Final Post

All assignments have been returned, all exams are finished, and now comes the time for calculating final grades in the course. As I mentioned yesterday, to calculate your grade, add up all of the points you have accumulated throughout the semester and divide that number by 1,050. Check the grade scale to see where you grade falls. Before you do that, keep reading.

Here's the part you are going to care about.........

For those of you that noticed the syllabus change from the beginning of the semester to the end, you probably observed that the point scale changed. At the start of the semester I calculated all assignments, discussion weeks, quizzes and tests and figured out that the class was out of 1,000 points total. My plan was, when I was writing assignments, discussion questions and quizzes, that the class would be out of 1,000 points, a nice round number. Well, as the semester drew to a close, I added up all of those lovely assignments and tests again and discovered that I made a mistake in calculations (I never claimed to be good at math, ahem, or simple math for that matter). The class is ACTUALLY OUT OF 1,050 points. I promptly corrected these changes (and let's be honest here, it was only after one of you colleagues pointed out the mistake to me that I noticed my blunder) upon realizing the HUGE mistake I had made.

So, to split the difference with the class, go ahead and add 25 points to your grade!!!

I have already calculated grades, and it looks like for most, your grade will be raised to either the next letter grade up, or the next partial grade. This means that for those that earned a C+, your grade will now be a B-. If it was previously a B+, you will now have an A- and so on. So go ahead and recalculate your grade to find your new grade.

I have had a great time with all of you this semester and I am sad the class is over already, but I am excited about a break as I am sure you are. If you would like to keep in contact with me, please use the following email address: commclass@gmail.com

I will be deleting my blog and email address in a few weeks. If possible, please wait a couple of weeks at least before you delete your blog. I will be evaluating the course and making changes for next semester. Part of this evaluation will be based on the discussion questions and the answers to those questions.

If you would be so kind, drop me a note (when you get a chance of course) and let me know what you liked about the course and what you would like to see changed or tweaked a bit. This of course will not help you any as the class is now over, but it will certainly help your colleagues next semester and for as long as this class is offered online. Pay it forward! Go ahead and post a message to this blog, but if you are not comfortable with that, shoot me an email. (Course evaluations will not be returned to me, as always, until next semester is in full swing so I will be unable to use those to revise this course for next semester.)

Again, I have had a great time with you all this semester and wish you well in your future endeavors at SJSU and beyond!!! :)

Final Grades Part #1

Hello Everyone!

The final exam is almost over. There are a couple of people who have yet to take the final exam. To calculate your grade, go ahead and add up all of the points you have accumulated throughout the semester and divide that number by 1,050. This will give you your points total for the course. The points breakdown versus grade is listed below:

997-1,050 points A
945-996 points A-
913-944 points B+
882-912 points B
840-881 points B-
808-839 points C+
777-807 points C
735-776 points C-
703-734 points D+
672-702 points D
630-671 points D-
< 629 points F

Now is a good time to check over all of your grades to make sure there are no mistakes or discrepancies. If there are, please email me immediately, as I will be posting final grades within the next couple of days.

I will post one final time tomorrow, December 19th. Please check back tomorrow evening. Until then, have a fabulous night! :)

Concept Application Paper

After I have read a round of papers for each assignment I have thought to myself, "This is my favorite assignment in this class". Of course for some reason this always happens, even when I was writing the assignments. I really liked the essays in this course and have really enjoyed reading each and every one. That being said, the first round of papers will be returned tonight. The next set will be returned tomorrow and finally, the last set will be returned on Monday.

REMINDERS:
The final exam will start on Monday, December 15th. Please plan ahead and take the final early if possible.

To calculate your final grade, add up all of your points and divide that by 1,050. There are 1,050 points in the course all together.

As I mentioned in a post this past week, I will be holding office hours this coming week on Tuesday from 9am to 11am if you want to chat in real time. I will also be checking my email on a consistent basis all week in case any issues arise, or if you have questions. And, as always, if you need to have a phone conversation with me, I am available for that as well.

Final Exam Info

Hello Class!

