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Wow, can’t believe these  8 weeks have flown by as quick as they have. I must say, coming into this Masters class…especially with it being online, I wasn’t certain of what to expect. I graduated from undergrad with my Bachelor’s in 2005, and the collegiate process has morphed since that time. Lol, I mean when we needed information, we actually had to go to the Library! (shocked face) Now we simply go to the Everett Database from the comfort of our own home.

It was undoubtedly a process trying to wrap my mind around not only being a student again in such changing times, but when you couple that with it being an online course then it becomes a little bit more complex. Most people would automatically assume that online courses have less value; because you lose face to face interaction with an instructor and your classmates; however, what i found is that not to be the case. Considering everyone has vastly different work schedules, the flexibility that an online class offers unparalleled; and despite the lack of physical interaction, I was still able to stay engaged in the syllabus.

I would also argue that an online class also requires more discipline. Since it is so convenient, you really have to force yourself to buckle down in order to get things done; otherwise time escapes you. I was very much still able to connect with my peers when necessary. Andy almost always helped me out when I couldn’t find documents, or wasn’t clear on the assignment. He gets a goldstar from me for that.

What I learned…

Whewww!! That the seven communciation theories can be found, applied to many aspects of our lives. I find myself when I review certain television shows, movies, or real life ID murder mystery stories…dissecting the individuals and applying one or multiple of those traditions. Their are several that seem to pop up frequently for me such as Socio-psychological, Phenomenological, Cybernetic, and Sociocultural. Kenneth Burke’s “Equipment for Living” , as a coping mechanism has also been seen in several movies when I look back.

I’ve taken away a better understanding of the various writing styles. I definitely required a refresher on that part. I was pretty confident in the writing aspect, but getting the buckle of how to document APA in my paper was a little more complicated since the information could be found in much more sources now; in comparision to college before almost 15 years ago. I got great feedback on my final paper; which helped me better understand errors that I was making and how to apply it moving forward.

Overall, I’m glad to have the first class under my belt, and I look forward to the next class as I am no longer a novice at this online process! Kudos to my classmates also, as they ROCK!!

This podcast was also done for my Comm 601 class. Had some trouble uploading originally; so adding again 🙂

Check out my video on the film The Help

Alright; so take a look at my personal thoughts on the Scavenger Hunt project….

I’ve found myself drawn to two of the theoretical traditions; more so than the others based on immediate personal connection. The Cybernetic Tradition operates as a whole; but each of the pieces that independently make up that whole are influenced by and rely on each other. I would describe it as my car or “Vehicle” style of communication. Meaning the if we remove the tires from our car; granted it may still start…but you wont get anywhere without them. Essentially to keep the ball rolling; one system is dependent on another.

I personally have firsthand experience with this theory; when it comes to my personal life. With the pursuit of my Masters, I’ve had less time to socially engage with friends; which has caused a decrease in our communication, and I’ve also had less time to spend in the gym; which has undoubtedly cause me to increase my weight by 2-3lbs. So this is how the cyclical starts or is interpreted…all of the things I listed operated independently; but they each influence one another. That’s why cybernetics is so relatable; because it can often be applicable to everyday situations.

On the other hand; the Socio-psychological tradition operates as the “root” of the theories. Based on reading, it simulates more of a cause and effect process. This systems looks at “how” we process information, and then “how” we apply it. When I refer back to my adolescent years; I recall growing up with friends with vastly different backgrounds than myself. I saw some of those who had a more difficult upbringing, make decisions then that have affected their lives now. Those decisions were likely a result of combined factors such as environment, parental dynamics, education, and finances. All of those inputs; would unfortunately lead some to act out in destructive ways. Their behavior was a direct result of the messages that were input into them earlier in life; that had never been corrected.

So if it wasn’t already apparent, you can see why these two theories would operate as my starting line up if this were the world of sports. No pun intended; but they both get the ball rolling!

The process of getting re-acclimated with APA style writing has not been difficult within itself; however, partnering it with the actual process of obtaining content from the Everett database has probably been the most challenging. To write good literary work, it requires review of multiple sources to test your thesis or question. I’ve found that the style within itself is pretty standard; minus a few refresher questions here and there.

One of the questions that arose during my research were learning which template to utilize for my references based on whether or not it was obtained from a journal, website, book, or etc…and then placing them in my review. This seems to be one of the most challenging for me as I wasn’t quite sure how to incorporate websites into the mix.

There were also more minor questions that came up, such as when or if I needed to italicize the title of an article since it doesn’t seem to be a universal process; along with properly paraphrasing content from the author. I didn’t necessarily see a rule of thumb for either however.

Interesting enough, I was a little shocked by the fact that there weren’t many changes or updates to the APA style since my collegiate years. So for the most part, it was all about me applying the old information to a new process via the internet.

I will say some of the things I had to write down just to ensure I didn’t forget was the formatting style variances for each of my reference tools, and remembering to add each resource to my works cited page. A lot of times I found myself so engulfed in the paper itself that I would have to double-check to ensure that I all of my cited material matched the documented reference page

Nonetheless I’m committed to mastering this process! 

“The obligatory First Day of School Pic”

Despite the dual exclamations marks, lets just say my brain was a little less thrilled to back in the collegiate saddle that required remembering how to “Cite” sources.

Week two offered to be a bit more challenging for me for a few different reasons. The first one being the aforementioned fact that I was mentally ready, but not actually prepared to rewire my brain. I completed my Bachelors in 2005, and the search for looking up resources to complete papers seems to have been a lot more antiquated compared to now. The primary difference between that time period and now, is that although the process was tedious…you knew of only 1-2 routes to get you were you needed to go.

And not that I’m a fossil or anything, but when you only know one way…well you only know ONE way. And although the integration of being able to find articles from the comfort of my own home via the Queens University Everett Library Database was more convenient; it was also more complex in learning the new system and where to go. It was the equivalent of a highway with numerous exits and routes that you hope would take you to were you needed to go.

I was left less assured of my findings; because I wasn’t sure if I selected the right radio dial or was even utilizing the correct vehicle. Once link in the database would carry you to another page, and then that page would provide information somewhere else…utimately causing me to forget what I was even searching for in the first place. Eventually I had to retrain my brain about how to look up content…which trust me isn’t easy for most us women to do. (lol)

After a few hours in I decided to take it slow, and see where it my keyword findings would lead me. The example given for this project seemed rather simplistic in our word searches; however, to narrow the content down more it required better word selection and phrases. Once I got the core or the basics down pack with where to go, then I was able to integrate more databases into my search. I felt like I was learning how to ride a Research Paper bike all over again! But with different wheels this time and at a faster speed.

I went from feeling like Alicia Silverstone in “Clueless” to a possible extra from Revenge of the Nerds. So even though I didn’t walk away from this experience feeling like a subject matter expert…at least I’m no longer an inexperienced novice either! 🙂

Communicating is the thing we do without even being cognitive of doing it.

It is undoubtedly and integral part of our everyday lives, and essentially the one component that will dictate how others respond to us.

It is because of that very reason that I have become committed to sharpening my communication skills. This includes, verbal, written, and non verbal. I want to ensure that what I intend to convey to another party is what transcends; in order to limit any type of miscommunications that could arise from assumed meanings…

So here I am…ready to relearn and unlearn somethings.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton