Comprehensive Reflection
Comprehensive Reflection Essay
Coming into this semester, I was not sure what exactly to expect. Obviously, the class is about the facilitation of group dialogue. But it was a guessing game as far as the types of activities that the class would engage us in. My initial thought when I first heard the class’ name was that there would be many group projects. I then thought that maybe the class would just be a good amount of presentations in front of the class. Also, the class could’ve been similar to a public speaking class. It turns out that the class was a combination of these and a lot more. We learned about using different psychological perspectives to view aspects of life in a more positive way. Then we learned how purpose is the best motivational tool for success, not money. The class also discussed problems America currently has with our democracy and whether it is really a democracy at all. Our family groups participated in a very fun and interesting activity that requireed us to start with a penny and ask people to trade it for something better. We also participated in a very revealing and personal activity having to do with the common ground each of us shares with one another. Group projects were completed in which solid teamwork was a necessity for a successful outcome. The students even got a chance to facilitate class discussions within our family group. There were many more great experiences throughout the year but these are the ones that stood out for me. These experiences helped my understanding of not only what it means to be a leader, but also helped me to understand more things about people, and life in general.
For the first half of the semester, the class was assigned to watch various videos, mainly Ted Talks. Two of the videos stood out for me. The first video was the Rory Sutherland video dealing with different psychological perspectives and using them to increase the quality of life. This video had a large impact on me because it is my purpose in life to achieve happiness. Changing the way I think about situations and certain aspects in life directly affects that. If a certain event takes place that has more obvious negative effects than anything else, it might be hard to see the positive picture. A large idea that Sutherland has is to think of things in a larger picture. Look at experiences and determine whether or not its impact even holds much value for the future. The crazy thing is that most don’t. Most situations such as these actually hold little value when looking at the big picture. Another different way of thinking is to actively seek the positives from an event and normally search for new opportunities. Many fear rejection, as it is a large aspect of life that affects many every day. Instead of looking at it (an audition, a job application, etc.) as a rejection, think of it as an opportunity to try something else. The other Ted Talk focused on motivational tools. While many believe money is the ultimate motivation to complete a task, this is actually false. It was discussed and proven in the video that serving a purpose is actually the greatest motivational tool. When one is completing a task, when they feel they are serving a purpose, they feel like they are making a difference and feel valued. While money is a solid motivator, it does not come close to the feeling of being useful. These videos were only a few of many but they definitely affected me the most as they got me thinking about many different aspects in life and help me change my perspective regarding these topics.
Along with watching videos, another large part of this class was engaging in interactive activities. Two that stood out for me were the penny activity and the common ground activity. What I gained the most from the penny activity is simply the fact that random people are much nicer than one would think. I got the opportunity to meet people I would have never met otherwise and actually gained some friends. It was also interesting how each person in the group eventually molded out their own specific part for the group. Two girls would knock on the door, draw them in, and ask the target(s) while I would be there to sing just in case people needed some extra entertainment. Furthermore, a few guys would be the “closers” and convince people to trade at the end. The team worked incredibly well together and everybody had his or her own responsibilities. I also took away that the ability to be personable and friendly could take you far. The common ground experience was a short activity that allowed me to learn a great amount about others in the class. The activity was incredibly sentimental and it made me feel a lot closer to many in the class. I feel that this activity displayed a great characteristic in vulnerability. Everyone weakened his or her barriers and I feel that everyone was being real. Past judgments I had previously made disappeared and I saw everyone for what they truly were. This was an impactful experience that positively enhanced the way I viewed the class from then on out.
One of the more important aspects of the class this year was the group project. Our group did our project on diversity. We gathered various opinions and responses on the topic over the course of a month and compiled them into a booklet. The overall experience was great, as our team worked incredibly well together. We each had our specific tasks and we then collaborated to discuss various aspects of the project. One reason I believe our team worked so well together is the fact that we each knew our role and were all flexible as far as helping each other out. Another large reason our project went so well was the fact that a leader emerged out of the group and was integral to the group communicating and knowing our tasks. She didn’t necessarily call herself the leader but she effectively facilitated our group as far as schedules, deadlines, and ideas were concerned. Another part of why this project was so fun was to also read all of the responses and learn new aspects of diversity. The project was a fun and engaging activity that allowed me to work efficiently with my team and learn new things about myself, others, and other interesting topics.