It is time for the final exam (the review sheet is located on the "Handouts" page on Blackboard)! Here are the procedures for the final:

Please print out the Proctor Form located on the "Handouts" page. You will need a Proctor to observe you taking the exam. A proctor is someone who is OVER 21 years of age, and will attest to the fact that you have upheld the Honor Principle (additional information about the Honor Principle is located on the "Quiz" page on Blackboard).

To receive credit for the exam, print out the Proctored Exam Form available on the Handouts page, complete the test, secure required signatures (the proctor's and yours) and mail to me at the address on the form. You can also fax the form. The fax number is located on the Proctor Form as well.

Your final exam will be available on Blackboard from 12:01am December 15th to 11:59pm on December 18th. The final exam has 50 question, each question is worth 2 points. The final exam is worth 100 points total. As with each quiz and test in this course, you will have 2 minutes per question, totaling 100 minutes.

I WILL be holding office hours during SJSU's Final Exam week on Tuesday December 16 from 9am to 11am.

The final exam CANNOT be rescheduled, so please make plans accordingly to take the final exam during the time allotted.

Let me know if you have any questions about the process for the final exam.

Posts and Office Hours

Here is a list of those folks that have posted already this week:

Chocoyuko
daron Story
me010400
Molly McMuffin
Stephany
Zamoradesign

Stop by their blogs and leave a comment. :)

Office Hours
Since this week is a short week, my office hours will be held today at normal time (10:30am-11:30am) and on Wednesday from 9:00am-10:00am).

Additionally, office hours next week will be held on Tuesday from 9:00-11:00am.

Of course I am ALWAYS available to chat by phone if needed, and of course by appointment as always. I will still be checking email numerous times a day until the last scheduled day of the final exam.

AS A REMINDER: You should have all of your blogging and commenting completed by Wednesday at 11:59pm. There is no 'time requirement' this week, so go ahead and blog when you can. The posts DO NOT need to be 24 hours apart, nor do the comments.

Week of December 7-10

This is the last blogging week. Since the last day of instruction is officially December 10th, you can go ahead and omit the 24 hour rule this week and simply post 3 times and comment 2 times whenever you'd like with no time restriction. Please have your posts completed by 11:59pm on Dec. 10th.

Here is the discussion for this week:

· (Regarding Chapter 13) Which of the research methods listed in Table 13.3 seem the most interesting? Assume you want to study some aspect of deception. Frame a research question. Which method would you choose to answer the question. Why?

· What concept/s in this class have you found most interesting? What was it about that concept/s that you found interesting?

· Pick one other concept in the book that you feel needs further discussion? (You can choose from ANY chapter in the book).

· Remember to post at least 2 responses to your colleagues blogs.

The final exam review should be available on Blackboard by 5pm today, December 7th.

SOTES and Final Exam

Thank you for sending over your Concept Application Papers. I look forward to reading them. At first glance, it looks like y'all put quite a bit of work into your papers. :)

I sent an email this morning regarding SOTES. You have access to the SOTES through mysjsu. Log on, look at the left hand bar of the page and click on "Self Service". A drop down menu will appear. Click on "Online SOTE Ratings" and you should be able to evaluate the class.

The final exam review sheet will be posted tomorrow. I will send out an email at the time it is posted so you know to access it and start reviewing for the final exam. More details about the final will come later.

Update on Enrollment

Here is an updated article on enrollment at SJSU:

Admissions Update

Date: 12/02/2008

Challenges brought on by California's budget shortfall have forced California State University to limit enrollment on all 23 campuses for the first time in history. Systemwide impaction will affect all prospective students. The application deadline for students who intend to enroll as freshmen at San José State in fall 2009 was Sunday, November 30. Deadlines for other applicant groups and campuses vary. Review the following links for more information.

You can read more about limited by clicking HERE!

SJSU News

Here is a news article that was posted in mid-October.

CSU Sees Surge of Applicants

By: Mike Colgan

The number of students applying to the California State University system increased by 21 percent over last year, with 50,000 students applying for the fall semester during the first two days of the admissions cycle.

San José State University spokeswoman Pat Lopes Harris said a small baby boom and greater interest in state universities has made admissions very competitive. "We 're urging students to apply as soon as they can," she said.

