about them! In the virtual classroom, asking about personal experience creates diversity. The concepts in the book are there, and each student can read them. But stepping out of the book and into everyday life is where I find excitement in communication.
Diversity and applicability is the exact reason I have developed each course assignment. The first assignment in this class, as difficult and frustrating for some as it may have been, was to bring forth the idea of using concepts in a practical way. After all, this is a 4-unit practice course (Comm 141p). Practice means using the concepts and actually putting them into practice.
The final project in this course, along with the other two projects, do exactly that. Each project allows you to 'practice' and reinforce the concepts we are studying throughout the semester. They encourage students to think about real world situations and put them to use. As you can tell, this is not simply a 'theory' course, as some of your classes may have been.
This week's discussion is an interesting one. It highlights the issues that each person has with listening. After all, each of us struggles with this a different times in our lives. Would you agree?
Or take for instance a work meeting. Or perhaps a classroom setting where one person dominates a conversation. Was it difficult for you to listen to that person......for the hundredth time......rambling on and on and on about the same thing......AGAIN???
This week's discussion is interesting for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is diversity of personal experience. Quite a few of my discussion questions ask for personal examples. Have you wondered why? Of course I ask about course concepts, but your person experiences are very interesting to me. I love reading about them! In the virtual classroom, asking about personal experience creates diversity. The concepts in the book are there, and each student can read them. But stepping out of the book and into everyday life is where I find excitement in communication.
Diversity and applicability is the exact reason I have developed each course assignment. The first assignment in this class, as difficult and frustrating for some as it may have been, was to bring forth the idea of using concepts in a practical way. After all, this is a 4-unit practice course (Comm 141p). Practice means using the concepts and actually putting them into practice.
The final project in this course, along with the other two projects, do exactly that. Each project allows you to 'practice' and reinforce the concepts we are studying throughout the semester. They encourage students to think about real world situations and put them to use. As you can tell, this is not simply a 'theory' course, as some of your classes may have been.
This week's discussion is an interesting one. It highlights the issues that each person has with listening. After all, each of us struggles with this a different times in our lives. Would you agree?
Grades Updated
Hello Folks!
I have updated grades. Please log onto Blackboard and check your grade. Do this often to avoid contacting me at the very end of the semester with questions about your grade.
I will blog again later.
Until then......
I have updated grades. Please log onto Blackboard and check your grade. Do this often to avoid contacting me at the very end of the semester with questions about your grade.
I will blog again later.
Until then......
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Week of March 21 - 27
Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:
*Read Chapter 7 - Listening and Feedback: The Other Half of Communication
*Participate in Week 9 Discussion
Class Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:
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?
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?
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.
Remember to post 3 responses to your colleagues blogs during this discussion week.
*Read Chapter 7 - Listening and Feedback: The Other Half of Communication
*Participate in Week 9 Discussion
Class Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:
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?
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?
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.
Remember to post 3 responses to your colleagues blogs during this discussion week.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Week of March 14 - 20
Hello Folks! I hope you all are adjusting to the time change.
This week you have only one thing due - the MIDTERM! The midterm is available from 12:01am on March 14th and ends on March 20th at 11:59pm.
Please log on to Blackboard and go to Assessments on the left hand side of the page. You have 75 minutes to complete the midterm which consists of 50 questions.
Review the Quizzes Page prior to starting the midterm for the quiz and tests parameters. The Quizzes Page also contains the chapters that are included on the midterm. Feel free to use any notes and the book during your exam and of course the chapter outlines that are uploaded to Blackboard. Go ahead and download those and review them. You are more than welcome to use the chapter outlines on the midterm in addition to notes and the course text.
Please do not give out any test questions or answers. You can review the Academic Integrity Policy on the SJSU website.
It will be a bit quiet around my blog this week, but please stop by anyway in case I post something about the midterm or the class.
Good luck on the Midterm, and as always, I'm available to chat over Yahoo Messenger during office hours, to answer emails and to chat over the phone if needed.
Have a good week everyone! :)
This week you have only one thing due - the MIDTERM! The midterm is available from 12:01am on March 14th and ends on March 20th at 11:59pm.
Please log on to Blackboard and go to Assessments on the left hand side of the page. You have 75 minutes to complete the midterm which consists of 50 questions.
Review the Quizzes Page prior to starting the midterm for the quiz and tests parameters. The Quizzes Page also contains the chapters that are included on the midterm. Feel free to use any notes and the book during your exam and of course the chapter outlines that are uploaded to Blackboard. Go ahead and download those and review them. You are more than welcome to use the chapter outlines on the midterm in addition to notes and the course text.
