12/3-12/9 Post 3: Constraints

"Constraints are inevitable element of any decision-making process and may be of two types: external or internal. External constraints are those imposed on the decision-making process, such as the time, money, energy, knowledge base, or other resources that the group needs for the decision-making process and to implement the solution. Internal constraints are those integral to the problem. They may have caused the initial problem, or they may have to do with limitations on the implementation, such as government regulations, the physical location, technical or design difficulties, or other constraining factors and circumstances." (146)

To refresh your memories, I took this excerpt straight from the book. It defines constraints perfectly as well as internal and external constraints. I chose this concept as my favorite one that we covered in this course because I can really relate to it outside the "classroom" (so to speak). For instance I am having real trouble with external constraints on Christmas shopping. Time and money are tight this year. I think that constraints are one of the most common challenges that people face everyday, especially in group settings. Like this concept and many others, this class provided useful knowledge that can be used everyday at any given time or place. Constraints are basic obstacles that everyone must overcome or find a solution to everyday. That is why I chose and like constraints.

12/3-12/9 Post 2: Likes/dislikes

This class has been by far my favorite COMM Studies class. I've learned a lot about the communication of individuals in regards to small groups. It has taught me a lot about myself. I know how I act and react with certain groups and certain group members. Also with certain leaders. I think my favorite thing about this class was applying what I learned to everyday life. After a study session/chapter reading I noticed things that were discussed in the text. I felt rather smart and kept pointing it out to coworkers. My least favorite thing about this class was the time frame for the posts. On top of work and school (which isn't an excuse) it was just a nuisance to make sure exactly twelve hours passed before I could post the next one. In regards to improvement, perhaps a live group chat/discussion. Other than that I like the way this class was ran: simple, to the point, interactive, thought provoking and learning!

12/3-12/9 Post 1: Group Observation Project

For the purposes of this class, I believe that the Group Observation Project was great! It helped me utilize the course objectives in a real-life setting of a group. The group I chose, a boys competitive gymnastics team, showed me a lot about communication studies, the behaviors of a group, etc. From this exercise as well as the entirety of the class, I now look/observe groups and people in my life to see why they say and do what they do, and to see if I can come up with ways to improve it. I've taken the experience from this assignment and applied it to everyday life situations for me. The obligation of viewing a group outside was great. It gave me a chance to explore. I don't think that there is anything that should be improved. Perhaps a one time interaction with the group (but that contradicts the purpose of observing the group). I think that interacting with the group can give the observer another perspective.

11/12-11/18 Post 3: Reward-Punishment Power

The one concept from the assigned reading comes from chapter twelve that I found interesting and/or intriguing/useful. It is the reward-punishment power. The book defines this as, "Those who can effectively reward or punish other members of the group hold another type of power, that is, to the extent that we can effectively praise or humiliate fellow group members," (215). It's interesting because it can be a boss or an assistant. This type of power is rather old school, in my opinion. For example my parents were a part of the baby boom era and nonetheless foreigners. So the way I grew up was very much exerted in either getting rewarded or punished for my actions. Going to Catholic school and gymnastics, both of those groups also faced reward-punishment power from their leaders. When it comes to power in group conflict I feel like this one can be misused and is a lot of the time. The reason why I picked this concept is probably because I can relate to it.

11/12-11/18 Post 2: Collaboration vs. Competition

The book defines collaborative conflict as the ideal strategy for groups to overcome a conflict. An example of my own is when my friends and I were throwing a surprise birthday for our best friend. There were many conflicts involved, time, place, keeping it a surprise, etc. The entire time we kept our focus on the birthday girl and the party. It was such a fun time because we were all having fun and on the same track in terms of keeping our mindset on the party. As for competitive conflict, it's a bit more challenging but more common in my opinion. Competition (survival of the fittest for example) is a part of human nature. So whatever we do, we try to out perform or outdo others. A personal example from group experiences, is a class activity I had one semester. We got into groups of about 5-8 and the professor assigned us tasks that had to be completed within a certain time limit. The group that I was in were all very competitive and we ended up coming in last for every task because we did not look at the bigger picture. Out of the two, even though I personally love competition, I would have to go with collaboration. At least out of these two instances. My friends and I had so much fun together planning everything and throwing the party that we wanted to do it for everyone's birthdays. My friends definitely loved it as well, we still talk about that party and the memories made today.

Week 11/12-11/18 Post 1: Formats

The Forum: It provides a format for speaking and listening to a larger audience.

