Final Post

Wahoo! We're almost finished! We've come a long way in this class. It seems like yesterday when we were putting teams together for the first time. We learned about what kind of traits make up a team, what traits we have as individuals, and the group dynamics. We planned and executed our service learning project. Now, we are going to present soon. It has been a good semester in COM 320. I have learned a lot about myself and how I work in a team. I feel I now have more well-defined expectations for future teams I am a part of and will have an overall better group experience in the future. I will now take what I have learned and apply it in my classes and at the work place.
-Marcus

This week in class we began to start taking action on how we were going to present our final project from our outline we arranged together. Even though our outline was well detailed and organized there was still more room for improvement. As a result, we took some advice and ideas from Jasmine and saw where we could improve and expand our outline even more. With all of our pre-planning and examining, we should be prepared by time it is our turn to present our final project to the class. I am going to try harder to be a bigger impact towards my group members and our project.

-Julian L. Stevens-

About Me

This week in class we did group exercise to find out about our personal traits. For example, members of my group said that I'm encouraging, intelligent, I have good self confidence, I have good enthusiasm or inspirational motivation skills, democratic, participation. I will have to agree with my group on the traits that they gave me, nothing really surprised me. In class this week we also started on working on our final presentation for the course.
Lamon

Leadership

Last week in class we talked about leadership styles and principles. I also happened to volunteer to be a section leader for a lab of mine. Myself and five others are overseeing 49 classmates in our latest lab project. It is a four week project spanning three lab sections. It is a huge coordination, management, and organizational task. The six of us leaders met two hours alone for planning purposes for goals this week and the next. We wanted everyone to be on the same page and have a common goal to finish this lab with an A. Even within our group of leaders, there is a leader among the leaders and experts on different issues. We are all very organized and I really like the group dynamics for the most part so far. The next step is to convey the common goal tomorrow in class to the rest of our team so everyone is motivated to do their work. I am glad we talked about the leadership styles in class last week, so that I can a more effective leader for my section and can contribute to the leadership team for the role I should fill.
-Marcus

Wrap Up

This Friday in class we began to work on our final presentation for our service learning project.Our group began to brainstorm ideas on how we give our final presentation. We decided to outline the key topics of discussion and events that took place in our service learning project. The goal of the group is to have our outline complete before our break so we can have more time to be prepared. In order to for this happen we will need to use our class time wisely to get as much accomplished as possible and some time outside of class. We plan on discussing our weekly meetings, specifics on our proposal along with a timeline of events prior, during, and after our service project for LUM.


-Julian Stevens-

Final Project

Our final project for the class is coming up soon, and on Friday, our group began putting forth an effort. We all realize that if we utilize class time properly, then our out of class meeting experiences are not as long. The first step we did was to examine the rules and guidelines of the final project. Next we started to brainstorm and create a giant group outline. We each gave our views an what needed to be accomplished in this presentation and what information should be given out. Before we new it, we had over a 2 pages of notes. Since class was coming to a close, we decided instead of meeting again we would utilize google docs. This allows us to meet at home and give out input. When we meet again on Monday, we can discuss the changes made over the weekend. I think that this is the perfect example of how my group has made positive progress over this course of this semester.
Audrie-9

Communication Outside the Classroom

For another one of my classes, I have to complete an out of class assignment with a small group of 4 people. When I began this project, I really took into account what I had learned through Communication 320. We are just now starting our final design for our poster and presentation. One of the first challenges we overcame was tardiness. Com 320 taught me that I need to set ground rules before starting to work with a group. Once our food science group laid out the rules, we had very little trouble with members being late again. This sounds like just a small peice of advice, but it has really helped my group from another class succeed.
Audrie-8

Creativity Workshop

This week we participated in several creativity workshops to meet certain objectives set by the groups who conducted them. They were a lot of fun, but also a good learning experience when participating in the COM 320 environment. Like the other groups, our group also had to conduct a creativity workshop. We wanted to do something different than the first groups, but my initial ideas were like theirs since I had experience with a club in high school that practices building things out of materials with certain stipulations. Lamon came up with a great idea during our group meeting on Tuesday night of doing the crime scene investigation workshop. It was an idea that stemmed off another activity. We took a couple of ideas from that activity and added many of our own to create something new. I thought it was a great success in class. We asked each group to come up the crime when presented with evidence. It was quite interesting to see what kind of stories the groups created, and many were very funny. I think they used their imagination that day in a way they weren't expecting, and they really enjoyed participating.
-Marcus