Please do not give out any test questions or answers. You can review the Academic Integrity Policy on the SJSU website.
It will be a bit quiet around my blog this week, but please stop by anyway in case I post something about the midterm or the class.
Good luck on the Midterm, and as always, I'm available to chat over Yahoo Messenger during office hours, to answer emails and to chat over the phone if needed.
Have a good week everyone! :)
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Spring Forward!
Hello Folks!
Please remember to turn your clocks forward and hour tonight.
I will post again tomorrow morning. Have a fabulous Saturday!!! :)
Please remember to turn your clocks forward and hour tonight.
I will post again tomorrow morning. Have a fabulous Saturday!!! :)
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Papers to be returned
Hello Class!
I will be returning papers by Friday of this week. I was hoping to get them back to you earlier, but as you know, we are in the middle of another furlough semester *sigh*. I have read over some of the papers already, and I must say, YOU GUYS ROCK! I am impressed with the papers that I have graded so far.
Please email me if any issues arise. As stated in Sunday's post, Thursday is a furlough day so I will not be holding office hours or conduct university business including email replies.
I will be returning papers by Friday of this week. I was hoping to get them back to you earlier, but as you know, we are in the middle of another furlough semester *sigh*. I have read over some of the papers already, and I must say, YOU GUYS ROCK! I am impressed with the papers that I have graded so far.
Please email me if any issues arise. As stated in Sunday's post, Thursday is a furlough day so I will not be holding office hours or conduct university business including email replies.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Welcome Back
I hope you all had a good week off from discussing topics in the class. I, for one, miss not reading through discussion posts when y'all have a discussion week off. I'm kind of nerdy like that I guess.
This week's chapter reading is on verbal and nonverbal communication. As an educator in the communication field, this is one of my favorite topics to discuss. I'm very excited to see what you all have come up with as personal examples for the second discussion question.
I have spent some time overseas in Kazakhstan, Peru and Russia. I have also spent a bit of time in Mexico and Canada, but of course those locations are not 'overseas'. Observing other cultures and how they interact with both verbal and nonverbal communication is quite interesting. What is comfortable with to you may not be comfortable for someone else and vice versa. This can be especially noticeable when you are in a cross-cultural situation.
The concepts of proxemics (the study of measurable distances between folks as they interact) and chronemics (the study of the use of time in nonverbal communication) are especially interesting to me. Here's where I'm going to let my communication 'freak flag fly'.......
Each of the cultures I have spent time in apply or use these concepts a bit differently. I have had folks stand so close to me when we were engaged in a conversation, that I can tell what they had for lunch.......yesterday. (I'm kidding of course). But when it comes to the concept of proxemics, each person has a distance they feel comfortable with when speaking to another person.
Although I do not condone using wikkipedia as a source when researching due to its current state of flux, I do think it is useful as a jumping off point for gather information (as long as the information can be verified as true). Having said that, wikkipedia is a good source for understanding the concept of proxemics. Click here to go there. It shows a diagram of personal reaction bubbles. It shows intimate space (1.5 feet), personal space (4 feet), social space (12 feet) and finally public space (25 feet). These distances will be different for every person, but an observable difference can be seen across cultures.
It is the same principle for chronemics. Since I gave you the wikkipedia page for proxemics, I may as well provide the one for chronemics. Click here to go there. People of cultures other than our own interpret time a bit differently than we do here in the US. From your experience in traveling or of observing other cultures, what could some of these be?
I have experienced firsthand the differences of time as it relates to nonverbal communication. The one that sticks out the most is, of course, my interaction with time schedules. As the book states on page 119, "Western cultures are particularly oriented toward clock-based times as an organizing principle in the work world (Dobkin & Pace, 2006)." Would you agree?
As you can see, both concepts are highly interesting to me as it relates to communication and as it relates to small group communication. I can't wait to read what you all come up with this week for the discussion.
This week's chapter reading is on verbal and nonverbal communication. As an educator in the communication field, this is one of my favorite topics to discuss. I'm very excited to see what you all have come up with as personal examples for the second discussion question.
I have spent some time overseas in Kazakhstan, Peru and Russia. I have also spent a bit of time in Mexico and Canada, but of course those locations are not 'overseas'. Observing other cultures and how they interact with both verbal and nonverbal communication is quite interesting. What is comfortable with to you may not be comfortable for someone else and vice versa. This can be especially noticeable when you are in a cross-cultural situation.
The concepts of proxemics (the study of measurable distances between folks as they interact) and chronemics (the study of the use of time in nonverbal communication) are especially interesting to me. Here's where I'm going to let my communication 'freak flag fly'.......