The Panel: It is a public format in which a group of four to eight experts discusses a problem or decision in front of an audience.

The Colloquium: It is a form of public discussion in which a group of three to six experts, usually chosen for their divergent views, discusses a problem, following the problem-solving format, in front of an audience with a moderator facilitating their interaction.

The Symposium: It provides a format for a series of two to six brief speeches made on different aspects of a complex and difficult problem.

Out of all these formats for group presentations I prefer the forum format. I believe that speaking and listening are two essential components to group meetings. Having the option for everyone, the audience and speakers, to participate in a discussion is wonderful. It stirs up thoughts and ideas to brainstorm more possible solutions for whatever the task is at hand.

11/5-11/11 Post 3: Me, Myself and I

A concept from the assigned reading that has not already been discussed that I found interesting was the concept for encouraging creativity. There are four techniques; idea needlers, manipulative verbs, association/metaphors and analogy. Put of these four I am going to focus on idea needlers. As the book states, "These idea needlers offer us the opportunity to use a different perspective, or lens, to view a problem," (170). I found this interesting and useful because in table 10.2 there's a list of all the different questions that stir up creativity. For instance, "What if this were turned inside out? reversed? upside down?" or "Can motion be added to it?" Questions like these almost force people to think differently to come up with the answers for it thus stirring up creativity. I love this technique because at work or at school in either group, once group members start asking the "right questions" (idea needlers) imagination begins to flow and ideas are pouring out left and right. The groups then come up with outrageous, silly, amazing, weird and awesome ideas. No matter which idea is chosen for the given task, the other ones can me stored/remembered and used for later or morph into something else.

11/5-11/11 Post 2: Cultural Barriers

There are numerous cultural barriers to creativity. Particular arenas for competition and cooperation, an expectation of politeness/following rules of social order, reliance on statistical proofs, dependence on generalizations and reliance on expert knowledge are just five of those barriers. Like the text says, "when we become too orderly, we lose the ability to see things from a different perspective, "(168). And this is exactly what keeps group from being creative. If a sport or hobby is always done inside in an arena, it can be difficult for a group to figure out where else the sport or hobby can be done if part of an event. Nowadays with so much information and technology people are rather skeptical of one another and want proof/evidence or statistics of information to back up the credibility. Different cultures have a different way of doing things and when people are accustomed to that particular way, it's hard for them to be opened minded about other things as well as thinking outside the box. I've definitely experienced these barriers along with the rest in groups. A lot of the time it's my way or the high way, and I often stick to what I know. So my creativity is very limited and short lived. In recent years I've been able to open up, listen and try to do things/see things from a different perspective. It has helped a lot in my group communication and outlook on the world as a whole.

11/5-11/11 Post 1: My Creativity

One personal example of creativity is from my work. I am a gymnastics coach and am in charge of fellow coaches to make sure they are doing their job to the best of their ability. Lots of them are younger coaches, less experienced and need help. When teaching a gymnastics class with 10 other classes going on in a gym, a coach must be quick on his/her feet and be able to improvise, adapt or be creative. That's where I step in. I'm very fast passed and quick on my feet so I give advice and suggestion to the other coaches when they can't think of things to do for their classes. Whether it's a boy, girl or preschool class I have ideas for any class and every situation. This fits into the class discussion of creativity because it's being able to see something, in this case gymnastics, in a new way. Lots of the time coaches face perceptual barriers because they are so used to things being done a certain way. They forget to think outside the box. Again that's where I come in cause it's a part of my job to think of new ways to do old things and such, creativity.

10/29-11/4 Post 3; Something New

One concept from the assigned reading this week, that I found very useful, was Table 15.5 Effective Computer-Mediated Group Meeting Facilitation. As I was reading through the list of was the group meeting facilitator should do, I thought to myself, "These are great points, and I should do these." But I always rush myself when I have a meeting (Most of the time they are in person). Things like, "ask appropriate, well-timed questions to encourage thought and participation" and "help achieve a clear meeting process and outcome," are excellent concepts to follow by. A problem I have a lot of the time, is that meetings go by too fast and the group doesn't really participate. Small groups can be very discouraging for the meeting facilitator when group members are not "in-tune" for the meeting or ready for it. So information like this table reassures me that it is possible to have successful meeting, whether F2F or CMC, as long as you are well prepared for it. It encourages me and motivates me to prepare for my next meeting.