The deadline for students applying to San José State for the Fall 2009 semester is November 30.

end

If you know anyone who is applying to SJSU, let them know to apply early.

(I look forward to reading your papers towards the end of the week). :)

Week of November 30-December 6

Read Chapter 13

This week you have a quiz on Chapters 11 & 13. Please log onto Blackboard before December 6th to take the quiz.

Work on your Concept Application Paper this week, as it is due by December 5th before 11:59pm. If you would like, I can read over your paper to give you tips on what to improve upon before the paper is actually due. If you choose to send your paper early, please make sure to send it by 11:59pm on Wednesday night of this week in order for me to give you feedback and get it back to you by Thursday night.

I will be holding office hours on both Tuesday and Thursday of this week as usual from 10:30am to 11:30am. I will be on Yahoo Messenger during those times and checking my email regularly in case there are any questions. I will also be on campus on December 5th on Friday. If you would like to stop by and chat for a few minutes, let me know so I can plan some time in my office to meet with you. I will be available from about 11:00am to 12:00pm. Just shoot me an email and let me know if you want to come by.

Paper reminders/tips

Evidence

You should include evidence from the reading in your paper. This can be in the form of paraphrasing or direct quotes. Of course you can always bring in outside sources if you'd like. If you do quote or paraphrase, make sure you are citing your sources in proper APA or MLA format.

Like I have mentioned before, this information is review, so bear with me if you have heard this over and over again.

I will post what is required for the coming week tomorrow morning. Have a great night!

Another Tip

I hope that you all had a great day yesterday. Every year I shop early in the morning on the Friday after Thanksgiving, today was no exception. Do you all shop early in the morning the Friday after Thanksgiving? Do you have any interesting stories you'd like to share?


Here's another tip for writing your papers:

Paragraphs
1). You should have a topic sentence in each paragraph that is included in your paper.
2). Make sure you have full and complete sentences throughout, avoiding fragment sentences.
3). Avoid 'mini' paragraphs. Make sure you have decent sized paragraphs (follow the rule of 5 sentences or more if you need to). Also, make sure you do not have paragraphs that are longer than a page. This could easily mean that you need to break up your long paragraph into two.
4). Develop a justification to shift from paragraph to paragraph.
5). Try not to begin or end paragraphs with quoted material.

Look for another tip tomorrow, and I look forward to hearing any stories about today's shopping experience (either from this year or past years). Until tomorrow.....

Turkey Day

For those of you that celebrate today's occasion,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

Posts will resume tomorrow! :)

Weaving in Course Concepts

Upon review of the assignment sheet, it is easy to see that there are some pretty interesting course concepts that you should apply to your paper. On the assignment sheet there are 12 categories listed. You should choose 6 of these categories to analyze in your paper.

I suggest that you review these course concepts prior to watching the movie of your choice in order to allow the concepts to really sink in. Take notes if possible on the course concepts listed on the assignment sheet, then apply them to the movie of your choice.

As the assignment sheet states, subhead your paper as you see fit. But keep in mind that the paper must act as a whole. For some this will be review, so bear with me here. In your Introduction Paragraph, you should introduce the ideas or categories covered in your paper. In other words, you should Forecast or Preview each major section of your paper in a single sentence in your introduction paragraph. Also, in your conclusion you should summarize or review each major section that you have covered in the body of your paper in your last paragraph. This will round out your paper nicely.

Transitions.....you should develop a justification to shift from paragraph to paragraph. Doing this will ensure that your paper is linked together at all transition points (from paragraph to paragraph and section/category to each other).

More tips to come....

Week of Novmeber 23-26

I WILL BE holding office hours on Tuesday!!!

Thanksgiving week is a work week. For this week, please work diligently on your last assignment for this course. Over the next few days I will be posting reminders about the final assignment. I will post tips for completing the assignment and reminders of how to write an essay, which most of you already know, but it's nice to have a refresher from time to time.

Here is Tip#1
*Review the ENTIRE assignment sheet. Read over the assignment sheet prior to watching the movie to remind you what the assignment requires.

*Choose a movie that you think would be entertaining for you.

*Review ALL course concepts listed on the assignment sheet (prior to watching the movie) to get a preliminary idea of how you would like to formulate your analysis.

