Group Communication Rowman and Littlefield - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Group Communication Rowman and Littlefield. Answer: Introduction: Group work is a voluntary association of team members being able to form cooperative learning that enhances and contributes total output compared when done individually. On this particular task we had an educational engagement with my colleagues on a task assigned in school. We were tasked to perform a group work assignment in group of four. Despite our differences, we were able to manage the task positively. We co-operated amongst ourselves and we assisted each other very well. My association with my colleagues reflected characteristics of flexibility nature, humble working together and shared ideology in a bold and loving environment. We were a team of students, in mix of gender balanced in that we had two males and two females of diverse cultures. On the males side, one was Kiwi culture, with typical characteristics of being outgoing people, friendly and welcoming, they inhabit the land of New Zealand, their cultural characteristics is that they are the kind of people who can associate freely with people. Our male team member was also kiwi, however Christian, generally their culture is typical friendly based, they describe themselves as friendly however reserved with respect to other peoples view. Generally they are very outgoing people with some little display of privacy. It is easy to start a conversation with them, however with this culture their communication skills often use slang, which can be confusing, however in the group, we were able to adjust ourselves and requested them to talk a little bit slowly so that we could hear the meaning of what they were saying, at times in the group we had to ask them to repeat what they were saying. They really appreciated this gesture, in that we were able to understand ourselves with them smoothly and effectively. My other team member was Chinese female colleague. However how much she was still learning English we were able to communicate with ease and able to understand each through accommodative phase. Then, me an Indo of Fiji population, whom we are accommodative, coupled with my strong faith as a Mormon, we also, are accommodative to other peoples view. In general, in completing this task in group we were able to work freely together and enjoyed the company of each other despite our cultural differences i, it worked on our advantage and we really did the work harmoniously. What were my feelings in the group work task After finding out the task which we were going to handle in the group work assignment, i was very excited and kept motivated in taking part of it. According to Van de Pol et al., (2016) study, he proposed that as participant in any group event you must be aware of the activities to engage yourself on and the demands it requires. As group we sat and organized ourselves and shared roles to be performed by different members, we laid down our plan of work and time management schedule. This was beneficial in that it enabled me to learn and gained more knowledge which i was going to share with my colleagues in the group. In the group work, it was more apprehensive, in that most of my team teams members like the Kiwi people, i hadnt engage with them so much, hence I was a bit nervous of how they relate with the people, however we found out that the activity turned to be more interesting and were able to socialize well with ease. Personally I was able to enjoy my colleagues and the experienc es i received from the group activity gave me a new experience to look upon and be able to appreciate other peoples culture I come across. Taking part in the activities of the group gave me an opportunity to learn new things. The new learning opportunity presented an opportunity for my own personal development through group learning. I was able to attempt new skills that I had never tried before and learn and progress at an equal measure. A few skills in the group required motivation and confidence, while respecting the views of other members. I had to practice to speak smoothly so that my other members could hear and understand me well. The amount of confidence i had in the group work task made me to feel confidence and kept me motivated as I had known my role and laid a plan on how to respect to other person culture and beliefs. From the group perspective i have learnt a lot from the group work exercise, reflecting on the task given and the opportunity to get to learn from my colleagues and exchange of each others experience was really informative. In analysing my understanding and taking in the group, analysis of dif ferent learning styles that can be explored. According to Honey Mumford, (2000), learners can be activists, which have the behaviour of seeking new experiences, excitement, accept change and value freedom and challenges, then there are those who are pragmatics, who prefer practical sessions, then reflectors who like to observe, think and reflect and then finally those who are theorist , in that they question and probe through the methodological exploration. In this assessment i categorised myself as being activist in these learning process. I was eager to get to know these new experiences in the group and how we were able to learn from each other was really helpful. Hence with this view, I can say group work assisted me in being more active in learning process, (Rua Bastiaans, 2003). During the discussion time in my group with tasks, i felt motivated, and urged to engage even more. At the beginning of each discussion I was motivated to learn new aspects and the contribution my colleagues were bringing into the discussion, once i realised that my competency levels were below par while others i was very confident of performing them. This was evident among my group members, as some experienced that they had grey knowledge in the area they were tackling in the sessions. However in some areas we were able to perform well and competently. Van de Pol et al., (2016), observed that at times in group activity individuals, tend to display and engage in activities which displayed high competency and success. However