The last month or so of class consisted of members leading their families in facilitations about topics of his or her choice. It was interesting to learn about the interests of my classmates and engage in the many different discussions about varying topics. It was a true team effort because everyone needed to be actively involved for the conversation to flow effectively. The facilitators trusted the rest of the members to adequately participate and the members trusted the facilitator to facilitate the conversation efficiently. It was a great experience as I learned a good amount about topics I had never even thought much about. My facilitation went really well as the conversation took place on a Ted Talk about success. I learned a lot about myself that day. It was amazing how great of a facilitator I ended up being. Everyone in the group voiced their opinions and conversed openly and honest about the topic. Their participation helped me feel comfortable about leading them and helped the whole experience run smoothly. A big thing I took away from the whole facilitation process is that there is equal importance of roles between the facilitators and the members of the group as they work off of each other to create a great discussion.
I learned many things this semester in class that I never thought I would have learned. We talked about life, perception and reality, motivation, government, and many other things. Coming into the year, I did not expect to learn much after the experience I had in the first semester class. Being put in families was awesome because I became incredibly close to more than just a few people. The readings and videos were informative, interesting, fun and engaging. The activities allowed me to meet people and think about life in many different ways. Although there weren’t many actual service opportunities, I feel that the knowledge learned in this class will help us become better leaders and allow us to better serve as facilitators going forward. My understanding of the roles of facilitators and leaders has changed immensely over the past year. A great leader allows for discussion without making his or her presence well known. The facilitator does not pronounce their self as the leader. They help the conversation run smoothly by bringing up the topics and effectively chiming in when necessary. They create a warm environment for the members and conduct the discussion in an appropriate manner. I feel as if this semester has helped me to grow into a more effective and confident leader. The information I have gained this year holds much importance to me and will definitely help me through the next three years of my collegiate life.
Coming into this semester, I was not sure what exactly to expect. Obviously, the class is about the facilitation of group dialogue. But it was a guessing game as far as the types of activities that the class would engage us in. My initial thought when I first heard the class’ name was that there would be many group projects. I then thought that maybe the class would just be a good amount of presentations in front of the class. Also, the class could’ve been similar to a public speaking class. It turns out that the class was a combination of these and a lot more. We learned about using different psychological perspectives to view aspects of life in a more positive way. Then we learned how purpose is the best motivational tool for success, not money. The class also discussed problems America currently has with our democracy and whether it is really a democracy at all. Our family groups participated in a very fun and interesting activity that requireed us to start with a penny and ask people to trade it for something better. We also participated in a very revealing and personal activity having to do with the common ground each of us shares with one another. Group projects were completed in which solid teamwork was a necessity for a successful outcome. The students even got a chance to facilitate class discussions within our family group. There were many more great experiences throughout the year but these are the ones that stood out for me. These experiences helped my understanding of not only what it means to be a leader, but also helped me to understand more things about people, and life in general.
For the first half of the semester, the class was assigned to watch various videos, mainly Ted Talks. Two of the videos stood out for me. The first video was the Rory Sutherland video dealing with different psychological perspectives and using them to increase the quality of life. This video had a large impact on me because it is my purpose in life to achieve happiness. Changing the way I think about situations and certain aspects in life directly affects that. If a certain event takes place that has more obvious negative effects than anything else, it might be hard to see the positive picture. A large idea that Sutherland has is to think of things in a larger picture. Look at experiences and determine whether or not its impact even holds much value for the future. The crazy thing is that most don’t. Most situations such as these actually hold little value when looking at the big picture. Another different way of thinking is to actively seek the positives from an event and normally search for new opportunities. Many fear rejection, as it is a large aspect of life that affects many every day. Instead of looking at it (an audition, a job application, etc.) as a rejection, think of it as an opportunity to try something else. The other Ted Talk focused on motivational tools. While many believe money is the ultimate motivation to complete a task, this is actually false. It was discussed and proven in the video that serving a purpose is actually the greatest motivational tool. When one is completing a task, when they feel they are serving a purpose, they feel like they are making a difference and feel valued. While money is a solid motivator, it does not come close to the feeling of being useful. These videos were only a few of many but they definitely affected me the most as they got me thinking about many different aspects in life and help me change my perspective regarding these topics.
