Coms 301 and 321: Blog Due 3/7

You guys are all working on public presentations for Earth Day on 4/20, and speeches for class...Keep up the great work! For this Blog, tell me in five lines or so, about a funny and embarassing experience you have had in front of other people. This is to use worse case scenario strategy to get you over your anxiety of speaking in front of people...If you can survive a really embarassing moment and laugh about it, you come to realize that nothing is as bad as it seems, right? RIGHT??? Blog on Virtual Brothers and Sisters!!!!

Zach, Louie, Lisa, Jane: Landslide Committee

Did I forget anyone's name? I hope you guys can discover a bunch of facts and background for the class to become better informed on this event. If you want to do nadouts for the class, email me an attachment and I will make copies for you...I hope you can help create the passion we need to make this event successful by making a far away event real, putting a face on what has happened. here are a few sites to visit:
http://www.redcross.org/news/in/profiles/philippines_mudslide.html
http://www.fh.org/focus_philippines
Any questions? Let me know and good luck--S

Vicki, Summer, Mirza, Becky, Michelle and Irma: Earthday Committee

Did I leave any name off the list? I suggested making some connections between Katrina dn The Landslide, only because they are both recent national disasters where The Red Croos has played a major role. Here are some possible site on the web to visit for posterboard, handout materials, etc (if you need multiple copies, email me an attachment and I will get copies made on campus before class Monday.)
http://www.worldwildlife.org/index.cfm?searchen=google
http://earthday.wilderness.org/
http://earthday.envirolink.org/
Any questions? Let me know--S

Tasha, Fermina, Odessa and Tony: Donations Committee

Did I leave anyone out? Hi gang--Please review the previous blog (the one marked: Earthday due 3/30) to get a list going of names and items people have volunteered to donate so you can let the class know on Monday what we have (thanks for the leis!) Many have already offerred donations, so mainly, just get a list of names and items, and coordinate how we can get the stuff here to campus for Thursday--work with logistics on that...And we need to come up with some way to collect donations in a sealed container (per CRC) that no onecould "dip into easily...any ideas? Also please help me to collect any change donations people have in class when we meet on the Monday's leading up to the event (I will collect from my other two classes for a combined effort). Determine a minimum donation amount (under a dollar) we will accept for a "gift" of cookies, leis, etc on 4/20. Pleae visit the Red Cross Website for information on what they do with small amounts of donation see www://redcross.org/ --Collect tearsheets on photos that might go well on your collaborative posterboard. Any questions? Smiles--Sandra

Logistics: Jennifer, Kelvin, Chieh-Ming, Chi, Jimmy and Dayleen

Hi gang! So far I have reserved two big tables and ten or so chairs for the 4/20 event, from 10-2 in the quad.Rachel Donham is the CRC contact for any logistics requests, if you want to email her, just email me and I will forward on your behalf.I will have students post on your blog pod here with their names and emails if they are physically available to help cover the booth for the four hour event (1 hour each). Do you have any questions about the assignment? Organization of record keepping will be key for you guys, I think! Smiles--S

Coms 321, 301 and 331: Earth Day 4/20 (Due 3/30)

Well, most of us have agreed that Earth Day, celebrated on 4/20 from 10a--2p in the CRC quad, would be a good time to raise money for The Red Cross and send it over to the Phillippine Island that suffered the landslide last month...1800 were killed in Guinsaugon. We will need to make a good connection between Earth Day and disaster preperation and relief efforts. Coms 301 will focus on connections between Katrina and The Landslide (lack of safe structures, poor areas, govt support, etc). Coms 321 will focus on relationships affected by the disaster and Coms 331 will have multiple committees to plan, organize and supply product for the event. 1.For this blog, please let me know if you can actually come on Thusday the 20th of April (for one hour shifts between 10am and 2pm). This will not be extra credit, but it will give you a "day off" from our regular meeting time on a day later in the semester. So let me know if you can definitely come, 2. which hour you can commit to and 3. if you have anything to contribute to the "gift for donation" pool, or things we can give away to those who donate money (baked goods would be great, coupons from your work, left-overs from your restaurant, simple home made jewelry, automobile advice, candy, etc). Finally, type one statement connecting this activity to your textbook. This will be fun! In the meantime, bring your spare change to class for the Red Cross:
STUDENTS CAN MAKE CHANGE WITH CHANGE!!!