*Watch the movie, and take notes. Pausing the movie to jot down some notes at different points will help with this process. If you try to analyze the movie after watching it, you may indeed miss something important.

Of course some of these tips will be common sense to most. If they are indeed common sense for you, please pass over them and use the tips you do find useful.

If you need ANY clarification about the assignment, please either leave a comment on my blog or email me directly.

More tips to come...... :)

Blogging this week

I was excited about the posts this week, and really enjoyed reading what you all have wrote so far. The question of cyberspace friendships was particularly interesting to me. I found it quite fascinating that the majority of the class has no 'cyberspace only' friendships and few desire to create or maintain them.

I personally have a number of cyberspace only friendships that I keep up with on a normal basis. I do this through keeping a personal blog, commenting on blogs of people that I have met online, and of course conversing through email with people I have no met in person. These relationships serve a specific purpose, one that can be quite different than a f2f friendship. Of course these relationships carry a set of rules all unto themselves, some of which carry over to f2f relationships, but some quite different.

Like most of the class, I was leery at first develop and keep these friendships going. But overtime I have found that they are quite useful. In what ways do you think these friendships could be useful to you or to others?

Early Bird Posts

Hello All! Here is a list of folks who have blogged already this week. Go ahead and stop by their blog to get a start on your comments for the week.

Chocoyuko
Daron Story
EMadden11
Lady In Society
me010400
Molly McMuffin
Sakishot
Stephany
Zamoradesign

Let's congratulate these folks for getting an early start. Nice job everyone!!!!

Week of November 16-22

Here is what's on the schedule for this week:

Read Chapter 11

Class Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 24 hours apart:

· Have you made friendships that exist exclusively in cyberspace? If so, how are they different from f2f relationships? If you have not formed cyber relationships, why not?

· Do you agree with Marshall McLuhan that the medium is the message, i.e. that the format or logic of a medium is as important as its content and, in fact, determines what content will be broadcast through that channel? Evaluate his idea that television is a cool medium.

· Pick one concept from the assigned reading that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

· Remember to post 2 responses to your colleagues blogs at least 24 hours apart.

Reminder: We have only 2 discussion weeks left, let's keep up the momentum. :)

Getting an Early Start

Hello All! Here is a list of folks who have blogged already this week. Go ahead and stop by their blog to get a start on your comments for the week.

Blondie
Cherry
Chocoyuko
Daron Story
EMadden11
Molly McMuffin
Persiangirl
Stephany
Zamoradesign

Let's congratulate these folks for getting an early start. Nice job everyone!!!

Reminder: Most of you are doing exceptional in this area, but as a reminder, try to keep up with your blog posts. Blogging is fairly easy, and has quite a few points associated with it. If you will notice on the syllabus, there are 250 points associated with blogging. While 5 points here and there may not seem like a lot of points, they can quickly add up and drop you down an entire letter grade or two. In short, try to keep up with your blogging. :)

I can't wait to read the rest of your blogs this week.

Week of November 9-15

***Read Chapter 8, Organizational Communication
***There is a quiz this week on Chapters 6 & 8. I have included quite a few True/False questions to give you a small break in the middle of your busy semester.
***Participate in the discuss for this week!

Discussion Questions:

Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 24 hours apart:

· How are organizations tied to the environment? What is the relationship between the school you attend and the city or town in which it is situated? What, if any, ethical obligations does an organization like a college or university have to the local community?

· Review the etiquette rules suggested in the text. Respond to each one. Have you ever been bothered by cell phone, answering machines, or beepers? What do you feel about call waiting? Is it rude to put people on hold to take another call?

· Pick one concept from the assigned reading that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

· Remember to post 2 responses to your colleagues blogs at least 24 hours apart.

Returning Papers and Other Stuff

Hello Class! As most of you have noticed, I have started commenting on your blogs. That is, if you have posted a blog by Thursday. You are more than welcome to comment back (on your blog) if you'd like. But remember, it is still necessary to comment on two other blogs during your participation week. I do like reading your comments though. :)

I will start returning papers today. This process will continue throughout the weekend. I should have all papers returned to you by Monday at the latest. Read over your comments and let me know if you have any questions. I will be available all weekend for questions. I have enjoyed reading your papers so far this week, and will continue to enjoy them over the next couple of days.

