Xzavier Decastro - Post 1

 Working together

    Having the opportunity to work together with my classmates was a rewarding experience, the collaborative and friendly atmosphere allowed me to bring out skills I was unaware off. Not only were my skills brought out, but the skills of every other member were able to shine due to each person focusing on a singular aspect in the whole of the project. Learning about my team members through the zoom meetings and the whatsapp chat showed me that there are some things that are harder to accomplish alone, and that with teamwork, tasks normally seen as challenging can be made much simpler with the work of a group.

    My task in the group project was about dominant cultures and biculturalism. It was an interesting topic that I had not researched prior to the project. I found it very intriguing learning about the aspects that shape the very country but yet are present in everyday mundane life. My classmates topics enhanced my own as they focused on culture as well but different topics covering it such as co-culture and cultural communication. 

 The group project could not have been put together without the group leader. Having to work with peers you do not know is a challenge every student must go through in order to grow as an individual. The group leader took the initiative in bringing the group together despite their different backgrounds into a well oiled machine working towards a common goal. The group leader was the first one to speak in the zoom breakout meeting and was also the one to organize which person was going to take care of which part in the project. After giving their peers the necessary information they needed to start the project, the leader was always available to answer questions any of the students might ask for the project.

The other groups

    Like group 1, groups 2 and 3 also came together to inform the class of the topics they learned while researching the chapter assigned to them. Group 2, although it being their first time working together, seemed as if they had worked on prior work together before the semester started. Their work connected amazingly together and seemed as if they had informed their fellow classmates when and where they started the topic to further connect. The seconds group topic was working in a group. They used the topic described in the book to assign the roles of each member with precision. Watching group 2s presentation helped me see the similarities between their topic and our own groups topic. Cultures are a group of people that share common beliefs and customs, while well put together groups share the same interests and goals. The similarities only continue as group 2 continues to tackle the roles in groups and friend groups and interest groups. Like biculturalism allows you to interact with different groups due to the understanding of major cultures and the cultures you grew up with or learned, learning about group dynamics prepares you to work well with any other person you are put with and prepares you for unexpected team ups. Overall the presentation is important to anybody who experiences it because it makes them think about the dynamics that are present in school and work life around them and can also be applied the groups 1 topic cultural communication.

    Like groups 1 and 2, group 3s presentation ecompasses ideas that are present in all 3 of the chapters. Group 3 focuses on leadership and problem solving. What may seem like a simple role is one of the most important in order for groups to succeed. The group explained the many different roles that leaders have in great detail and made it clear which roles were advantageous for which positions. Givers, like the name implies, are responsible for giving information to the group and making sure they have a good understanding of said information in order to relay it better. Seekers differ from givers due to the fact that they seek information and bring up opinions from the group. The last leadership role group 3 taught was analyzers, which is a role that analyzes the information if it is too hard to understand for certain people. The jobs seem simple in nature but are crucial aspects for people trying to lead, and it is easy to see as every group leader has one or many of these roles in groups people have been in even if they haven't realized which category their leader falls into. Those are the main three roles but group 3 went on to describe many other roles that could have just as much as an impact as the others, roles such as supporters, interpreters, harmonizers, mediators, and tension relievers. Group 3 masterfully explained all the roles and their advantages in a school or work setting. The second topic group 3 covered was problem solving. Problem solving and leadership go hand in hand, as it takes a competent leader in order to solve any of the problems a group may encounter in the process. Problem-solving often leads to innovation. When individuals and organizations encounter obstacles, they are forced to think creatively to find solutions, this leads to growth and development for the group members. In summary, leadership and problem-solving are interrelated and essential skills for personal and organizational success. Effective leadership provides guidance, motivation and direction while problem-solving enables individuals and teams to navigate challenges, innovate and achieve their goals.

via GIPHY

    

    I learned many things from the group presentations. From the communication between cultures, the dynamics of groups and the roles of leaders. Every group utilized pictures and headers to identify which topic they were covering which made it much easier to follow along. The pictures chosen perfectly represented the information the students were trying to convey and kept my attention while the students presented their findings. Getting to see the information from different perspectives allowed me to change my views on certain topics, and introduced to me ideas that I had not even considered. My overall experience with the group project was a positive learning experience that I will use in further projects.