3/20: Indie Speech Topic: Dazzle Me with Creativity!

Ok--Maybe that's too Hollywood--Just post here your unique indie topic and why you think we all care...Audience matters in your choice! Carefully read the other class members' choices first...repetition of topics is not allowed...After Monday--I may make a speech about how impressed I was with how hard you all studied for the midterm! I am proud of you! Smiles--S

Coms 321 and Coms 301: New Blog due March 20th

Hey guys! Hope you are watching out for tornados! The spring this year is sure...unpredictable! Check out the following video and post a comment about how it applies to one aspect of either public speaking or interpersonal communication: It's such a cool story! Smiles--Sandra

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/79325/scored_20_in_4_minutes/

NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT: Coms 331 Only

I AM USING CAPS ON THIS BLOG BECAUSE IT IS LIKE YELLING, AND WHEN I THINK CONFLICT: I THINK YELLING AND STRESS! I DON'T LIKE CONFRONTATION MUCH LESS CONFLICT!!! Tell us about a time you used negotiation to resolve a conflict OR--If you yourself are conflicted over your approach to the midterm next Monday...negotiate with me on how you think the test should go...Good luck everyone! For inspiration outside the context of our class, but invloving a sports team in high school, check this out:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/79325/scored_20_in_4_minutes/

Special Guest Blogger:Becky Mid Term Study Guide

Group 1 Terms and Definitions: Mirza, Kelvin, Jennifer, Irma
1. Ethics: pg. 19. A set of standards for moral behavior.
2. Systems: pg. 26. Interconnected parts that work together as a whole.
3. Ripple Effect: pg. 27-29. A chain reaction that starts at one part of the system and spreads across the entire system.
4. Synergy: pg. 29. Group performance that exceeds expectations.
5. Communication Competence: pg. 10. The ability to communicate in an effective and socially appropriate manner.
6. Group Hate: pg. 2. The hostility people harbor from having to work in groups.
7. Virtual Teams: pg. 3. A small group whose members interact by means of electronic technologies, not face to face. Often times across vast distances.
8. Hindsight Bias: pg. 5. The tendency to overestimate our prior knowledge once we have been given the correct information. (When you learn something and you tell yourself “I already knew that”).
9. Communication: pg. 11. A transactional process of sharing information and meaning with others. (Giving your own input).
10. Commitment: pg. 19. The conscious decision to invest time energy thought and feeling to improve one’s self or one’s relationships with others. (Commit yourself to achieve greatness).


Group 2 Terms and Definitions: Summer, Michelle, Becky
1. Critical Thinking: pg. 174. Analyzing and evaluating ideas and information to reach sound judgments and conclusions. (Small groups always use this).
2. Information Overload: pg. 175. The rate of information flow into a system and/or the complexity of that information exceeds the system's processing capacity; excessive input.
3. Information Bulimia: pg. 178. A binge-and-purge cycle of information processing. (Students cram facts into their heads right before a test).
4. Chunking: pg. 180. A process of recording information into larger more meaningful patters. (Have a plan, each player focuses on one key strategy).
5. Mindsets: pg. 182. Psychological and cognitive predispositions to see the world in a particular way, such as biases, preconceptions, and assumptions, that interfere with effective group making decision and problem solving.
6. Confirmation Bias: pg. 183. A tendency to seek information that confirms our beliefs and attitudes and to ignore or distort information that contradicts our currently held beliefs and attitudes.
7. False dichotomy: pg. 185. The tendency to view the world in terms of only two opposing possibilities when other possibilities are available, and to describe this dichotomy in the language of extremes. Dichotomies are usually false because in most instances there are usually more than two opposing possibilities.
8. Inferences: pg. 186. Conclusions about the unknown based on the known.
9. Vividness: pg. 194. The graphic, outrageous, shocking, controversial, dramatic event that draws our attention and sticks in our minds.
10. Correlation: pg. 197. A constant relationship between two or more variables.
11. Group Think: pg. 200. A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members are striving for a unanimous override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.
12. Vigilance: pg. 204. The act of watching for something something to happen, or watching for danger.

