Thursday, May 3, 2007
The Last Days
Well, as the class winds down I must say that this class has been a very unique experience...much different then any class I've had at National! Speaking to other students in "real-time," blogging, a group project...it was really nice to break the normal pattern of an online class. The whole idea took some getting used to and I have to admit that even now I'm not sure I was ever quite used to it! I'm glad to be heading on to a new class as I really enjoy the fast pace of National, but I'm glad for the experience of this course.
Group Experience Update
As we near the end of the class, I'm proud to say that our group has continued to work and communicate well with one another. We've each contributed to our PowerPoint presentation and I am excited to view the final presentation in it's entirety. Overall it's been a very positive experience and I am so thankful for the hard work and cooperation of our group! Thank you so much you guys!
Week 4 Handouts
I did the reading for the week 4 handouts. I found both articles very interesting reads. I liked the comparison between negotiation and selling something. I've always felt that negotiation is like selling something. You have to convince another person to "buy" what you are proposing to them. I was also intrigued by the article on anger in the negotiation process and how that can really be to someones benefit. I don't like to think that anger is the wining emotion but strength and an unwillingness to back down if something really is that strong to you. I know that I would not like to deal with an angry person and would be instantly opposed and turned off to the negotiation process if someone was showing me anger. I think about my ex-husband who has an anger management issue and how I hated to deal with him when he showed any anger. My response to an angry negotiator would be to speak to me when you've calmed down!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Week 3 Reading
I enjoyed this weeks reading, both the Week 3 Handouts and the reading in the text. I thought the article about sexual discrimination was interesting and how perception of the situation strongly affects the situation. Many women are hesitant to address the situation because of how they feel they will be perceived by others. And that the perception creates a lack of justice about the situation. I can really see the truth in this and yet this is such a sad and unjust reality.
I really enjoyed reading Chapters 9 and 10 in our text. Chapter 9 I found very interesting about the psychology behind negotiation. I found the information on perception and the stubble need for power over others in the negotiation process very eye opening. Chapter 10 was very interesting, but I was also a bit annoyed by it. I thought it was slightly condescending toward women and was shocked that it was written by a woman. Considering the year it was written though, I think that today more women are involved in the negotiation processes and they are very strong in these places. I think that what the author thought was weaknesses for women in the negotiation processes are actually strengths. I feel that women have the power to understand why people do things and can be more accepting of differences which would actually give them more strength in the negotiation process.
I really enjoyed reading Chapters 9 and 10 in our text. Chapter 9 I found very interesting about the psychology behind negotiation. I found the information on perception and the stubble need for power over others in the negotiation process very eye opening. Chapter 10 was very interesting, but I was also a bit annoyed by it. I thought it was slightly condescending toward women and was shocked that it was written by a woman. Considering the year it was written though, I think that today more women are involved in the negotiation processes and they are very strong in these places. I think that what the author thought was weaknesses for women in the negotiation processes are actually strengths. I feel that women have the power to understand why people do things and can be more accepting of differences which would actually give them more strength in the negotiation process.
Telephone Roleplay Week 3
This week I spoke to Geroganna, who is also a group member of mine. We spoke for about 45 minutes and really had a good time talking. We discussed our group and the class, and got to know each other a bit.
For our role play, we took a situation straight from my life. I played the employee who was coming to my boss for a raise due to my quality of work. This is true as my boss is negotiating my pay raise with the school board due to my quality of work! In this scenario I was asking my “boss” Geroganna for a raise because I had recently created lesson plans and classroom strategies to help the anger management for a group of overly aggressive boys in my preschool classroom. I was asking for a pay raise due to these constructive strategies that have created a more peaceful classroom and helped the boys manage their anger. The lesson plans that I created involved taking the boys as a small group and teaching them specific anger management strategies and discussions about feelings because they all have difficulty with empathy. I took this into the classroom and use behavior modification charts as well as the “angry bag” which contains a variety of ways they can take out their anger without hurting themselves or others. This bag contains a pillow they can yell into or hit, clay to squeeze or pound, and different rubber balls to squeeze. Based on these lesson plans and constructive strategies, I strongly felt I deserved a raised.