Creativity Workshop

This week in class, All of the groups given a task to develop a creativity workshop and teach it to the entire class. Each group's creativity workshop presentation taught the class various methods and techniques using communication within small groups. The first group taught the class how to build a well structured foundation, making it as creative as possible with very littler resources. In this activity our group had to agree on how many material we were going to use, how we were going to use them, how creative and tall the structure should be. Even though our group came in last with a very creative structure because we were cheated, I enjoy this creative workshop and felt that is was very useful and could be used in the business world. Our group communicated quite well which allowed us to complete our activity. Each group member listened to one another, not interrupting and being disruptive. We brainstormed and put all of our ideas together and eliminated the ideas that we found less imperative to our success.

-Julian Stevens-

Creative Project

This week was a very creative week in class, I say that because each group had to come up with a creative project for the class to do. My group decided to create a Crime Investation project. In which we have each group a lead to a case (a problem) and we provided each group with pictures taking from the crime scene. With the pictures each group had to work as a group to Solve the problem/mystery to who or what caused the crime. Each had to create a story out of the pictures and the little lead that we gave them. To sum it up, each group did a great job with their stories they were all funny. This was a task well done.

LaMon Lacey

Creativity Workshop

Last Friday's class, the first group completed their service learning project and creativity workshop. We divided into teams to build a structure with cans. Surprisingly, our group worked very well together. Once we were given our task, we began brainstorming ideas to build. Even though, we had never really worked together since my group did not show up until later, our food castle looked great. Every person gave their input and did not interrupt others while speaking. It was even my idea to add the castle wall. I think since we all were educated on small group communication skills, we were able to work well together in the end. I think the group did a great job of combining most of the activities. I hope when our group does our creativity workshop it will turn out just as well.

Audrie-7

Lafayette Urban Ministry

Our group project is finally complete and a huge success. I am very excited that it is not only finished, but everything had fun. The project began when I put on my ballerina costume. When we arrived at First Presbyterian Church, we were given the set of rules and a tour. We set up the snacks and waited for the kids to arrive. Once they got there it took around 15 minutes for the kids to change into their costumes. They all sat in a circle, and we distributed snacks. I learned quickly the way to handle this bunch was to be assertive. Snack time was over, and then it was time for the team building exercises. We split into two groups. We played popcorn and hot chocolate river. After about a half hour a play, we then turned to their all-time favorite...hide and go seek. We hid candy around the entire building so their first task was to find it. Then we paired up and played two rounds of all building tag. We had only a half hour left so we wanted to keep the kids in the main gym. As requested, we played duck, duck, goose. I lost twice to a five and seven year old but still had fun. Soon the parents came to get their children, and our project was done.

One of the problems that occurred was trying to keep the children quite. With the help of the volunteers, they stayed in line. Some of them also became very attached to us. They did not want to spit up when it was time to. It is no easy to rationalize with a child, but we worked our magic. In the end, we knew we had to be firm and fun at the same time. I would volunteer for LUM again in the future.

Audrie-6

The Pieces to the Puxxle

This week during lecture, the puxxle activity allowed each group to let loose. I believe this exercise was fairly productive. At some times it started to move out of the necessity of making the class better and into a joke session. Though I do believe that a laughter and a laid back atmosphere allows for creativity. This was a positive exercise that allowed each member of the class to voice an opinion. Rarely do you see classes that encompass this within their class structure. I also liked the fact that feedback was asking during the semester rather than at the absolute end. I never did see a point in asking someone’s views at the end in a survey, this is more of a teacher bashing rather than anything productive. The puxxle exercise brought that classroom together for the period and allowed everyone to input and design constructive criticism in order to better the class. This is a feature that is seen many corporations. Google is a company that uses this as a cornerstone for their organization. Google allows their employees input their suggestions to better their company on a daily basis. In order to get the most productivity out of any individual, their ideas most be heard. Rather than just a team building exercise, I believe this was a classroom building exercise, which is rarely seen here on campus.