10/29-11/4 Post 2: Anonymity, Proximity and Group Size

Anonymity, group size and proximity influence participation and communication in CMC groups in both positive and negative aspects. In groups of any kind there always tends to be "clicks", norms and tensions between the members. So being anonymous can benefit CMC groups in the sense that judgments will be very limited since no one will know who's talking. It also provides people the safe zone to talk comfortably. On the other hand being anonymous has its consequences. People can be discredited or blamed for. Meaning people can assume that others said something went it was them. Group size plays effect in the sense that more people in CMC groups provide more opportunity for better results. It can also cause a bit of turmoil and disorganization if a consensus cannot be found or agreed upon. CMC can be beneficial in the context of proximity because when people to live by each other, they can still communicate. And the communication is not limited to time or space really. But if a group needs to come together to discuss, rehearse or prepare, proximity is relevant. 

10/29-11/4 Post 1: CMC and F2F

Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) differs from Face-to-Face communication in many ways. Think outside the box may be difficult because the typical reasons come to mind first. The main reason being that CMC takes away from in-person social skills that are needed in the business world. I definitely see this with my niece and nephew. But there are some positives when it comes to small group communication. One thing that groups can benefit that is different than F2F is that there aren't as many distractions. Groups can focus solely on the content of the task instead of the social surroundings. Personal interests are also left out. Another concept that is different is that there is more time to respond (Unless of course it is live chat such as video or group chat room). People have the opportunity to take time and thoroughly think about their response. It can create better outcomes and conversations but also puts more responsibility on people since they are given more time to produce better results. More time can also be a bad thing in the way that time can leave room for error, distractions and not getting the job done. We are moving into an age where media is shaping the way people do things, from communicating and producing to traveling and working. It may or may not be a good thing but it's the way it is. We just have to adapt.

10/15-10/21Post 3: Personal Choice

One concept from the assigned ready this week, not already discussed, that I found useful was Using Nonverbal Communication from Active Listening section. As I was reading this chapter I was trying to see what thing I do and don't do when listening to others. One concept that stuck out to me even before I got to this section was nonverbal communication. Overall I think that I'm a good active listener. The book indicates that eye contact, head nodding, sitting in attentive manner all indicate interest when listening. Fidgeting, frowning, looking away, reading notes are indications of not listening. I've done both, and simultaneously. For instance, saying "Yeah I understand," and looking at my phone. When talking about making first impressions, I nod my head, make eye contact and sit attentively to make sure the person know I'm 110% paying attention to them. Reading this section reasserted myself about active listening and nonverbal communication. It reminded me about how I act, what I do and what I don't do.

10/15-10/21 Post 2: Personal Experience

After reading this chapter, I realize that I have selection attention a lot. One example, different from my previous post, is when I'm with my mom I have selective attention. The definition in the book states, "Choosing one message over another is called selective attention," (115). It has become habit that with my mom I tend to only tune in when the conversation involves me. Other than that I just nod my head and agree. I've noticed that this really hurts my mom and that it isn't good, especially when family coming first is one of my more prominent values. I think that I do this because I'm so focused on my world and everything that is going on in it. I get to see my mom every weekend and talk to her on the phone everyday, but I take her for granted. A way that I can overcome this is by really setting aside everything else when I see or talk to my mom. Making the time and effort to be with her and make her a priority when I'm with her. By acknowledging her in my life will show her that I do appreciate and respect her and it'll give her the time she deserves from me.

10/15-10/21 Post 1: Four phases of Listening

A good example of which I found listening to be difficult happened last night when I was skyping my friend. Out of the four components there were two that I've recognized to be the most difficult at that time. They were sensing, in terms of selective attention, and memory. Though I was distracted (which has to do with active listening) from my phone and my own issues going on at the time, my ear picked up on things that I found most appealing or important to me in the conversation. I also had to keep asking my friend to repeat herself because I was using short-term memory. Within the first sixty seconds, only a few things got through to me. This made it difficult for the both of us because she was frustrated that I wasn't completely listening. I could have overcome these issues if I had completely listened to her and fully engaged in the conversation. Instead I was too consumed by my own world and surroundings.

10/1-10/7 Post 3: My Choice

The one concept from this weeks assigned reading, chapter 6, that I found useful/interesting which wasn't discussed was group talk. This section of the chapter discusses all the different kinds of talk groups have. For instance there are problem-solving talks, role-assumption talks, consciousness-raising talks and encounter talks. The book talks about successful groups defining their goals and objectives using task-oriented language. Every time of conversation in a group, whether about the weather outside or the task at hand has some relevance to the growth of the group. Every person in a group goes through different experiences, emotions, weaknesses, etc that affect they way a group interacts. The group has to go through a process that involves all of the different types of group talks to ultimately reach their goal and to grow as a group. Through group talk, each individual member builds their relationships with one another and as a group. I think this is one of the most important aspects of groups, relationship building.