Based on my strong arguments my boss, Geroganna, did agree that I deserved a raise. She said that she recognized my hard work, dedication, and strong ability to implement these strategies in the classroom. She said that they only thing she would like to see from me was to teach other teachers about these strategies and if they had questions be available to answer the questions. We both agreed to this and agreed to a 3% salary increase based on the school districts salary increase policies.
Overall this was an easy and fun conversation. It was neat to use a real situation as our example.
For our role play, we took a situation straight from my life. I played the employee who was coming to my boss for a raise due to my quality of work. This is true as my boss is negotiating my pay raise with the school board due to my quality of work! In this scenario I was asking my “boss” Geroganna for a raise because I had recently created lesson plans and classroom strategies to help the anger management for a group of overly aggressive boys in my preschool classroom. I was asking for a pay raise due to these constructive strategies that have created a more peaceful classroom and helped the boys manage their anger. The lesson plans that I created involved taking the boys as a small group and teaching them specific anger management strategies and discussions about feelings because they all have difficulty with empathy. I took this into the classroom and use behavior modification charts as well as the “angry bag” which contains a variety of ways they can take out their anger without hurting themselves or others. This bag contains a pillow they can yell into or hit, clay to squeeze or pound, and different rubber balls to squeeze. Based on these lesson plans and constructive strategies, I strongly felt I deserved a raised.
Based on my strong arguments my boss, Geroganna, did agree that I deserved a raise. She said that she recognized my hard work, dedication, and strong ability to implement these strategies in the classroom. She said that they only thing she would like to see from me was to teach other teachers about these strategies and if they had questions be available to answer the questions. We both agreed to this and agreed to a 3% salary increase based on the school districts salary increase policies.
Overall this was an easy and fun conversation. It was neat to use a real situation as our example.
Group Experience
Well, overall I must say that my group experience has been really easy and enjoyable. Our group made contact with one another within the first few days of class and have continued to communicate very well. I feel very fortunate for my group members because I hear that other people are having trouble connecting with their group members. This has not been the case with us and for that I feel very lucky! I would say that communication and conflict resolution styles among all of us are to communicate and compromise. We have been able to reach agreements quickly, largely because each of us has been responsible and proactive for their aspect of the group. This has lead to easy agreements and interest in what the other group members have to say. We’ve all had strong ideas that really coincide with what the other group members want and appreciate. Overall, this has been a really enjoyable and easy experience.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Movie and more
Well, it's been a couple of days since I've blogged. I must first say this is due to a personal emergency. I have some on going health problems with my heart, congenital conditions, and they recently landed me in the hospital. I am now catching up with everything. I am fine, just a major scare.
I watched Erin Brokovich for this weeks movie assignment. This is a great film that really shows realistic conflicts between people and within Erin's life. The conflicts were very realistic. Erin faced many, many challenges as a single mother. Her constant challenges to take care of her children, find work, and maintain her job with inadequate access to resources are very real challenges for any single, working mother. The conflicts of the residents of Hinkley were also very realistic. They were faced with decisions and the realisation that they had been lied to by the company who they had assumed was helping them. The conflicts of attempting to understand what their choices were and what the best course of action was for them were very real. I really do not feel I would have handled the challenges any differently or better. I would perhaps been a bit more personable then Erin was at some points during the film. She tended to be a bit to "real" sometimes such as using inappropriate language in the courtroom during her car accident trial or wearing inappropriate clothing, but, this attitude also helped her win the residents of Hinkley and helped them understand what was going on.
I also attempted, again, to take the EQ assessment. I was again frustrated by this experience! After nearly finishing the assessment, I was redirected to the sites home page and my test and results never appeared! Did anyone else have this problem??
Well, after getting some rest and I will now be moving forward with my group work and week 3.
I watched Erin Brokovich for this weeks movie assignment. This is a great film that really shows realistic conflicts between people and within Erin's life. The conflicts were very realistic. Erin faced many, many challenges as a single mother. Her constant challenges to take care of her children, find work, and maintain her job with inadequate access to resources are very real challenges for any single, working mother. The conflicts of the residents of Hinkley were also very realistic. They were faced with decisions and the realisation that they had been lied to by the company who they had assumed was helping them. The conflicts of attempting to understand what their choices were and what the best course of action was for them were very real. I really do not feel I would have handled the challenges any differently or better. I would perhaps been a bit more personable then Erin was at some points during the film. She tended to be a bit to "real" sometimes such as using inappropriate language in the courtroom during her car accident trial or wearing inappropriate clothing, but, this attitude also helped her win the residents of Hinkley and helped them understand what was going on.