~Jeff

Problem Solving Experiences In Interviewing

This year I've been interviewing a lot for jobs next summer after I graduate. This last week I traveled to Maryland for interview for a full time job. My interviewers asked several questions involving teams and problem solving. I think I answered their questions better than I would have without COM 320. Through COM 320 I have learned new perspectives on group work and how groups work. I have also learned the ins and outs of problem solving. With this higher awareness, I feel I answered their questions with a deeper sense of my experiences throughout college in groups and what style of problem solving I have.

-Marcus

Team Building

This week in class we did the most productive group activity. We had to work on a problem solving activity. As a group, we wrote down all of the problems that we faced in our COM 320 class. This allowed us to get some issues off of our chest. One of the most common problems were these blogs that we must do every week (fun, fun, fun). We created a mirage on the wall of all of our problems. They ranged from small work space, activities, discussions, and external problems that affected the class. In the end, we were able to choose which problems were the main factors and gave presentation to the class.

Team Building

This week in class I worked on my problem solving skills. As a group we had to list as many personal problems we had with the classroom for example, the room is small, the room stinks, the room is to dark, the desk are to small. Those are just a few examples that I listed, after I listed my problems I had to pick the #1 most irritable thing I listed and tell the class how to solve my problem. By doing this exercise it improved my problem solving skills because after I found a problem I had to find a way to solve that problem.

LaMon Lacey

An Imagination is a Powerful Tool

Fridays lecture was based on creativity and how being creative is an important facet whether it be accomplishing a task, being an excellent employee, or becoming an innovator through business management skills or product creation. While conducting our groups Service Learning Project with the Lafayette Urban Ministry I saw something that I believe goes hand and hand with creativity. One’s imagination is a powerful tool. While working with the children from the LUM I saw young minds with incredible imaginations. One of the most powerful companies in the world is based on this simple idea. The Walt Disney Company even calls each of their creative minds Imagineers. I believe that in order to be a creative individual one most have an imagination to try and perceive certain pitfalls that could possibly hinder success. People are coming up with creative, imaginative, and innovative ideas everyday. It is only those who put worth the extra effort, open their imaginations and think outside of the box that are the innovators within our given societies.

Jeff Polk

Kicking it with the Kids

I know I suppose to be talking about what I learned about this week in class. But I'm not, I'm going to talk about our group project. WE as a group had fun this past Friday, we went over to LUM and played with kids. They we're a hand full, we played basketball, hide and seek, tag and other activities. As a group we really came together and work very well together. Everything we learned in our class about working together in a small group really helped our group glue together...Tune in next week I might talk more about our project.
LaMon Lacey

Service Learning Project (LUM

Finally our service learning project has come to a successful completion. This past weekend on Friday, 4 Guys and a Girl had the opportunity and privilege to serve the Lafayette Urban Ministry. We provided a Halloween Party for the children as an after school program for them. To took a lot of hard work and dedication to arrive to this point, which allowed our group to have fun in the end, but most importantly, carry out and accomplish a goal that we had set at the beginning of the semester.

This reminded me on how I used to lead the Cub Scouts for Boy Scouts of America as an Eagle Scout. Our group was well organized and prepared as we set up prior to the children's arrival to the Presbyterian Church. This was a great time to give back to the community and work together within a small group to accomplish as mission. The children has an enjoyable time as we wore each other out playing games and activities. This allowed me to see what a difference and serious impact one can have on other individuals' lives. Everything went well as planned accordingly and this also allowed our group to become more cohesive.

Service Learning Project

It's done! This last Friday our group finally got to serve the Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) through their after school program. It was a lot of fun, but kids are a lot of work, too. I had forgotten how much energy they take out of you. I worked at a camp this last summer, so I had a lot of experience with kids, but how quickly I forgot how crazy they can be! It was a great experience, however. They were a lot younger than the kids I worked with at the camp, so a lot of the activities reminded me of some of the things I did as a kid. Just playing around, our group had a pick up game of knock-out. It was a blast to relive that middle school experience, but I think it helped bond our group more through that game, since we had not seen each other in that environment before. Our quality of work in our planning was reflected in how smooth the service learning project was executed. As we expected the kids got tired of some games, but we planned for this and had many game ideas for the afternoon. Everything went according to plan and the kids seemed to have a great time.

-Marcus