10/1-10/7 Post 2: P's and C's

Proxemics and chronemics both have to do with communication. Proxemics is the study of how we use space to communicate. Chronemics on the other hand is the study of the use of time. Both are used in everyday life and I believe that there are universal rules for all cultures regarding these concepts. For example when talking to people face to face, there is the universal rule of personal bubbles. Another example of time and space is that certain times mean certain actions are done. For instance, nighttime is meant for resting and sleeping and daytime is meant for productivity. A personal example I have of proxemics is that in gymnastics classes certain areas of the gym are used for certain levels. The preschool area is used for toddlers and preschoolers where as the bigger equipment is used for the bigger kids. A personal example of chronemics is that in gymnastics class the first ten minutes are used to warm up and stretch the students and the last ten minutes are meant to condition, cool down and have fun with the students.

10/1-10/7 Post 1: Two Principals

The two principles I pick are number two and five. They are: (2) Our nonverbal communication is likely to be believed more than our verbal communication. (5) Cultural norms and expectations guide our interpretation. For number two the expression, "Actions speak louder than words" fit perfectly with this principle. A new example of how this operates in a group or team would be this: Laura and her group have to plan an event. Laura says she will be in charge of decorations but doesn't get any of the supplies. Now her team doesn't believe she will thoroughly do her job because she didn't do what she said she would. For principle number five here is a new example: in gymnastics class if the teacher walks to another place, the students are expected to follow. If the teacher says let's go and doesn't move, then the students won't go. But if the teacher moves then the students tend to move as well.

9/24-9/30 Post 3: One Concept

One concept from the assigned reading this week, not already discussed, that I found interesting and/or useful was the Post-Meeting Evaluation Forms. I remember a couple of times that I had to do that for class group projects and didn't take them too seriously. For the work environment however, these forms would be a great concept to help improve the group. Specifically, they are questionnaires that seek specific feedback from participants about a particular activity or meeting. It can give the group immediate information and answers about how the meeting went which gives open opportunity to improve the group immediately. The types of questions that should be asked on these forms are specific toward the group and ask for specific detailed answers. Keeping the questionnaires anonymous is key. That was the answers can be tallied and discussed in the group and no one has to feel cornered, left out or uncomfortable. Again the discussion will be group lead about the questionnaire and feedback will can help the group discuss and improve itself together.

9/24-9/30 Post 2: Guidelines

There are 10 guidelines for providing observer feed back to a group. The first one explains that the more specific the feedback the better. This way the group has concrete evidence and suggestions to improve off of. The second one says to focus on the behaviors of the group members that can be changed. Since communication is the primary factor in all groups, it makes sense to focus on the behaviors since it is the primary basis of how communication is perceived. The third guideline explains that the observers observations are meant to be useful. Arguing and debating over things in the group as an observer is the exact opposite. The fourth point iterates that the observer should focus on two to three main points for feedback instead of everything. Two or three points can go much further in terms of a group understanding and making changes instead of trying to change everything. Number five reminds the observer to not forget his/her role as the observer. That is, the observer is a facilitator and developer of the group, not a subjective and biased outsider. The sixth guideline says to accentuate the positive aspects. Humans respond better to positive and constructive comments than negative ones. Number seven says to end with specific suggestions. After all the feedback, groups tend to forget, so ending with specific suggestions leaves the group freshly remembering what they need to work on. The eighth guideline reminds observers to be clear and concise.  Get straight to the point in the feedback whether it's written or said. Number nine says compliment in public and criticize in private. And for the last guideline, it reminds the observer that the feedback is meant to help the group develop and grow. The feedback should be positive and constructive.

9/24-9/30 Post 1: Consultant/Observer for a Small Group

Using a consultant or an observer for a small group can better the outcome of the small groups interactions and goal. Observation is a type of systematic feedback that provides external evaluation and advice. Observers provide a third or an outside perspective for the small group that the members may not have thought about. The outside observer is important because he or she's perspective is objective and unbiased. Depending on what the observer is asked to look at/for in the small group, the observer usually assists in the development and growth of a group. In reality, an outside observer is not always available so groups sometimes use group members as observers. This can be helpful in that it gives the members a chance to take themselves out of the equation. Though they can't be completely objective and unbiased toward observing, it provides the opportunity to further the observer as a group member and the group as a whole.

