EDUC 6165 Week 4 :: Communication Assessments

For your blog this week, think about the similarities and differences between how you evaluated yourself as a communicator and how others evaluated you. 
--What is the one thing that surprised you the most? Why? 

--What other insights about communication did you gain this week? 

--Choose at least two to share with others through your blog and consider how each might inform your professional work and personal life.

For this assignment, I had a co-worker and one of my adult students from one of the night classes I teach evaluate me. The thing that surprised me was how differently my co-worker saw me as a communicator. For example, on the Communication Anxiety survey, she scored me on the LOW (21) side which meant that I would be very comfortable speaking in public and have no anxiety. I suppose I must play it off well or come across as confident when I am speaking in public because I scored myself as MODERATE (40). I am anxious in certain situations and comfortable in others. 

As for the evaluation by the student in my night class, I was curious to see if I am an effective communicator in that situation since I am teaching them about early childhood development. The surprising result came when we compared answers for the Listening Style survey. I scored in GROUP 1 which meant I was a PEOPLE ORIENTED. I am too trusting. I am empathetic and I care about others' feelings. The student scored me to be in GROUP 2 which is ACTION ORIENTED. I found this to be interesting and that the reason why she sees me this way could be because of my position as instructor and her position as student. It makes sense that she would see me as being organized and prepared and clear-cut, to the point. 

The final insight I gained this week was that I have some work to do to be a more effective communicator. I need not to be as concerned as I am about what my co-workers think about me. They are a gossipy bunch and I am not there for that. I need to refine how I come across and state my intentions in clear and respectful ways and not let the feelings I have towards them affect my communication with them.

EDUC 6165-7 :: Week 3 Blog :: Communication Styles

Think about the cultural diversity you see in your colleagues at school, in your neighborhood, in your workplace, and also, possibly, within your family. Consider all the aspects that make up culture, including race, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, varying abilities, and so on.

• Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?
• If yes, in what ways do you communicate differently?

Based on what you have learned this week, share at least three strategies you could use to help you communicate more effectively with the people or groups you have identified.

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Of course I communicate differently depending on my audience. For example, when I am at work in the classroom with my three-year olds, I speak like a mother and teacher. When I am with my colleagues at work in a meeting, I speak like a professional teacher and practice my good listening skills. When I am out and about with my photography friends on a photo walk, we are relaxed, use slag and other in-group lingo that I wouldn't use in any other situation. When I am teaching my adult students in my night classes, I am professional yet I am also very conversational as well. I use technical language when necessary and also more casual, low language depending on the topic or context.

Three strategies I can use to communicate more effectively when in an intercultural situation would be the three found on page 180 of the text book:

1. recognize cultural differences
2. clarify behaviors as appropriate
3. adjust to differences

References

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York:      Bedford/St.  Martin's.

EDUC 6165 :: Week 2 Blog :: Body Language

This week I was asked to watch an unfamiliar TV show with the sound off to see if I could guess the relationship between the characters just by watching them. The show I chose to watch was a reality show called "Chasing the Saturdays" that airs on E! TV.

When I first watched it with the sound off, I knew the characters were in an all-female pop band. The opening credits showed that clearly enough. The episode in question showed me two girls, very pretty, going to get tattoos. I thought they were either best friends or a couple. They looked happy to be together, hugged,  held hands, and tousled each others' hair. I got the feeling they were very close. As the episode went on I saw them arguing over something. They both looked angry and upset.

When I turned the sound on and watched the same parts of the episode, I was surprised to find out the two were sisters. The topic they were fighting about was the reasons why one had not been to visit the other. It was all very interesting.

I think my assumptions were close to accurate since I did not know the nature of the relationship of the characters and I had never before seen the show. I had the "aha" moment that they were sisters because my sister and I do not have a close bond like they did. I do love my sister and we hang out and have fun but we are not as touchy-feely as the two sisters in the episode.

EDUC 6165-7 :: Week 1 Blog

"For your blog this week, think of someone (e.g., family member, celebrity, politician, friend, or professor) who demonstrates competent communication within a particular context. What behaviors does this person exhibit that make him or her effective? Would you want to model some of your own communication behaviors after this person? Why or why not?"

The people whom I chose for this week's blog sre Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist, and Carl Sagan. 

Dr. Tyson is a very competent speaker in that he can take the most complex and hard to understand topics of quantum physics and explain in lay-mans terms in a very fascinating and magical way. I love listening to him talk. He made a good point about how teachers are special and what special teachers do. I replay this short video every time I get down on myself or had a bad teaching.

He is very inspirational just as Carl Sagan was. I think of these two as my favorite speakers of all time. Carl Sagan had a way of being very magical in his lectures and was so fascinated with the subject matter that he made you become fascinated as well. Here is my favorite opening of his from his show "Cosmos." His words are inspirational..."we're made of star stuff..."

I do try my best to be inspirational to the adult students in my night classes. I love what I teach (child development courses) and I do use some of their techniques to get my students to love the subject matter as well. I bring in my real-world experience and also the things I have learned. I make the subject matter interesting and I am passionate about it...just like Dr. Tyson and Carl Sagan.