Rafael Ramirez

 First, I would like to say that I enjoy how the class is set up with all the groups and leaders making everything very organized. The class leaders are constantly helping by giving us information that we may not know about to give us a heads up or just for moral support. I love that it makes me feel involved. It is not only the class leaders; everyone in the class makes it so that we can all have an easier time with assignments. It is nice that we stay in the same group for the whole semester; that way, we can get to know our members better instead of constantly switching groups, which is confusing. My group presented in chapter 10, and I think it went well. I enjoyed doing my part and seeing my peer's slides. I like how the assignment was set up where it was supposed to be something simple, not too excessive, especially with the number of words on the slides. I was a bit nervous while presenting my slides to the class, but that is the whole point of this class to improve at speaking in front of others. I had put some notes on my phone to read off, and my three slides were all organized in bullet points with a single picture for each fall. The slides I worked on talked about meeting participants' guidelines, such as what to do before the meeting, during the session, and after the meeting. These guidelines teach people how to be a productive leaders, so I learned some things while completing this assignment. I believe that everyone's parts were essential, and without them, we could not understand the chapters entirely; it was like a fun way of learning all the chapters without having to read them all ourselves. Putting all of our small parts to make something bigger is nice. I am sure that most others also thought of this as a pleasant learning experience. My group's chapter was about group leadership and problem-solving. It was interesting to see some of my members present, especially when they did not have many words on their slides, so they would talk from their minds showing how much they knew about their part without having to read off slides. We could even add videos to our slides if we wanted to explain our pages further, so there were plenty of ways to get creative with the slides. Leadership is a skill that can develop your character in ways that can give you an advantage over others, things like connections and how people will see you. Being a leader means taking responsibility and being willing to do things others will not. That means speaking up and helping others achieve a goal together and being there for others whenever they need help. No one deserves to be alone and needs someone to lean on. I enjoyed the slides that group 1 presented it had a lot of appealing images and an exciting subject that has to do with chapter 3, which is intercultural communication. Getting to know other people's cultures is crucial as it can allow us to understand them more and how not to offend them. Miami is not the only place in our world; there is a lot more out there to see, and I try not to be ignorant of the world around me. I try to be as open-minded as possible to other people's opinions and views. It can be hard to have an idea in today's world since it can affect your life, like losing your job. Culture is constantly changing, and it can be hard to keep up; this is why this chapter is essential. I always try to accept those around me; everyone likes what they like, and I cannot judge them or change their views. Some people may have difficulty fitting in because they are culturally different; therefore, some might not accept them. There is an ethical class that I am taking. I recently learned that by becoming a virtuous person, you would naturally make the right decisions, which I think would be necessary to avoid making others upset about what I say. Group two talks about chapter 9, which is about groups. I will always be in some activity that associates me with others, so I should just get used to working with others. Listening is essential when working with others since it is not always about my opinion but the majority opinion; that way, it is what is best for the group rather than myself. Trying to do everything on your own can be challenging, and it can be nice to have a helping hand. However, I would never want to become too dependent on others. I liked how organized group two was with keeping the same colors and how they worded their slides and pictures. A cheerful group environment leads to productivity instead of causing negativity which gets no one anywhere. Many kinds of groups include families, social groups, support groups, interest groups, service groups, work groups, and teams. Every group has its purpose, like how an interest group is for those with a similar hobby or interest and how social groups are for caring about one another. Sometimes a group will even conflict, and depending on how well that group handles it, they are still on good terms. Ultimately, this assignment was supposed to be fun and a learning experience. We were all like teachers showing everyone else what we specified in. I can use this experience to better myself for the next group assignment or presentation. I could rehearse more and tell my peers what we could work on. I tend to end up doing my assignments late, and having to get them done last second makes me stressed, but in the end, that is my fault. I could try to contribute more by clearing out any misunderstandings my classmates may have. I look forward to increasing my speech skills throughout this class.