I also attempted, again, to take the EQ assessment. I was again frustrated by this experience! After nearly finishing the assessment, I was redirected to the sites home page and my test and results never appeared! Did anyone else have this problem??
Well, after getting some rest and I will now be moving forward with my group work and week 3.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Telephone Roleplay
Tonight Kristina and I connected to do our role play. She played the part of the employee and I played the part of the Human Resources Manager. We decided on the situation of a sexual harassment incident where she overhears a conversation between two other employees that is very sexually explicit. She comes to me to file a complaint and I need to find a solution for the situation.
She told me her complaint and I first asked her how she would like to see the solution remedied. She told me she just knew that she needed to file the complaint which was the protocol laid out in the employee handbook. I begin to tell her that I would pull the two employees aside and talk to them about inappropriate conversations in the work place and the problems with sexual harassment. I then said that I would schedule a staff wide meeting to discuss the sexual harassment procedures with the whole staff. She was concerned about her name being mentioned or the two employees not confessing to the conversation. I told her that her name would not be mentioned and that any information she told me would be held confidential. I also said that the two employees would not be reprimanded for their conversation, simply reminded of what is not appropriate conversation in the work place and that the staff wide meeting would remind all the employees of the sexual harassment procedures and the course of action that would be taken if the inappropriate behavior did not stop. She said that she was okay with this solution.
I was very amazed at Kristina's ability to role play seriously and stay in "character." I felt a bit silly and had a slightly hard time as the HR person because I was not sure what proper sexual harassment complaint procedure really was. Kristina reminded me that I did not need to know the exact "procedure," but that I just needed a reasonable solution. Overall I felt that the conversation went really well. Kristina was right to the point, very clear, and had a good understanding of what she wanted to say and do. For being a role play with a complete stranger, I felt that it went really smoothly and easily.
She told me her complaint and I first asked her how she would like to see the solution remedied. She told me she just knew that she needed to file the complaint which was the protocol laid out in the employee handbook. I begin to tell her that I would pull the two employees aside and talk to them about inappropriate conversations in the work place and the problems with sexual harassment. I then said that I would schedule a staff wide meeting to discuss the sexual harassment procedures with the whole staff. She was concerned about her name being mentioned or the two employees not confessing to the conversation. I told her that her name would not be mentioned and that any information she told me would be held confidential. I also said that the two employees would not be reprimanded for their conversation, simply reminded of what is not appropriate conversation in the work place and that the staff wide meeting would remind all the employees of the sexual harassment procedures and the course of action that would be taken if the inappropriate behavior did not stop. She said that she was okay with this solution.
I was very amazed at Kristina's ability to role play seriously and stay in "character." I felt a bit silly and had a slightly hard time as the HR person because I was not sure what proper sexual harassment complaint procedure really was. Kristina reminded me that I did not need to know the exact "procedure," but that I just needed a reasonable solution. Overall I felt that the conversation went really well. Kristina was right to the point, very clear, and had a good understanding of what she wanted to say and do. For being a role play with a complete stranger, I felt that it went really smoothly and easily.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Suggestions for your frustration
Hi Shannon:
Sorry to hear that you are growing frustrated with the reading. Unfortunately, you are at a disadvantage being that you have been diagnosed with ADHD. I can't even imagine, but I understand the difficulty you are presented with in trying to read. Some of the text can be a bit monotnous, but perhaps if you take notes while reading that might help you retain it better. I have started taking notes just to keep me engaged in the material and it shas been helpful to me. Good luck with the remainder of the course. I hope this helps!!!
Sorry to hear that you are growing frustrated with the reading. Unfortunately, you are at a disadvantage being that you have been diagnosed with ADHD. I can't even imagine, but I understand the difficulty you are presented with in trying to read. Some of the text can be a bit monotnous, but perhaps if you take notes while reading that might help you retain it better. I have started taking notes just to keep me engaged in the material and it shas been helpful to me. Good luck with the remainder of the course. I hope this helps!!!