Nice blogging this week by the way. I really enjoyed reading your opinions about which patterns (rigid complementarity, competitive symmetry, or submissive symmetry) you think would be the hardest to change, most damaging, etc... Each person seems to have a difference of opinion with no clear consensus.

Look out for my email this weekend! Until then.....

Beginning the Week Early

A number of people have blogged already:

Daron Story
Emadden11
Molly McMuffin
Stephany
ZamoraDesign

A good start to the week! To get an early start on commenting, stop by these blogs. I can't wait to read what the rest of you will write this week.

Week of Nov. 2-8

REMINDER: Daylight Savings Time ended this morning at 2am. Set your clocks back an hour. :)


Here is what's on the schedule for this week:

Read Chapter 6, Interpersonal Communication and participate in the discussion for this week:

Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 24 hours apart:

*Which pattern (rigid complementarity, competitive symmetry, or submissive symmetry) do you think would be the most difficult to change? Why? Which would be the most damaging to a relationship? Which would be the most potentially damaging to the self-esteem of the individuals involved?

*Think about the filters you use to eliminate people from consideration as potential romantic partners. What characteristics or behaviors lead you to judge others as unattractive? Does Duck's theory make sense to you? Have you ever eliminated someone by using a sociological or pre-interaction cue only to reconsider them based on interaction and cognitive cues?

*Pick one concept from the assigned reading that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

***Remember to post 2 responses to your colleagues blogs at least 24 hours apart.

Week of October 26 - November 1

Hello Class! I enjoyed reading your posts this week! I have commented on your blogs, so check those out.

Here is what's on the schedule for this week:

1). Your second assignment is due on Friday, October 31st by 11:59pm. Please plan ahead, and send your assignments on time, if not early!
2). Read Chapter 7, Group Communication.
3). Quiz for Chapters 7 & 12.

Tip: It may be helpful to review the chapters before writing your papers.

Tuesday's Post Updates

Hello class! Here is Tuesday's post updates. Enjoy!

Blondie talks about overlapping cultural identities. She mentions a friend who celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah. My question is this - what cultural identity do you think your friend mostly identifies with?

Cherry has already blogged three times. Good job! One thing that I liked that she mentions that she has broken through the limits of her culture. Why do you think this was the 'best thing you ever did'?

Chocoyuko has blogged twice. She mentions in one of her posts that eating rice everyday is important to her culture. How do you think this differs from American culture? And, why is it so important to eat rice everyday? (Maybe you can enlighten us).

Daron Story talks about how he 'somewhat' agrees with Ruth Benedict. He mentions how alcoholism may not be learned given similar circumstances across different people. Daron, do you agree that alcoholism can be genetic in certain people? If so, do you also think this can be a learned behavior? How do you think each impacts an alcoholic?

EMadden11 agrees with Ruth Benedict. She thinks that we learn through observation and accepted behaviors. She mentions that what is acceptable in America may not be acceptable in another country. EMadden11, have you had personal experience with this?

Licizpieciz also agrees with Ruth Benedict. She thinks that we are creatures of our culture. Licizpieciz, how can you directly observe that someone is picking up on their culture?

Molly McMuffin gives a comprehesive account as to why she agrees with Ruth Benedict. Molly - what about twins that were in separate families who reunite years later, only to find out that they have similar manurisms, inflections in their voice, and similarities in other behaviors?

Zamoradesign has posted twice already. He talks a bit about venturing out from one's ascribed cutlture. My question is actually your question to the class - IS it, in fact better to become multicultural and more tolerant?

Week of October 19-25

Intercultural Communication, another love of mine! After having spent time in Kazakhstan, Peru and Russia, Intercultural Communication has become a subject close to my heart.

Here is what's on the schedule for this week:

Participate in Week 9 discussion
Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 24 hours apart:
*Do you agree with anthropologist Ruth Benedict that we are "creatures of our culture" and that our habits, beliefs, and impossibilities are shaped by our culture? If so, how can we break through the limits of our culture?