9/10-9/16 Post 3: White male of privilege

The concept "white men of privilege" means exactly what it says: in this world, white men have privilege over almost everything. Why? Because of race and gender, they are white and they are males. Today that concept has broadened to females as well. I do not agree with this concept at all but I do believe that it still exists today. I am a white woman who was rather sheltered growing up from the chaos that surrounds this concept. Ironically I only had about four white friends and the rest were diverse. As I grew older I began to see the reality of this concept. One of my best friends, who is a half Panamanian and half Hispanic female, went to a car dealership where they refused to serve her without any reason as to why. She was prepared to purchase a car right then and there. My current boyfriend has told me all the hardships he has gone through growing up being a full Mexican male and with low income. I definitely see it all around me but do not think its right. There are people I see everyday who deserve more than I do or should have something like a job position over someone who isn't qualified but don't get it just because of their color. It is really sad.

9/10-9/16

One concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that I found useful or interesting was conflict management. I have learned about conflict management in other classes but not in the context of diversity within small groups. Because of a culture and what one thing may mean to Asians, may not mean the same thing to Hispanics or North Americans for instance. For example, sharing homework isn't seen as sharing everywhere; it can be seen as cheating. I found this idea fascinating. It's because of notions like these that create conflict management within small groups. Where the real challenge lies, is if the diverse people in the group can get passed the misunderstanding and learn to accept the different understandings of each individual. Problems can be resolved if the group can come to an understanding with each other. This was definitely the most interesting concept I came across in chapter five.

9/10-9/16 Post 1: Valuing Diversity

Valuing diversity does not come easy at all. Diversity is something that needs to be experienced in order to understand and appreciate it. Like Harris and Sherblom said, people are born into this world with certain presumptions because that was the way they were raised. Meaning, people believe what others around them say if they are nurturing and care for them. Babies for instance, believe what their mother and father teach them because that is all they know and parents tend to care for their child. If people do not experience different cultures and places where the people are diverse, the tend to have assumptions of what the people are like due to a lack of knowledge. For example, an all girl's school may think that all boys schools have cooties. Of course, that is not true. The only way for them to find that out is to go visit the boys school themselves. The only suggestion I can think of beside being open minded when interacting with a diverse group is experiencing what ever the diversity may be for one's self. This is the most beneficial way for a group to enhance its' ability to value diversity.

9/3-9/9 Post 3: Choice

For this weeks choosing of a useful and interesting topic, I decided to go with one from chapter nine that has not already been discussed. What I found interesting and is useful was the concept about decision making particularly on consensus. It includes being open minded and seeking everyone's ideas instead of voting on an idea. More ideas are better than one. With the option to choose, a group can combine ideas to make a great one. In order to do this a group must listen for understanding, have a roundtable discussion and an agreement. It does not include: bargaining, majority or minority rule. This explanation of decision making among a consensus really helped me comprehend the idea. I actually thought it meant that majority rule was the final answer. This among the rest of chapter nine has given me a better understanding and head start to the observing project that we will have to do. With whichever group I choose to observe, I will be able to spot their decision making/problem solving skills or the lack there of.

9/3-9/9 Post 2: Constraints

"Constraints are inevitable element of any decision-making process and may be of two types: external or internal. External constraints are those imposed on the decision-making process, such as the time, money, energy, knowledge base, or other resources that the group needs for the decision-making process and to implement the solution. Internal constraints are those integral to the problem. They may have caused the initial problem, or they may have to do with limitations on the implementation, such as government regulations, the physical location, technical or design difficulties, or other constraining factors and circumstances." (146)

 

I decided to take the entire excerpt straight from the book because I think that it defines what constraints are perfectly as well as the two different types: external and internal. As I was reading this I immediately thought of a life experience in a small group situation that involved both external and internal constraints. It happened last year in my event planning class. The assignment/final project was to plan an event on campus and host it. The external constraint was money. We had to get donations in order to supply the event with food, prizes, information, decoration, etc. This was difficult because many places had already donated for the month or year. The internal constraint was campus/housing regulations. We had our event in CVB (the tall housing building with the clock on it). They had certain restrictions and rules that we had to adhere by. One being the total capacity of people in the room we were having the event in. Because of the cap size we had to adjust our event.