Group 3: Terms and Definitions: Zach, Vicki, Jane, Lisa

1. Negative Synergy: pg 30. This will occur when group members working together do not accomplish what had been expected of the individuals based on their personal skills and abilities.
2. Adaptability: pg 34. Adjusting group boundaries as conditions change.
3. Openness: pg 34. Continuous change of information with outside environment. Openness and change go hand in hand in a system.
4. Input: pg 34. Having the ability to access information, ideas, and experiences from an outside environment.
5. Linguistic Barriers: pg 35. A form of communicating within a group that outside people wouldn’t understand.
6. Psychological Barriers: pg 35. Ways of making an individual unwelcome in a group.
7. Task Dimensions: pg 53. Work performed by a group.
8. Social Dimensions: pg 53. Relationships that form between group members and their impact on the group as a whole.
9. Cohesiveness: pg 53. Feeling that group members get where they feel a part of a group and want to stay within the group. With these feelings they are committed to another and their work.
10. Network: pg 36. The ability to control the access and flow of information within a group.
11. Groups: pg 48. A human communications system of three or more interacting to achieve a common goal. Members influence and are influenced by one another.
12. Size and Complexity: pg 42. As groups increase in the number of members, complexity increases. Larger groups have more conflicts.
13. Ideal Group Size: pg 44. The best size for a group is the smallest size capable of performing a task effectively.
14. Tuckman: pg 56-74. The four phases of group development:
1. Forming: Reason to join
2. Storming: Tension and disagreement
3. Norming. Regulative rules of the group
4. Performing. Group decision making.

Group 4: Terms and Definitions: Odessa, Mina, Tasha
1. Decision Making: pg. 174-245. Process of finding solutions to the problems. These include the groups participation, consensus and satisfaction.
2. Dewey Standard Agenda: pg. 212.
Problem Identification: Formulating the problem into a question.
Problem Analysis: Process where the group gathers facts and determines the cause and affect of the problem.
Solution Criteria: Standards by which decisions and solutions to the problems can be evaluated. This helps determine whether or not the decision makes sense.
Solution Suggestions: Brainstorming of possible solutions w/out evaluating any suggestions until the best alternatives are discovered.
Solution Evalution & Selection: Making sure that the solution is unbiased and effective.
Solution Implementation: Failing to implement a solution.
3. Decision Making Rules: pg. 218. 3 Principal decision making rules are majority, minority, and unanimity. These rules help a group achieve stability and reduce variability to their goals.
4. Majority Rule: pg. 219. Efficient and provides quick closure on relatively unimportant rules. Majority Rules are necessary to a larger groups democratic decision making.
5. Minority Rule: pg. 219. Minority group can make the final decision by either designating authority, assigning executive committees, or dominating less powerful groups.
6. Consensus: pg. 219. A mutual agreement among the members of a group where all valued concerns of each group member is to the satisfaction of the group.
7. Power: pg. 248. The ability to influence attainment of goals sought by yourself or others. The power of a leader depends on his or her relationship with the group.
8. Expertise: pg. 257-259. The ability to have valuable and useful information for a group. It is also the ability to understand and help the group use the information. The group needs an expert to function and must be convinced that the person is an expert.
9. Extrensic Reward: pg. 260. An external reward such as money, grades or recognition that motivates us to behave a certain way. They weaken a groups performance but they can also increase intrinsic motivation, (verbal praise).
10. Intrinsic Motivation: pg. 260. The motivation to do something enjoyable for its own sake. Teams that are intrinsically motivated perform better. They can be diminished by extrinsic rewards.
11. Definition and Power: The struggle of whose definition will be subscribed in the group reflects power struggle between individuals who want to be the leader.
12. Non-Verbal Power Indicators: pg. 253-256. Non-verbal behaviors and symbols that are different for subordinates and super ordinance.
· The powerful can violate the space of the less powerful.
· Postures and gestures
· Super ordinance can touch the less powerful
· The powerful give more eye contact
· The powerful have larger and better materials (i.e. Desk or office)