Each of the cultures I have spent time in apply or use these concepts a bit differently. I have had folks stand so close to me when we were engaged in a conversation, that I can tell what they had for lunch.......yesterday. (I'm kidding of course). But when it comes to the concept of proxemics, each person has a distance they feel comfortable with when speaking to another person.
Although I do not condone using wikkipedia as a source when researching due to its current state of flux, I do think it is useful as a jumping off point for gather information (as long as the information can be verified as true). Having said that, wikkipedia is a good source for understanding the concept of proxemics. Click here to go there. It shows a diagram of personal reaction bubbles. It shows intimate space (1.5 feet), personal space (4 feet), social space (12 feet) and finally public space (25 feet). These distances will be different for every person, but an observable difference can be seen across cultures.
It is the same principle for chronemics. Since I gave you the wikkipedia page for proxemics, I may as well provide the one for chronemics. Click here to go there. People of cultures other than our own interpret time a bit differently than we do here in the US. From your experience in traveling or of observing other cultures, what could some of these be?
I have experienced firsthand the differences of time as it relates to nonverbal communication. The one that sticks out the most is, of course, my interaction with time schedules. As the book states on page 119, "Western cultures are particularly oriented toward clock-based times as an organizing principle in the work world (Dobkin & Pace, 2006)." Would you agree?
As you can see, both concepts are highly interesting to me as it relates to communication and as it relates to small group communication. I can't wait to read what you all come up with this week for the discussion.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Week of March 7 - 13
Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:
*Read Chapter 6: Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
*Reminder, your midterm exam is due next week. Please study chapters 1-6, 9 & 14.
*Choose a movie and start working on assignment #2 - Movie Analysis. You do not need to email me with a movie choice as long as it is the movie is from the assignment sheet.
Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:
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.
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.
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that has not already been discussed this week, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
Remember to post 3 responses to your colleagues blogs during this weeks discussion.
REMINDER: March 11th is a furlough day. I will not hold office hours, answer emails or conduct other SJSU business on that day.
*Read Chapter 6: Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
*Reminder, your midterm exam is due next week. Please study chapters 1-6, 9 & 14.
*Choose a movie and start working on assignment #2 - Movie Analysis. You do not need to email me with a movie choice as long as it is the movie is from the assignment sheet.
Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:
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.
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.
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that has not already been discussed this week, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
Remember to post 3 responses to your colleagues blogs during this weeks discussion.
REMINDER: March 11th is a furlough day. I will not hold office hours, answer emails or conduct other SJSU business on that day.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Looking Ahead
Hello Folks!
March 14-20 is midterm week. Please check the Quizzes/Tests page on Blackboard for the chapters you should study.
NOTE: On the Participation Page for next week, there is no 3rd discussion question listed. As always will pick one concept to discuss that has not already been covered during the discussion week. I will post the reminder to my blog on Sunday.
Papers: I will return your papers next week. I will be in an out this weekend, but will be checking email.
March 14-20 is midterm week. Please check the Quizzes/Tests page on Blackboard for the chapters you should study.
NOTE: On the Participation Page for next week, there is no 3rd discussion question listed. As always will pick one concept to discuss that has not already been covered during the discussion week. I will post the reminder to my blog on Sunday.
Papers: I will return your papers next week. I will be in an out this weekend, but will be checking email.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Grades Posted for 2/14-2/20
Hello Folks!
I have posted discussion grades for the week of 2/14 to 2/20. Please look over your grade and let me know if you have any questions.
As always, grades in this class should be fairly clear. Remember, clarity starts with the student. If I am not aware that you are unclear about a grade, how I can clarify it for you?
All parameters for discussion are listed on Blackboard, and of course, I'm more than happy to chat with folks about their grade in case something is unclear. I'm available during office hours on Tues-Thurs. from 9:00am to 11:00am. We can also chat through email, and of course over the phone. Again, I love chatting with students - y'all should know that by now. I must add, I have had a great time chatting with my students this semester. :)
I hope you all have a wonderful evening.
I have posted discussion grades for the week of 2/14 to 2/20. Please look over your grade and let me know if you have any questions.
As always, grades in this class should be fairly clear. Remember, clarity starts with the student. If I am not aware that you are unclear about a grade, how I can clarify it for you?
All parameters for discussion are listed on Blackboard, and of course, I'm more than happy to chat with folks about their grade in case something is unclear. I'm available during office hours on Tues-Thurs. from 9:00am to 11:00am. We can also chat through email, and of course over the phone. Again, I love chatting with students - y'all should know that by now. I must add, I have had a great time chatting with my students this semester. :)
I hope you all have a wonderful evening.
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