9/3-9/9 Post 1: Norms on school

Yes there are norms at SJSU. They are categorized/classified within the different groups at SJSU. There are norms within the Greek system, athletic system, the different schools, organizations and so forth. With the Greek system on campus, there are such norms as being closely knit to one another and having excellent networking skills. They go even deeper than that specifically with each sorority and fraternity. Each sorority and fraternity have norms that consist of crucial, peripheral, explicit and implicit norms. For instance, certain "houses" on campus have weekly chores that each individual within the house must complete. If they violate this task he or she ill be fined. This example illustrates an explicit norm. In the group of individuals that I spend time with, specifically my roommates, there are group norms. Just like the sororities and fraternities, we are expected to maintain/keep up the household with our chores. We also have other norms such as acting a certain way with the entire group and with each individual. Most of us are courteous with sharing food but lots of the time this is violated when certain individuals do not take without asking when they don't share. I identified these norms by  looking at the group and what we do on a regular basis, what our routines are and how/what we violate. I adapt to the norms by doing what is needed for the household. I'm open to pretty much anything so I do not have a difficult time changing or creating new norms if it's beneficial for the entire household.

8/27-9/2 Post 3: Something Interesting

I normally pick a big concept or topic that I found interesting and useful. But for this week's there is something else that I found interesting, it's rather small and just a statement. For the weirdest reason is stuck with me. That is, without the small groups, big groups would not exist. Small groups are needed to make and run bigger groups. For instance a big corporation such as Google or Cisco would not be as powerful as it is today without the small groups. To define those small groups exactly, I mean the janitors/cleaners, the delivery/messengers, the office assistants, accountants, and many more. This small fact helped me realize how much of an importance small groups are in everyday life. It also allowed me to have much more respect for the little groups. In a communications study aspect, the small group looks like it may be the most important part. So in the scheme of things, it's not just a statement, big groups truly would not exist without the small groups.

Post 2 - Entropy and Equifinality

Entropy and equifinality impact small groups like this. The result of small groups can go one way or the other that is good or bad. Entropy would be the negative side of it. According to Harris and Sherblom, "Living systems tend toward entropy - that is: disorganization, stagnation, and chaos," (31). It's what humans do. It's natural. Small group are complex in the way that they must be combined of the right things to turn out correctly. Lots of the time they lose focus and organization and they become stagnate. If there is too little or too much energy within the group it can become disorganized and negative feedback tends to create stagnation. Lots of the time small groups have the notion that to get a project done, it is one way or the highway. Well that is impossible in a small group, or a group of any size for that matter. But for the purpose of this class, small groups will always have more than one idea or way of doing things because there is more than one mind in the group. That is where equifinality come into play. The text states that equifinality refers to, "living systems can take different routes to the same destination," (32). And that's the beauty of small groups. It opens up opportunity for creativity. There is no one set way for a group to achieve success. Groups find it out on their own. In my opinion, that's the best part, though it may be difficult at times.

Week 8/27-9/2 Post 1: Small group experiences

When parts of the system do not function well, small groups fall apart. It's part of human nature. According to Harris and Sherblom, "Living systems tend toward entropy - that is: disorganization, stagnation, and chaos," (31). A great example of I have from my personal life has to do with my event planning class a couple of semesters ago. The assignment was to create an event with your team and host it. Our event was definite chaos. A lot of us were extroverts and leaders. We were closed minded, shout over one another and most of the time give negative feedback. In the end, we all had a major contribution to the end result of our event and couldn't complete the event without everyone's participation. We learned this through experience. One person was late and another forgot something so we had to adapt accordingly. Another example I have is another small group project I had to do in another class. This group had the exact opposite problem where no one wanted to take charge or shared their ideas. Basically if one person said how about this, we just went with it because no one else voiced their opinions. Again this was another type falling apart because the small group did not fully grasp the concept of interdependence and interrelationships.

Hello Everyone! :)

I'm excited to be in this class! I am a 4th year at San Jose State University. I am majoring in public relations and have will have a concentration in hospitality. I am full time student, work and have an internship. With such a busy schedule I somehow find time to relax, and spend time with family and friends. My favorite colors are green and purple and I love dancing. Dirty Dancing is my all time favorite movie and I love gymnastics. My passion for this sport has allowed me to become a coach and get to where I am today in my life. It has helped me become motivated, determined, manage my time well and be a leader.

This will be my third class with Prof. Perez. I find communication studies to be an interesting subject because it teaches me so much about the world around me and all the social encounters I have daily. If anyone ever needs help or has any question don't hesitate to ask! I am very excited to get to know the rest of you. I also look forward to this semester with all of you!