Last Week, Question 3

I really liked the section about non-verbal communication and I wish that we could have discussed it further. I think that perhaps it may be irrelevant to the class, but I find that it has helped me become a better thinker when I can pick up non-verbal cues from other people. This subject is something that is never explored in any other classes, not even my public speaking class. It’s good to know so that when you do find yourself working in groups, you can gauge the how everyone is doing and if every person that needs to be engaged is doing so. I feel that this topic could make a big switch in the way a lot of people act, especially in academic settings. Sometimes we may really be interested in a certain topic, but our body language says differently and we could sway the way a speaker is going.

Last Week, Question 2

I think that my favorite part about this class was the format in which everything was ran. It was very fluid and kept me engaged without being extremely demanding. I really appreciated the blog posts, because it made me rethink and go back to what it was that I read for the week. I think that my least favorite thing about the class were the first couple of weeks. I found that different information was posted in different places, and it took me a while to get used to the format. Once I got the hang of it though, I really liked it. I think that if there is one long blog post with every single detail of the class, or maybe a recorded webinar explaining where to find everything that we would ever need, it would be very beneficial. 

Last Week, Question 1

I have learned more than I imagined I would in this COMM 41 class this semester. There are just a lot of topics, terms and ideas that I did not even realize existed. I came into this class as a graduating senior, redoing a general education requirement. I ended up learning some very valuable lessons. I think that I learned how to construct my arguments better by learning about all kinds of different fallacies. I also learned a lot about group work-not just from the text but actually from working with other students in the class. I found that the theories and techniques really helped when it came to working with people I had never met before. I’m used to working with people who I have built a relationship with, and whose style of working I know. Being thrown into groups with strangers posed its challenges, but I ended up learning a lot from it. 

Week of 11/12 Question 2

One time that I drew an incorrect conclusion based on an observation alone was at my job a couple of weeks ago. There was a person who was walking towards the desk that I work reception at. He seemed really angry and was walking rather fast. I have had my fair share of angry customers, so I was preparing for whatever was going to happen. It really surprised me when he was one of the nicest people I had ever helped. He was polite and kind and was really understanding about the answers that I was giving him. I drew the conclusion that he was going to be difficult to deal with based on his facial expressions, but I ended up being wrong. I think that because I don’t really encounter people who “look” angry being nice, I ended up assuming he wasn’t going to be any different. 

Week of 11/12 Question 1

After reading my horoscope on horoscope.com, I have found that this could possibly be more accurate than what I first expected. I am a cancer, and it suggested that I take a look at my life and see if I am where I want to be. This is rather accurate because of what I am currently going through. I am going through the process of applying for graduate schools, and I think that I have fallen a little bit behind. I think that it is right that I should make a list and stick to the plan. This is my dream and I need to get it together. However, I do think that this prediction could be falsifiable. I now have everything in line and in check to graduate and go on to apply for new schools. I believe that we may also try to make our lives fit into what these horoscopes tell us. 

Chapter 11 Question 3

A topic that I really enjoyed learning about was social media/networking and how it works/affects our world. I understand that it hasn’t been around for too long, but I cant imagine my world without it. Ever since I was in middle school, we all had Xanga blogs and stayed connected to people through there. Today we have things like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and many other forms of staying connected. I have noticed that this has gone super mainstream, and is used by major companies, corporations and even smaller businesses to sell their product and get connected with their customers. I think that while it is a really cool thing to find people that you haven’t seen for ages, I think that it makes us all a little disconnected from what is actually happening in our present world. I think that we could do a much better job at living peaceful and successful lives if we just stayed away a little bit from all of the artificial lives that happen on the internet.

Chapter 11 Question 2

Brook Sadler brings up some very good issues in the article “The Wrongs of Internet Plagiarism: The Quick Arguments.” Sadler says that plagiarizing could be considered somewhat of a theft. One person is taking away, or one could even say that they are robbing, somebody else’s intellectual property. They are stripping them of the hard work that they have made and claiming it as their own. In “Four Reasons to be Happy About Internet Plagiarism,” Hunt believes something a bit different. Hunt believes that students should be able to plagiarize because it will help them pass and be successful in classes. Sadler has the best argument of these two for a few reasons. Sadler gives reasons and support as to why it should not happen and even offers possible solutions. Hunt seems to only state where he stands. I believe that plagiarism is simply unfair to people who put in a lot of hard work and effort into their work.