Frustrations and such
Well, I finished this weeks reading material. I'm having a lot of trouble with this book. I have ADHD and while I take medication for it, my mind has *a lot* of trouble focusing if I am not into the material. Information also will not stay with me for a very long time. This book is frustrating for me because I find it technical and uninteresting. I think it has valuable points, but I am not at all into the subject matter, nor the way the text reads. It's a struggle for me.
I also had some trouble taking the EQ assessment. I'm not sure if my Internet was just not working properly or what, but it was taking *forever* to have it load and then I couldn't get it to work completely. Frustrating! I'll try again today.
On a good note, my group has really connected, organized our roles, and developed a strong idea of what we are doing. Since I was originally nervous, it's really nice to have that coming along strongly. I also have a phone partner for this evening, so I look forward to that!
More tomorrow...
I also had some trouble taking the EQ assessment. I'm not sure if my Internet was just not working properly or what, but it was taking *forever* to have it load and then I couldn't get it to work completely. Frustrating! I'll try again today.
On a good note, my group has really connected, organized our roles, and developed a strong idea of what we are doing. Since I was originally nervous, it's really nice to have that coming along strongly. I also have a phone partner for this evening, so I look forward to that!
More tomorrow...
Sunday, April 15, 2007
adjusting
Well, I first off feel bad because I have not been as active as I would have like to have been so far with the blogging. There is a lot going on in my life right now, and while that is not an excuse, it's been hard to adjust to the addition of being required to blog and not just post and respond to our normal classroom discussions. I keep having to remind myself and then forget again! Oh well! The first week of class is under all our belts and I feel better adjusted for next week!
I've finished this weeks reading. I find it interesting that the process of negotiation and conflict management is such a complex event. I never considered it so complex before. Even if we've never had "formal" practice in conflict management, we've all found ourselves in that position multiple times in our lives. When friends or family members are battling about something, we always end up negotiating solutions. Being teachers, supervisors, etc., we all practice some form of negotiating and conflict management on a daily basis. I'm a preschool teacher and we tend to just try to negotiate solutions so people don't end up hurt! The book is interesting to me, but it just seems like making a complicated idea out of something that seems so natural to me. Perhaps it's just me, but it's interesting.
I'm looking forward to the new week!
I've finished this weeks reading. I find it interesting that the process of negotiation and conflict management is such a complex event. I never considered it so complex before. Even if we've never had "formal" practice in conflict management, we've all found ourselves in that position multiple times in our lives. When friends or family members are battling about something, we always end up negotiating solutions. Being teachers, supervisors, etc., we all practice some form of negotiating and conflict management on a daily basis. I'm a preschool teacher and we tend to just try to negotiate solutions so people don't end up hurt! The book is interesting to me, but it just seems like making a complicated idea out of something that seems so natural to me. Perhaps it's just me, but it's interesting.
I'm looking forward to the new week!
Friday, April 13, 2007
Opposites....
Hey Shannon! We are opposites when it comes to personality types. You say you are a compromising fox... my tests revealed that I'm a competing/forcing shark. I wonder how we would get along in the work environment...? I guess it takes all kinds of people, though, to make the world go around, huh?
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Problem solving exercise
I was able to speak with Amie who is also one of my group members. Our conversation and problem solving was very easy and flowed naturally. I do not feel there was any barriers to the conversation. We worked well as a team to discuss our different problems and the solutions. We each actively listened to each other and were respectful with our different problems. We also got to know things about each other and our lives. Amie and I discussed a beginning plan and idea for our group and it was great to connect about that. I was nervous and having some stress over how to formulate a plan and execute a plan with the online group, so it was nice to develop a beginning idea.
I felt that we had different experiences, but we understood each others differences and we were able to discuss them openly. My overall assessment of the conversation was that it went really well and was really easy. I am a very shy person so calling someone I didn't know was a bit daunting for me! Amie was friendly and open and talking to her was very easy! My opinion of Amie just from speaking to her on the phone was that she is a focused and determined person who is open, friendly, and a very good listener! I enjoyed speaking with her!
