Last Week Discussion, Question 3

Finally the last post! A concept that I feel could use further discussion from this class is probably making decisions while working in small groups, especially designated towards the group facilitation assignment we just completed. In the process of making these decisions, the participants in the sample used various types of communication styles like assertive, passive, and passive aggressive. However this was the only thing I went in depth about in the paper. I feel like there are more topics to discuss when making these decisions in such a limited amount of time. In 20 minutes, hypothetically, the group was supposed to hire one of a given amount of candidates for a Public Relations job. However, the group could only discuss so many pros and cons about the candidates in such a small amount of time. I feel like there could've been more progressive ways of making such a significant decision. But since we didn't have the experience, there wasn't much we could do.

Anyways, thank you all for the great semester. I hope you all have great success in your endeavors. Peace out!

-Chandler Martin  

Last Week Discussion, Question 2

My favorite thing about the class was definitely getting together with the groups and having the group essay assignments, because for me, it makes it a whole lot easier getting quality work done when 4 people put pieces together and are able to edit it the way you want them. Also being able to share thoughts makes for interesting discussions and even broader, more in depth responses to questions. My least favorite thing was hands down the fact that it was online. Although it was me who signed up for the class, it was my first time doing an online class and I never really adapted to not going to class twice a week and having to remember to check the website constantly. Unfortunately, this hindered my grade, but I know that I could've done much better had it been a physical class. Honestly, I don't think the class can be improved. It was a good class, and was fun yet challenging at the same time.

Last Week Discussion, Question 1

Throughout the course of the semester, I have learned many things. I think the most significant concept I learned was the difference between the various types of arguments, such as: deductive, inductive, and elimination. In the Think book, the example given in form of a syllogism is that:
1. All men are mortal
2. All fathers are men
3. Therefore, all fathers are mortal
I find this to be really interesting because we as people argue generally every day when we disagree about something, but to look at these claims from a broader, more in depth perspective is very curious. Also, the fact that you can have these same types of syllogisms, but they can be flawed too. An example given in the book is:
1. All men are tall people.
2. Tom Cruise is a man.
3. Therefore, Tom Cruise is a tall person.
However, generally people know that Tom Cruise isn't very tall. I just think the way it can go back and forth between true premises and can easily be either valid or invalid is compelling.

Chapter 12 Question 2

Events where your assumption is wrong and it causes you turmoil are really annoying and inconvenient. In the past I have done things like wake up for class late and I have missed tests because my alarm was set for PM instead of AM at like 6 in the morning and all I do is sleep in for like 5 hours extra. Another instance was when my friends were saying they couldn't hear me until a point where I was border line yelling and then they told me they could hear me the entire time and it was funny afterwards. All it was for was a quick joke and it turned out to  be really funny afterwards. However this can get really serious where you can make a false accusation or something and it has lead to a suicide or something. Like maybe someone joked about cheating on someone somebody truly loved and then the result is them killing themselves.

Chapter 12, Question 1

This is a time of personal beginnings, when you find yourself shot into the limelight and all eyes turn toward you to see what you're going to do next. This may be somewhat startling, as it's rather different than what last month brought, and you will need to step up and display your self-confidence in a way that wasn't called on before. In a volatile situation you will need to have your wits about you as you will have a particularly high profile. The trick is to handle it with grace and not let it go to your head, as this too shall pass and you'll want to look back on a performance that maximized the opportunities dropped into your lap.

In today's horoscope for a zodiac sign Cancer it's pretty much telling me that I am going to be in the spotlight and that all eyes will be on me for a solid amount of time. The horoscope is telling me that I need to handle this attention in a humble manner and not let it get to my head. However, if I let all of this constant attention get to my head and get too self confident or cocky, I'll let the opportunities that fall into my lap slip away. The prediction in my opinion has its correct and incorrect portions. It's right in a sense saying to stay self-confident when I get attention and not let myself fall under pressure, but I don't agree with the fact that it said I will be found in the limelight now. I don't feel like any eyes will be on me anytime in the near future and I think that I'll continue living a normal life. The prediction is definitely falsifiable because I can tell whether I'm getting a lot of attention or not and I can manipulate the outcome of the prediction by becoming more social or antisocial. For example, if I were to just stay on routine, nobody will think any different of me. However, if I become more social or antisocial, then people will begin to notice and then all the eyes will be turned on me.

Chapter 11 Question 3

Social Networking is a topic I found very interesting in Chapter 11. Over the course of the past 10 years or so social networking has really launched and made an immense impact on todays society. Social networking helps build relationships and makes it incredibly easy for someone to contact a friend. This process is extremely convenient for its users and has been proven to make people's lives much easier from a communication standpoint. I believe however the problem with social networking is that people lose a sense of how to communicate in the real world by social networking too much. If we're constantly talking through text on a screen, I feel like over time talking one on one will become more difficult. Another problem of social networking is that nobody really knows who you're really talking to. I could be talking to someone who shares my friends name but I NEVER actually know if it's really him or her. I could be talking to someone who created an account under my friends name. It's a mystery sometimes and it can result very badly.

Chapter 11 Question 2

In the argument about whether or not plagiarizing should be allowed or not, both authors Sadler and Hunt make valid points. Sadler makes good points about why plagiarism is bad and should be avoided at all costs by students. He makes a list of ten reasons why plagiarism is bad. The way he feels about plagiarism is that it's unethical and that students shouldn't do it. On the other hand, Russell Hunt makes good points as to why it should be alright for students to be able to plagiarize. The argument is a curious one especially from a student's standpoint. I obviously would like to see plagiarism be okay just because it would make assignments easier, but I know that it will never happen because it really is essentially stealing ideas from someone else. I've also had bad experiences when I have plagiarized resulting in strict punishments so I know never to do it again.