EDUC: 6165 Blog Wk. 2

For this assignment, again consider what you have been learning about communication skills and styles. Then record an episode of a television show you do not normally watch. Watch the show with the sound turned off.

·         What do you think the characters' relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating?

·         What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing?

Now, watch the show with the sound turned on.

·         What assumptions did you make about the characters and plot based on the ways in which you interpreted the communication you observed?

·         Would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know well?

Write about your experience in your blog, including what you learned about communication from this experience and insights or "aha" moments you believe would be helpful to your colleagues.

For this assignment I watched an episode of Dora the Explorer, my Daughter loves the show. She was a little angry that we at first had to watch it without sound. But she soon helped me as we tried to figure out what going on. It was interesting that we were still able to figure most of the show with the gestures and nonverbal ques without sound. It was a very fun assignment and a great learning experience. It made me really watch what the characters were doing and what was going on around them. My daughter and I had fun laughing and trying to figure out what was happening in the show. We were pretty close on when we watched the show with sound. I am planning on trying this again on an “adult” show to see how it compares to the children’s show and how well we were able to figure out what was happening.

It was so interesting to learn about nonverbal communication. I really never thought about how unplanned and spontaneous it really was. "Many times nonverbal communication is spontaneous and unintentional. We roll our eyes, laugh, slouch, or blush without meaning to. And our nonverbal behaviors can send powerful, unintended messages without us having much time to think through them" (O’Hair, Wiemann, Mullin, & Teven, 2015, p. 95). You really don’t think I’m going to laugh now or give that person a hug. It is something that you just do. It is vital to pay attention not only what people are saying but also what they are not saying, their nonverbal cues.

Brandie

References

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2015). Real communication an introduction (3 ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.