Blog post #1 Alejandra Mejia

I enjoyed everyone's presentations. I will start with my group first as that is the one I am most familiar with. Angelique, our group leader, made the process very easy to collaborate on the project and is continuously providing a welcoming vibe. I tend to be anxious about presenting and group projects and she gave every opportunity that she could to ensure that I was comfortable and she showed that same compassion to everyone in the group. I would also like to offer praise to Anisley Olano because of how two of her slides glitched and she carried on as if nothing had happened very smoothly. Among other presentations from my group, I enjoyed Jason Martinez's final graphic, which was a much needed pop of color amongst all of our slides and was a succinct final slide for his topics and for chapter 3, which we covered. Additionally, I found Aaron Begazos' images humorous and Claribel Garcia's ability to elaborate on each point while making sure to measure her words so as not to overload the audience impressive. Overall, I am very happy with how my group presented.

All the chapters the groups covered were very interesting and opened my mind to new ways to understand components of culture. For example, within my topics was the subject of highly masculine/feminine cultures, and I was unaware of how Norway and other associated countries, such as Sweden and the Netherlands, nurtured their male populations differently than in other regions. Carlos Martinez, who was part of my group's (1) presentation, was interested because of how he connected it back to living in Florida. Terms like "code switching" and varying types of cultures and how they interact were enlightening.

Furthermore, looking back, I’ve realized just how much human communication depends on the context we are in and the groups we belong to after Group 2’s presentation. I found Group 2’s presentation on Chapter 9, Communicating in Groups, particularly engaging and relevant. Communication and teamwork are skills that shape not only our college experience but also our future careers and everyday interactions, so seeing these concepts explained so clearly helped me connect the course material to real life. One of the other components I appreciated most about Group 2’s presentation was the strong visuals and the depth of explanation they provided. They all expanded on points around conflict in communication about why it happens and how to prevent it. The breakdown of families, social groups, and support groups was especially well done. Families were described as the first and most influential groups we ever belong to, shaping not only who we become but also how we communicate later in life. I find this super relevant in my own life, as how I phrase my words around my family, whose first language is Spanish, will affect how I talk to people. whose first language is also Spanish. A different version of groups I was introduced to by Jeremiah Munoz first, which includes friendships and classmates, was also easy to understand because they are part of our everyday lives. Support groups, on the other hand, stood out as something since there has never been a need in my life to participate in them. The explanation provided about how they offered emotional support, shared understanding, and a safe environment for people facing similar challenges felt very apt.

I also found it very meaningful that Eric Perez and Kimberly Rodriguez shared how synergy works in a group setting and why well-maintained/balanced groups of people are considered healthy. I find the presentation Reinaldo Diaz did on virtual groups and its challenges most fitting, considering he was actively presenting in an online class. The topic about how there are cues you miss when online is one that I personally think should be vocalized more, not only in the context of online classes but also on social media. Words get misconstrued all the time, more than ever in my opinion, and using strategies, as he mentioned, of utilizing emojis and leaving the least amount of room for interpretation is wise. Personally, I would also advise the use of tone indicators that have been popularized. In recent years. Examples like /lg following a sentence meaning "lighthearted" or /s to mean "sarcasm" are very useful. Especially if the receiver is autistic or has social anxiety. While these methods are not foolproof, they will aid in communication interculturally or just with any social group. Overall, I congratulate group 2 on all providing appropriate and insightful information, showing off how knowledgeable they are now on the subject, thanks to the reading.

Continuing with Group 3, who covered Chapter 10, Group Leading and Problem Solving. During their presentation, I learned a bunch of different things. Such as the different types of leaders and varying types of roles, and the characteristics attributed to each one, conveying how to identify each role. Previously, the only role I had heard of prior to witnessing the presentations was mediators. So I thank Maryuri Caceres for her insight into the topic. Although Nathaly Garcia was absent, I found her images very pleasing, including soft colors and cartoons instead of the stock photos that are commonly used. However, I am biased because my favorite colors are pink and purple. Separate from that, the way Roberto Suarez showcased and guided the audience through each step in evaluation and decision-making was formatted well and concisely, which I appreciated. All things considered, I am proud of how group 3 presented.

To conclude, witnessing all the presentations made me realize how complex, varied, and significant understanding intercultural communication is. How important it is to consider someone's culture, the group you're in, and the leadership roles taken. Each group brought their own perspective, and combining them gave me an encompassing understanding of how people communicate, collaborate, and support one another. I am very happy with my group, and I am very glad to have a group that is so organized and friendly to each other. I wish the best to all other individuals within the groups.