*Do you believe in the rationality, perfectability, and mutability premises? What social institutions and practices are based on these beliefs?

*Pick one concept from the assigned readings that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Reminder: Post 2 responses to your colleagues blogs at least 24 hours apart.

Week of October 12 - 18

There are a couple of things this week:

1). The midterm is posted online along with the study sheet. Please make sure you are done with the midterm by Saturday night. The study sheet can be accessed through Blackboard.

2). Cultural Event - the Cultural Event paper is due by October 31st (Halloween). I need to approve your cultural event prior to your attending to make sure that it is a qualifying event. If you haven't already, please email me with the cultural event that you are going to attend. I have sent out the two or three events I have been notified of. Beyond those event, I have not been notified of any others besides attending 'personal' events such as a different religion, or an event that is not public. So, in short, please attend a cultural event soon, and run it by me. :)

As always, I will be available all week in case there are any questions, or issues with the midterm. Good luck!!!!!

Feedback

Well, I'm glad the first assignment is over and done with, now we can all focus our attention on the Cultural Event Paper. As I mentioned in the last post, the due date for the assignment is October 31st, Halloween. And no, before you ask, I did not make it due on Halloween to torture the class. :) It was just a natural time in the schedule to turn in the assignment.

On a bit of a different note, I need some feedback from everyone in the class. So, please post your comment on this blog to the questions I pose here. If you don't feel comfortable doing it here for everyone to read, please email me privately, as I would like to hear from everyone if possible.

1). What did you think about the first assignment? I have given an assignment like this before quite a few times, but in a bit of a different format. What did you like about it? What didn't you like about it? What would you change if you could?

2). My posts about your posts.....are they helpful? I have be hesitating to comment on your blogs personally so that the class interacts with one another instead of with me. So, I have adopted writing little summaries on my blog about your posts. Is this helpful? How would you like to see me interact in the future? Keep doing what I have been doing? Or, change my interacting in some way? If you vote for change, how would you change it?

I would appreciate your comments as I am trying to figure out (without being in a face to face situation with you all) how you would like me to interact, and what you think about the assignments. Since you have received your grades for the assignment, you can be assured that this WILL NOT have any bearing on your grade now or in the future. This is just general feedback for me since I know every online instructor does things differently, and every class for that matter desires something different from their online instructors.

I hope you all found my comments on your papers helpful. I really enjoyed reading them, and I must admit, I can't wait until the next project is due. :)

Assignment #1 Speech Critique

I am happy to say that you will be receiving your papers back with a grade within the next few days. I will have them completed by Thursday at the latest, hopefully sooner, though some of you will start receiving them tonight through email. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your analysis of the videos, and can't wait to see what y'all do for the coming assignment. In case you did not read the bottom of the last blog, the next assignment is due on October 31st, which happens to be Halloween. So, if you have big Halloween plans, please make sure to get your papers in early. Some class participants really cut it close by emailing me their Speech Critique a minute or two before it was due.

In case you have not, please email me your cultural event. I have been keeping a list, but it seems like a number of people live out of the area, so those events would not be relevant to most in the class.

One thing about format for the papers, please read EVERYTHING I have listed on the assignment sheet. Quite a few people forgot to bold the course concepts in their first assignment. In short, please read the directions carefully and follow them for your coming assignment. :)

Nonverbal Communication

I am very excited about this week's discussion. These are the weeks I wish I could talk to you all face to face so we could really get into a deep discussion about nonverbal communication and share what we have learned through our reading, and of course through our experiences in life. While I was in school I participated in a Nonverbal Research Study as a research assistant, which was quite interesting. Although the statistics in that particular research study did not prove to be significant, my conjecture was that the sample size was too small.

