Blog 5

While reading chapter fifteen I thought about how communication is changing and how that change is affecting groups. The big one that the book talks about is technology. We can see that technology is changing and becoming more advanced every single day. I believe that technology makes communication in a group easy and more versatile. Groups can meet together using teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and interactive computer conferencing. Using these forms of communication allows people to hold meetings while everyone is in different locations. This helps with costs of traveling to meetings and also many inconveniences that people may have with meetings. I know that many people don't like relying on technology especially for important meetings, but these forms of communication can be very reliable with the right equipment. I have been involved in a few teleconferences and I really like how I can talk with people who are from all over the US at the same time without traveling to a meeting. I use interactive computer conferencing every single day to talk to my boyfriend in Europe and it is really a great form of communication for us. I also used videoconferencing in high school when I took a class via ITV (Instructional television). Without that form of communication, I wouldn't have been able to take calculus because we had no teacher capable of teaching it from my high school.

**Have you used any form of teleconferencing, videoconferencing, or interactive computer conferencing? If so, what did you like/dislike about it?

Establishing a leader is very important in groups and organizations. Leaders serve many purposes in a group. They can be mediators, discussion starters, planners, etc. Leaders posses strong qualities that help them to excel in their position. They are usually disciplined, good communicators, have integrity, are honest, dedicated, responsible, fair, and assertive. Leaders help to keep a meeting flowing smoothly. They also guide or direct the group towards their goals. Throughout my life I have been the leader of a few different groups and the job is not easy. There were many things that I did as a leader that people were not happy with. I often had to overcome many obstacles to help get our goals accomplished. However, being a leader has definitely made me all around a better person.

**Have you ever been a leader of some group? What were the challenges you faced?

Blog 4

While reading chapter five this week I really learned why nonverbal communication is so hard to interpret and understand. Most nonverbal cues have multiple meanings. This makes interpreting them very hard. The book gives the example of a frown. A frown can mean so many different things. It can indicate sadness, anger, pain, discouragement, etc. Perception is a big part of nonverbal communication and it can often lead to the wrong interpretation. I really like the examples that the book gives for improving the nonverbal communication that we send. Self-monitoring is a great way to make sure that people are perceiving our nonverbal messages correctly. I am definitely going to try to monitor my nonverbal communication so that I am not perceived in a way I don't want to be.

**Can you think of another good example of a nonverbal cue that can mean more than one thing?

I really like how chapter eleven demonstrates how to increase your listener's knowledge of your topic. Effective organization is very important because it makes your speech easy to follow and understand. Another thing that is described is planned repetition. I think that repeating things definitely helps a listener to grasp the concept and remember it. The book really goes into detail about choosing language carefully. I think it is good that they really go into depth about this because I feel it can make or break your speech. If you are speaking to a group of middle schoolers, you will not use complicated words because they probably wont know them and will not understand what you are saying. As a speaker you must know the level of your audience so you can correctly match that level with the language you use.

**Have you ever listened to someone talk about something that you knew nothing about? If so, how did it make you feel?

Blog 3

Chapter six really helped me realize why I often times don't listen very well. The six barriers to effective listening that were described in this chapter definitely apply to me. I started thinking about how many times I have criticized a speakers appearance and behaviors during their presentation. I have missed many messages and main points because of this. I also get bored during many presentations because I find the topic uninteresting. If I tried harder to find something that interests me about the topic, then maybe I would learn something new. I know that for me the most common barrier to effective listening is failing to adjust to distractions. I get easily distracted by anything going on around me and it takes my attention off the speaker. It really can be a problem especially in the classroom when I need to be paying attention so I can learn.

**What is the most common barrier of effective listening for you? How does it affect you?

In Chapter nine I learned a lot about the structure and parts of a speech. Organization is very important when writing a speech. If a speech is not organized it is hard to give and hard for the audience to follow. I believe that when writing a speech you must have a clear purpose and specific main points. An audience needs to know exactly what they are listening for in your speech. In my opinion, writing the introduction is the easy part if you know your topic and main points. The hard part is supporting the main points and tying them to your main topic when writing the body of your speech. An audience needs supporting evidence to accept what a speaker is saying. If the evidence is not there, then the audience will have trouble finding the speaker credible and will lose interest. It never really occurred to me before that ending with a memorable thought in your conclusion will make an audience remember your speech or something about your speech. I'm going to try to give more attention to the conclusion in my speeches as it is just as important as an other part of the speech.

**What part of a speech do you feel is the most difficult? Why?

Blog 2

Chapter seven really explains some great ways to find a topic for a speech. I know that whenever I had to give a speech in high school, it was always really hard for me to decide on a topic. Doing a self-inventory is a great way to get started. Who knows you better than you? It is easier to give a speech on something that we are knowledgeable or passionate about. Brainstorming is another technique that the book suggests. Brainstorming hasn't always been easy for me and it probably isn't easy for other people as well. However, I think it is a great way to get some ideas on paper in a short amount of time. As a journalism major, I am always reading the news and keeping up with current events. The technique of reviewing the current media that the book describes is a great one for me. I can easily pull ideas for speeches out of the news. The last technique that is explained in chapter seven is surfing the web. This one is perfect for everyone. As a college student I surf the web multiple times daily. The web is easy to access here on campus and therefore can be used as a wonderful starting point when it comes to finding speech topics.

Research is something that I find very long and tedious sometimes and I am always trying to find ways to research more effectively. Chapter eight gives five suggestions for doing research. There are two specific suggestions that I think are the most important. One of them is to start your research early. This is very important because if you don't start early, you will end up getting stressed and take the chance that the materials you need may not be available. The other suggestion is to take notes. Taking notes is very helpful when it comes to writing your speech because they will be easy to look at and use. It is important however that note taking be done accurately and efficiently.

Blog 1

While reading chapter one, I came across a few things that are part of communication that I often overlook. I read the part about intentional and unintentional communication and it made me think about all the times that I may have conveyed messages to people that I didn't want to. Unintentional communication could cause problems because everyone interprets communication differently and not always the way you would want them to. The book gives an example of a student getting up in class to sharpen a pencil and then describes different reactions certain people in the classroom could have to that simple action. I know that sometimes I observe people and make assumptions as to what their actions, clothing, facial expressions, and many other things are conveying. Most of the time I am probably totally wrong about the message they are trying to get across, if any. I think that other people observe things and make assumptions the same way I do and maybe we need to realize that unintentional communication is probably always present and not jump to any conclusions that are most likely incorrect. Another thing that got me thinking in this chapter was how interference and noise really makes a difference in communication. Distractions are everywhere in our lives and they can be the cause of missed or misinterpreted information. While listening to a speaker I often focus on what they are wearing or the tone of their voice instead of what they are saying. When I do that, I most likely miss important facts and interesting information. For this reason, communication is done best in a quiet, private, comfortable atmosphere. That way there will be few distractions and communication can be done effectively.

I really like how chapter ten goes into depth about speech anxiety. In many classes that I have been in, the students must get up in front of the class and talk. They may not have to give a speech, but they still have to be in front of the class. I have observed many of the behaviors associated with speech anxiety that the book lists. I can relate to those students with speech anxiety. Today, I am not really afraid to speak in front of a group of people, but I used to be. My first grade teacher is the one who helped me through my anxiety. She gave me some of the same tips that the book gives and they really worked for me. I think that everyone can overcome speech anxiety if they can just boost their confidence level and follow the guidelines from the book.