Along with watching videos, another large part of this class was engaging in interactive activities. Two that stood out for me were the penny activity and the common ground activity. What I gained the most from the penny activity is simply the fact that random people are much nicer than one would think. I got the opportunity to meet people I would have never met otherwise and actually gained some friends. It was also interesting how each person in the group eventually molded out their own specific part for the group. Two girls would knock on the door, draw them in, and ask the target(s) while I would be there to sing just in case people needed some extra entertainment. Furthermore, a few guys would be the “closers” and convince people to trade at the end. The team worked incredibly well together and everybody had his or her own responsibilities. I also took away that the ability to be personable and friendly could take you far. The common ground experience was a short activity that allowed me to learn a great amount about others in the class. The activity was incredibly sentimental and it made me feel a lot closer to many in the class. I feel that this activity displayed a great characteristic in vulnerability. Everyone weakened his or her barriers and I feel that everyone was being real. Past judgments I had previously made disappeared and I saw everyone for what they truly were. This was an impactful experience that positively enhanced the way I viewed the class from then on out.
One of the more important aspects of the class this year was the group project. Our group did our project on diversity. We gathered various opinions and responses on the topic over the course of a month and compiled them into a booklet. The overall experience was great, as our team worked incredibly well together. We each had our specific tasks and we then collaborated to discuss various aspects of the project. One reason I believe our team worked so well together is the fact that we each knew our role and were all flexible as far as helping each other out. Another large reason our project went so well was the fact that a leader emerged out of the group and was integral to the group communicating and knowing our tasks. She didn’t necessarily call herself the leader but she effectively facilitated our group as far as schedules, deadlines, and ideas were concerned. Another part of why this project was so fun was to also read all of the responses and learn new aspects of diversity. The project was a fun and engaging activity that allowed me to work efficiently with my team and learn new things about myself, others, and other interesting topics.
The last month or so of class consisted of members leading their families in facilitations about topics of his or her choice. It was interesting to learn about the interests of my classmates and engage in the many different discussions about varying topics. It was a true team effort because everyone needed to be actively involved for the conversation to flow effectively. The facilitators trusted the rest of the members to adequately participate and the members trusted the facilitator to facilitate the conversation efficiently. It was a great experience as I learned a good amount about topics I had never even thought much about. My facilitation went really well as the conversation took place on a Ted Talk about success. I learned a lot about myself that day. It was amazing how great of a facilitator I ended up being. Everyone in the group voiced their opinions and conversed openly and honest about the topic. Their participation helped me feel comfortable about leading them and helped the whole experience run smoothly. A big thing I took away from the whole facilitation process is that there is equal importance of roles between the facilitators and the members of the group as they work off of each other to create a great discussion.
I learned many things this semester in class that I never thought I would have learned. We talked about life, perception and reality, motivation, government, and many other things. Coming into the year, I did not expect to learn much after the experience I had in the first semester class. Being put in families was awesome because I became incredibly close to more than just a few people. The readings and videos were informative, interesting, fun and engaging. The activities allowed me to meet people and think about life in many different ways. Although there weren’t many actual service opportunities, I feel that the knowledge learned in this class will help us become better leaders and allow us to better serve as facilitators going forward. My understanding of the roles of facilitators and leaders has changed immensely over the past year. A great leader allows for discussion without making his or her presence well known. The facilitator does not pronounce their self as the leader. They help the conversation run smoothly by bringing up the topics and effectively chiming in when necessary. They create a warm environment for the members and conduct the discussion in an appropriate manner. I feel as if this semester has helped me to grow into a more effective and confident leader. The information I have gained this year holds much importance to me and will definitely help me through the next three years of my collegiate life.