Now that you are probably asking, "What was the study about?"....I'll tell you briefly in case you are interested. Dr. Tim Hegstrom who is the Dean of Social Sciences at this point in his career, videotaped dyads to see if their body positioning matched each other during the course of their 10 minute conversation. Most of the participants did have matching body language at some point in the discussion (An example of this would be where one person crosses their arm, and the other follows shortly after. This could either be matching or mirroring with body positioning with legs, arms, etc...). I analyzed the videos one by one (I think there were 50 or so 10 minute videos) and recorded their body positioning to reflect matching, mirroring, or no correlation at all. I stopped the video every minute and recorded their body positions. Like I said, when we ran the statistics through SPSS (a statistical database), the results were not significant. But, had the research been done a bit differently, it absolutely would have produced statstically significant results. Had it, we probably would have been published in a Communication Journal, but alas, it was not written in the stars. :)

Needless to say, Nonverbal Communication interests me quite a bit. My husband's family is constantly trying to figure out if I'm analyzing them. Just this past weekend, one of his family members looked over to a few people and asked me what thier body language was saying. Of course this sparked a very interesting conversation between a few people, myself included.

Have fun with this weeks discussion, and don't forget to download the midterm study sheet from Blackboard to prepare for your midterm next week.

Until tomorrow....

Week of October 5 - 11

This weeks participation is as follows:

*Read Chapter 5, Encoding Messages: Nonverbal Communication
*Participate in week 7 disucssion

Discussion Questions: Answer one in each of your three posts at least 24 hours apart:

1). Because nonverbal messages can be ambiguous, they are open to misinterpretation. Have you ever been wrong about the meaning of someone's nonverbal message? Describe what happened. How can people increase the accuracy with which they interpret nonverbal messages.
2). Although nonverbal messages are more universal than verbal messages, nonverbals do not always carry the same meanings in other cultures. Can you give examples of some of the nonverbal displays that take on different meanings in other countries? If you have moved around within this country, have you ever encountered regional differences in nonverbal meaning?
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Remember to post 2 responses to your colleagues blogs at least 24 hours apart.


NOTE: The second assignment is due on October 31st. The Schedule and Syllabus lists the due date as Sept 26th (which was the due date for this past assignment).

Wednesday Posts

Hello Class. Soon I will be updating a list of Cultural Events your colleagues have sent to me. I should be posting it tomorrow. In the meantime, here is what your colleagues are talking about on their blogs:

Blondie chose to blog about how many dimension there are to listening. She also mentions how listening is different than hearing.

Cherry has blogged a couple of times so far. She covers the quest of men and women using language differently. She give a personal account of how she and her fiance use language differently. She also answers the question of assumptions and judging in another blog.

Chocoyuko makes a good argument about categorizing and judging and uses the book to bring out the point of 'cognitive complexity'.

Darnisha mentions that it could be the responsibility of society that we do not pay attention to individuals as much as we should. She brings up an interesting point.

DaronStory also thinks that it is not possible to perceive others without judging them in some respect. He mentions that the human brain groups things into categories in order to make sense of them.

EMadden11 brings up the point that people do judge. She talks about how she 'observes' people when she first meets them to get a sense of who they are by their behavior, both verbal and nonverbal.

Lady in Society likes how Chapter 3 instructs the reader how to listen. She also highlights the point that communication is a two-way interaction involving both the speaker and the listener.

me010400 gives personal experience about making judgments of other people. She also points out that it is probably a good thing to be aware of the judgments you are making.

Molly McMuffin has posted three great blogs this week. In her 'free' post this week, she talks about evaluating sources from the world wide web. She mentions that it can be a great source of information, and well as a source of misinformation.

Sakishot covers the idea that men and women use language differently, but she also asserts that it may not always be consistent with their own gender. And interesting idea.

settle4what? brings up the point that from a young age, men and women are taught to use language differently. She talks about baby talk from a young age, and how gender roles, as it pertains to language and behavior.

zamoradesign, contrary to what some other people in the class have mentioned, believes that a person can indeed perceive others without making judgments. He also gives some personal experience about practicing mindfulness when dealing with others.

A good start to the week! :)

Week of September 28th - October 4th

Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:

***Review the Cultural Event Paper (read it over and find a Cultural Event - email me your Cultural Event for approval)

***Read Chapter 3 & 4

***Participate in this weeks discussion!
Answer 1 in each of your 3 posts at least 24 hours apart:

1). Is it possible to perceive others without in some way judging or categorizing them? If so, how? If not, how can we make the judgments we do make more fair?

2). Do you agree that men and women use language differently? In what areas?

