My review of our class project.

    At first, going into this, I wasn't sure how the whole process would go. It was my first time working with a group online, and I was a bit nervous. Collaborating with people online versus in person is somewhat of a  different feeling. I find it easier to connect with a person when it's face-to-face versus through a computer screen. Moreover, organizing and putting together all the different moving parts also come with its own set of issues. Thankfully my group rose to the occasion and did a great job, and so did the other groups as well. I would definitely consider this a great learning experience. Not only in planning, organizing, and delivering our group project but the information from the topics that other groups and we discussed. I will go into further detail on the things I liked about the different groups and the topics that stood out to me the most.

    Beginning with Group One, my group. Our presentation covered "Chapter 3, Intercultural Communication." It discusses how different cultures, Co-cultures, and identity groups differ and how they can come together and communicate across cultural contexts. Each group member's slides had its own theme and style. I think that it was a great example of how people from different backgrounds can come together as one while still maintaining the individual characteristics that make them who they are.  I liked the section that highlighted the importance of intercultural communication.  think in these times, we get so stuck in our co-culture groups they become echo chambers. We begin to lose understanding and compassion for other groups that we might disagree with. I believe engaging with other groups and cultures allows us to understand better why they might think and function or believe as they do. It helps eliminate biases, stereotypes, and ethnocentrism. It will enable you to see people for who they truly are rather than what group, culture, or identity they might be associated with. Though it is easier said than done, especially when it may go against your cultural or group norms, it's important to keep an open mind, focus on your similarities, and leave your preconceived assumptions at the door. Doing this will allow you to build a common foundation you can later build on.

    The following group was group 2. Whereas chapter 3 covered communication between groups, Chapter 9 covered communicating within groups. I liked the theme of group two's PowerPoint; it looked like a cute little notebook. They also conveyed their message very well through the pictures, graphs, and videos they used. One video I particularly enjoyed was the video for protective families. It was a scene from The Walking Dead that depicted an excellent example of an unrelated group of people coming together that will do anything to protect one another like a family. For each group to execute our presentations, we all had to practice some sort of in group communication. They also highlighted the importance of healthy groups. I found interesting the stages of developing a group from Forming, trying to understand each other, to Storming, the joining of ideas. Then Norming, appreciating one another, to Performing, working to reach a shared goal. Ending with Adjourning, celebrating the accomplishment to Transforming, continuing to work together toward new goals. The presentation also mentioned strategies to manage conflict in a group. Conflict in a group can hinder progress toward a common goal, it is always best to solve it as fair and timely as possible.

    The last presentation was group 3, which covered Chapter 10, Group Leadership and Problem solving. I feel like this chapter had the most helpful and interesting concepts that can be applied in many different areas of daily life, from group projects like the ones we presented to well in your career or workplace. Group 3 had a nice theme with a pretty color scheme. They also communicated their message well through images, graphs, and videos. One video I liked, in particular, was a funny clip from the tv show The Office that showed an example of managing conflict. 

Managing conflict amongst members is essential, but I believe managing confit among shared leadership is crucial. I found it interesting that there are different types of member and procedural leadership roles. you really take a deep dive into what it takes to be a leader or function as a leader within different group dynamics, it is definitely a skill you learn and not something you just do. Another part I liked was when they talked about problem solving. Everyone uses some sort of problem solving in their everyday lives. An example of this could be figuring out how to get to work if your car breaks down or strategizing a plan to keep your company from total collapse. I like the six-step systematic problem solving approach. The first step is to find the problem, determine the root cause, develop alternate solutions, select a solution, implement the solution, and evaluate the outcome. These problem solving steps can help you navigate any roadblocks you may encounter in life and towards achieving your goals.

    For it being our first presentation in the class, I feel like all groups did very well. Although each group may have had Its own hiccup or two, All presentations were beautifully presented and well executed. We all implemented some aspect of each chapter that was covered to deliver a finished product. This presentation definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. I can be introverted at times and tend to shy away from working in groups. However, I think the fact that we worked in groups actually made it easier since we only had to focus on a portion of the chapter rather than the whole chapter itself. All in all, it was a good experience. I was able to learn about new concepts I'll be able to apply to future presentations as well as other aspects of my life.