Group 5: Terms and Definitions: Tony, Chie-Ming, Chi
1. Competitions vs. Cooperation: pg. 87. Competition- as a process of mutually exclusive goal attainment (MEGA) Competition necessitates the failure of the many for the success of the few. Cooperation-is a process of mutually conclusive goal attainment. Your success is tied directly to the success of other group members.
2. Self Esteem: pg. 95. Comes from peers from being liked, accepted, connected. Cooperation enhances self esteem.
3. Interdependence: pg. 100. The goal is unattainable without the cooperation of group numbers, so we depend on eachother for success.
4. Hidden Agendas: pg. 107. Personal goals of group members that are not revealed openly and that can interfere with group accomplishment, this can create a defensive atmosphere.
5. Empathy: pg. 108. Thinking and feeling what you perceive another to be thinking and feeling.
6. Dogmatism: pg. 109. The belief in the self evident truth of one’s opinion.
7. Ambushing: pg. 113. Clearly competitive listening. It is a bias attack of a speaker verbally, not trying to understand the speaker’s point of view.
8. Paraphrasing: pg. 115. A concise response to the speaker which states the essence of the others content in the listener’s words. .
9. Role: pg. 118. A group role is the pattern of behavior expected of a group member.
10. Structure: pg. 118. The systematic interrelation of all parts to the whole.
11. Role reverse: pg. 119. Stepping into a role distinctly different from or opposite of a role we usually play.
12. Role Emergence: pg. 123. A relevant concern primarily to small informal leaderless groups without a history.
13. Leadership: pg. 128. A transitional influence process between leader and followers directed towards change.
14. Problem with trait approach to leadership: pg. 137. The principal problem with the trade approach to effective leadership is the assumption that leadership resides in the person, not in transactions conducted within the group context.
15. Readiness: pg. 139. Readiness level is one of the three variables in the situational model in performing a specific task, function, or objection that followers demonstrate.

Group 6: Terms and Definitions: Louie, Jimmy, Dayleen
1. Violence & Aggression: pg. 267. Violence is a product of aggression. The anger and frustration a victim of violence feels often becomes displaced when the victim attacks innocent, less powerful, targets.
2. Contempt: pg. 268. The verbal or non-verbal expression of insult that emotionally abuses others. Potent form of verbal aggression.
3. Compliance: pg. 268. The process of consenting to the dictates and desires of others. Involves both obedience and authority.
4. Expedient Conformity: pg. 269-270. Both obedience and conformity are forms of compliance. Conformity to group norms can sometimes prove to be a more powerful tendency than obeying authority.
5. Alliances: pg. 270. Mutual agreements between subgroups for a common objective.
6. Coalition: pg. 270. Temporary alliance.
7. All forms of resistance: See Below
Strategic stupidity-group member does not want to spend time and effort on projects.
Loss of motor function-pg. 272. Effective companion to strategic stupidity.
Misunderstanding Mirage-pg. 272. Use strategy of misunderstanding to avoid fault.
Selective Amnesia-pg. 273. When group members have selective memory loss about information given to them.
Tactical Tardiness-pg. 274. By not showing to class or arriving late you show your contempt.
Purposeful Procrastination-pg. 274. Putting off a task you dislike.
8. When power is imbalanced it easily encourages physical, non-physical, verbal and non-verbal aggression. Pg. 269.
9. Assertiveness: pg. 279. Not a form of resistance but compliance ability to communicate the full range of your thoughts.
10. Conflict: pg. 286 A struggle of inner connected parties to perceive incompatible goals and interference from each other and obtaining goals.
11. Constructive Conflict: pg. 288 competent communication and action. A principle focus is on trying to achieve a solution between struggling parties that is mutually satisfactory to everyone.
· Collaborating – pg. 294 Problem solving
· Accommodation- pg. 294 Yielding
· Compromising- pg 294 Open minded
· Avoiding- pg 294 withdrawing
· Competing- pg 294 Power/forcing
Managing Your Anger: pg 312
1. Refrain self talk
2. Listen non-defensively
3. Deliberately calm yourself
4. Find distractions
Managing the Anger of Others
1. Be asymmetrical
2. Validate the other person
3. Probe
4. Distract
5. Assume a problem orientation
6. Refuse to be abused
7. Disengage