3). Pick one concept from the assigned readings that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Remember to post 2 responses to your colleagues blogs at least 24 hours apart.


I did receive your papers, all of which were on time. Good Job!!! A few pushed it to the bitter end, but all were within the time limit. It will take me a week or so to get those back to you, so expect an email with your attached paper containing notes. Once I send those out, which will all be at the same time, I will post a blog confirming that I sent out the papers.

Saving in .rtf format

Since I have gotten a few emails about this, I decided to post this.

To save in .rtf format, go to "Save As" as you normally would. A box pops up, and down at the very bottom there is a menu called, "Save As Type". Scroll down to .rtf format and name your document as the Speech Critique Assignment calls for. Save it to your computer and then attach it to an email and send it off to me.

:)
I hope this helps!

Week of Septmber 21th - September 27th

There are TWO very important things going on this week:

***Quiz #2 is available on Blackboard, as is the study guide that goes along with the quiz.***

***Your first assignment is due by Friday, September 26th @ 11:59pm.***

Please follow the submission directions for your paper. See the assignment sheet for instructions.

Also, as a reminder, I DO NOT accept late assignments. So, if your submission time stamp is AFTER 11:59pm, your assignment is considered late. Please SUBMIT YOUR PAPERS with ample time to deal with technological issues OR unforeseen circumstances should they arise. In short, plan ahead.

If you have questions about your paper/assignment, please contact me DURING MY OFFICE HOURS or we can make an appointment. I will not be online to answer last minute questions on Friday, so again, plan ahead. I look forward to reading your papers.

Post Updates for Thursday

Cherry posted about Obama’s attractive qualities (not just physical), and how he builds trust through speaking.

Chokoyuko also commented on Obama’s speeches. She talks briefly about his content and attractiveness. Chokoyuko also gives an account of the Presidential election in Japan and how the speakers in Japan contrast those of the United States in style.

JP-Comm 105 talks about an influential speaker in a professional organization. In contrast, JP also comments on a speaker that did not exhibit qualities of a good speaker.

Licizpieciz gives an account of her pastor as an influential speaker. She talks about his ability to inspire people.

me010400 uses Michael Keppler as an example of a great speaker. She also talks about a music teacher she encountered a number of years back and how this person was an example of a bad speaker.

Molly McMuffin posted a great discussion on Authoritative Argument. She gives a great example of an Authoritative Argument by pointing out a real world example and breaking it down into Data, Claim, Warrant and Reservation. Good job Molly!

Stephany discusses Ronald Reagan as an example of a good speaker. She points out that he possessed power and attractiveness and was also an influential speaker. Good example Stephany!

Tuesday's Posts

Blondie has blogged twice so far. She has made some good points about Obama as a speaker. In the other blog, Blondie covers the audience speaker relationship.

Cherry brings to light a speaker she heard regarding the topic of Meth Addiction. On the flip side, Cherry makes some good points about a speaker who is a family member.

Chokoyuko commented that Steve Jobs gave a memorable commencement speech at Stanford. Opposite the iPod king, Chokoyuko mentions that the worst speaker she has observed is the President of Japan.

Daron Story gives a brief interpretation of why Obama is a decent speaker.

DJQ covers and idea posed in this weeks reading. DJQ relates the idea of uncertainty to dating.

Molly McMuffin gives a great account of when she heard Wayne Gretzky speak. Molly also gives an example of the worst speaker she has heard as being in a court room. In her second post, Molly talks about Obama as an attractive speaker. She also points out that Obama lacks credibility because of experience.

Sakishot mentions that there has not been a good speaker that has left a lasting impression. Sakishot also points out there was a bad example of a speech that lacked organization and preparation, which are necessary for a good speech.

Settle4what? talks about Obama lacking credibility at the start of the campaign process, but has attractive qualities.

Steph-annie brings up Oprah as a great speaker because of her ability to be relatable.

Stephany gives a great account of how Kathryn Khulman impacted her life through her delivery and passion while speaking.

Zamoradesign recounts how he was influenced by a speaker once to buy a book. Additionally, he talks about one of the worst speakers he has encountered because the speaker was lacking passion and did not inspire the audience.

I encourage you to check out these blogs!