in order to engage ourselves more we had to give ourselves opportunities that for us to nurture each one of use, to succeed and to have positive interest, and to gain motivation to be confident in explaining what we know and speaking out what we know, as group is meant for sharing knowledge from diverse backgrounds. To aid us to effectively go through the group task, we utilised the theory of social goals model, (Baines, Blatchford Kutnick, 2016), who defines the model as based on programming of social consciousness, social responsibility and social change. The model further suggests that democratic participation of others in the group can have an effect on the social changes. In this the association and integration enhanced in the group task is able to bring social enhancement and foster integration within the group setting which is promoted by the divers cultural nature of the group members. The model facilitates for improved self esteem and increase social power for the group members both collectively and individually. The social work promoted by this model builds on the impact of the groups on individualization and group processes to accomplish individual and group goals. By definition group is a method which facilitates the two or more peoples meeting and having an engagement together for social interaction roles and achieve the desired tasks collectively with ease. Effective groups need to build its evidence on the concept of effective organization and illustrate how members work together to achieve common goal, (Kruger, 2014). Hence organization needs to spend time and energy setting to strive to achieve each other goals. In our group, it was a duty of experiencing self confidence in working things out, it is in this process of enabling effective organization that refining of skills and building strong collaboration is affected. We took closer look at how we could relate, and shared roles which the members can contributed equally for the success of the group. Our meetings were planned and co-ordinated in an effective manner, for group process to be effective, we exploited patience and the ability to understand each other, and understand how we affected each other. In assessing the group we ensured that key elements are considered. These key elements include communication, participation, decision making and organizational roles. With keen interest on these areas, it ensured that good framework is laid for group work to be successful. In analysing communication component, we observe pertinent aspect which informs the group process. In ensuring this we chose to form rules of engagement, on the mode of communication based on our arguments, for how long one should talk and how often. We single out our group leader to be the leader to guide on the discussion and for the group to have decorum. In the class tutorial presentations we assessed each one of use roles and organised ourselves on the order of the presentations and priority key areas of presentation. We laid a line up of whom to speak after whom in the presentation session and agreed on the tone of the communication the discussion it will take. For our discussion to be heard and to be effective, we used combination of skills like tonal variations and use of questions to capture the attention of listeners, (Fujishin, 2013). Conclusion In conclusion this group work exercise has given me an experience on how to engage with my peers, an experience which encourages me to articulate my ideas and be able to question the ideas of my colleagues, while respecting their values and appreciating their views. This opportunity leads to social process of constructing ideas and developing possible solutions to problems. According to Hendry et al, (1999), the association between constructivism philosophy and problem based learning. This active engagement with my colleagues of differ cultural backgrounds and our differences, we were able to handle our task effectively and utilised effective communication skills in our group to solve the group task. In completion of the group work exercises, my feelings are that I could be more confident and motivated in trying the new skills learnt. Also as group as a whole, benefits shared form the group activity, we took part need to be more driven on the new activities and to learn new experiences. We had a great opportunity of learning from the diverse cultural background we and and the opportunity we had on learning each other through accommodative gesture was of significant to all of us. The experience gave me an opportunity to gain more experience and skills which help to develop on and be able to teach others in future. Going forward in group activities, i think there is need for me to develop confidence and learn more that despite our cultural differences, we are able to transverse each others alienation and work effectively to support each other. To help us increase the confidence levels, few more session will be helpful in supporting this gesture, as these efforts would have bore fruit in that slowly we shall be gaining confidence, for the particular activity for group work purposes, in doing so we shall improve greatly and high motivation levels which enhance our group work skills and organizations. References Baines, E., Blatchford, P., Kutnick, P. (2016). Promoting effective group work in the primary classroom: A handbook for teachers and practitioners. Routledge. Fujishin, R. (2013). Creating effective groups. The art of small group communication. Rowman Littlefield. Hendry, G. D., Frommer, M., Walker, R. A. (1999). Constructivism and problem?based learning. Journal of further and higher education, 23(3), 369-371 Honey, P., Mumford, A. (2000). The learning styles helper's guide. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Peter Honey. Krueger, R. A. (2014). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research. Sage publications. Ru, G. C., Bastiaans, N., Nauta, A. (2003). Free-riding and team performance in project education. Van de Pol, J., Volman, M., Oort, F., Beishuizen, J. (2014). Teacher scaffolding in small-group work: An intervention study. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 23(4), 600-650.