I felt that we had different experiences, but we understood each others differences and we were able to discuss them openly. My overall assessment of the conversation was that it went really well and was really easy. I am a very shy person so calling someone I didn't know was a bit daunting for me! Amie was friendly and open and talking to her was very easy! My opinion of Amie just from speaking to her on the phone was that she is a focused and determined person who is open, friendly, and a very good listener! I enjoyed speaking with her!
Finally, a blog!!
Okay...well, my blogging is a bit behind. I've had some problems the last couple of days with this site. First it wouldn't let me on, something was wrong with my account, and then I had problems with sending the invites out, and then for some reason, I couldn't get my blog to post! Hopefully, this all works out!! Seesh!
Well, for starters, I took the assessments first. I was not too surprised by the results. I've taken similar personality tests and I am very aware of my own personality style, so there was no surprises. Well, okay, one surprise, but I'll get to that later!
My personal work style was Sympathetic and Cooperative, the Supportive Let's-All-Get-Along style. I like working behind the scenes, performing in consistent and predictable ways, and being a good listener.
My TAPT results was that I am a introverted, intuitive, thinker, and perceiver. I could have told you that!! :)
My surprise came from the results of the NeuroLinguistic Programming. Every single answer was the same letter. My results were 100% Kinesthetic. I had realized that before, but not to that extent. I am a very tactile person, enjoy sports and active learning. I think that these results also go along with being intuitive and perceptive. It involves feeling and listening to my body to understand how I feel about something.
The conflict management style that I most identified with is the Collaborating Owl. I tend to want to collaborate well with others and want all problems to be solved together. My second conflict management style was a tie between the Accommodating Teddy Bear and the Compromising Fox. This seems to make sense in that accommodating and compromising are both part of collaboration!
As for the barriers to communication, a variety of things will contribute to communication problems. I've found that environmental barriers often lead to miscommunication. Talking on the phone instead of speaking with someone face to face can sometimes lead people to misread who they are talking to or the message becomes misconstrued. This can also happen with emails because the "tone" of the email is difficult to read unless it is very, very clear! Verbal barriers in communication can be language differences or social differences. Members of different socioeconomic classes can have a hard time understanding what the other is trying to say due to the register they may be used to communicating in. Interpersonal barriers would be different personality styles, social anxieties, or communicating with preconceived notions about another person.
To minimize barriers people should enter into communication without preconceived notions, preferably face to face, without judgement and attempts to read the tone of the person, and if there are noted communication barriers such as language differences then proper steps should be taken to minimize those barriers such as a translator or any special needs equipment.
Well, for starters, I took the assessments first. I was not too surprised by the results. I've taken similar personality tests and I am very aware of my own personality style, so there was no surprises. Well, okay, one surprise, but I'll get to that later!
My personal work style was Sympathetic and Cooperative, the Supportive Let's-All-Get-Along style. I like working behind the scenes, performing in consistent and predictable ways, and being a good listener.
My TAPT results was that I am a introverted, intuitive, thinker, and perceiver. I could have told you that!! :)
My surprise came from the results of the NeuroLinguistic Programming. Every single answer was the same letter. My results were 100% Kinesthetic. I had realized that before, but not to that extent. I am a very tactile person, enjoy sports and active learning. I think that these results also go along with being intuitive and perceptive. It involves feeling and listening to my body to understand how I feel about something.
The conflict management style that I most identified with is the Collaborating Owl. I tend to want to collaborate well with others and want all problems to be solved together. My second conflict management style was a tie between the Accommodating Teddy Bear and the Compromising Fox. This seems to make sense in that accommodating and compromising are both part of collaboration!
As for the barriers to communication, a variety of things will contribute to communication problems. I've found that environmental barriers often lead to miscommunication. Talking on the phone instead of speaking with someone face to face can sometimes lead people to misread who they are talking to or the message becomes misconstrued. This can also happen with emails because the "tone" of the email is difficult to read unless it is very, very clear! Verbal barriers in communication can be language differences or social differences. Members of different socioeconomic classes can have a hard time understanding what the other is trying to say due to the register they may be used to communicating in. Interpersonal barriers would be different personality styles, social anxieties, or communicating with preconceived notions about another person.
To minimize barriers people should enter into communication without preconceived notions, preferably face to face, without judgement and attempts to read the tone of the person, and if there are noted communication barriers such as language differences then proper steps should be taken to minimize those barriers such as a translator or any special needs equipment.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)