Coms 331: Post during the week of 3/6-3/12

Okay team, sorry to confuse you about blogging, but this is where you should be for our current mandatory blog after meeting for class last night on 3/6, which, by the way, was an awesome and super interesting opprotunity for me to hear how smart and talented and empathetic you all are! For this blog, please comment on Liz and her WEAVE presentation last night, making some connections between her speech and her outreach work and Chapters 4 and 5. Multiple postings in response to classmates' comments are encouraged and will recieve bonus points (2 per additional entry). Let's get a conversation going! Have a great week, remember to peruse chapters 1 -9 and rest up for modterm review next Monday evening! Also, watch your attendance and tardiness, remember how it effects your grade! See you Monday! Keep blogging your Earth Day/Phillipine DisasterRelief ideas on the previous blog! Smiles--Blog-Head

Coms 331: Underground Railroad Pod Group 5

Sandra's Group Discussions Pod #5
Ana G., Jennifer, Kelvin, Cheh-Meing and Chi-Hsuan Lin are in this group. Enjoy!

Sandra's Group Discussion Pod #4: Coms 331 Underground Railroad

Sandra's Group Discussion Pod #4
In this group we have Cherina, Jimmy, Annette and Dayleen

Coms 331 and Underground Railroad: Pod 3

Sandra's Group Discussions Pod #3
This group includes Becky, Vicki, Veronica, Summer, Michelle M., Mirza, Chevis and Irma. Good luck and get creative!

Pod 2: Coms 331 and Underground Railroad

Sandra's Groups Discussion Pod #2
This group consists of Zach, Patricia, Lisa H., Louie K. and Jane K. and Ann P. Good luck and have fun!

POd #1: Coms 331 Underground Railroad

Sandra's Groups Discussion Pod #1
This group consists of Anthony B., Fermina, Dayleen, Odessa and Tasha. Have fun and get creative team!

Fourth Blog Post: Coms 321, 331 and 301

Great input on the Phillipine Disaster. We do have an exciting CRC campus opportuinty to participate in Earth Day as a way to raise money for The Red Cross, the charity most of you mentioned as preferred. It would be in April and we could connect to the event by raising awareness of safety and natural disater preparedness and governemnt responsibility in the Quad with posters and music, etc. Day and time TBA, if you can't come you can help in other ways to prepare! We could also highlight the uniqueness of Phillipino culture and how special the lives that we lost were to the world. The three classes can do this together, but we need an easy, uncomplicated way to raise money, so I like to stick with just collecting change: gET IT: Change makes CHANGE! Every little bit helps and even though we don't have a lot of extra, we can make a difference, so bring in your spare change for classes throughout March and let me know if you have a good idea for a symbolic gift we could offer to others who donate their change to us at Earth Day (really cheap and'or free, connected to Phillipino Culture) Also tell me how our combined fundraising effort applies to at least one concept from our text book in this blog, underline the term you have slected and identify the chapter and book it is from!
Smiles--Sandra