Communication Monthly Blog

This blog will be reflected on the presentation that Ed Derr gave to us on Friday, February 17, 2012. He talked mainly about communication and how it can make a difference by communicating in the right way. He gave us tips and he made us do activities to see what kind of animal we are. It was really interesting to see the tips and how it can all help to us to have a better connection with the people who surround us. All of this tips were helpful for me to understand how communication works with my friends. Since he gave us those tips I felt that I can understand and they could understand me better. All by a simple tip by just asking them the right questions and paying attention. I have tried with my roommates the communicating tips, and it totally works. We now tell what bothers us and what we need to change. That way we avoid having problems and discussions between us. Also the conflict solving sheet helped to see what really bothers us. We noticed that in everyones sheet we had something that bothered from someone of us. This make us realize that we were not communicating right. From then on and with the tips he gave us we were able to communicate better and now we tell what bothers from the rest of us. Overall it was a helpful experience that by small tips can help everyone of us.

16 march homework

17 February presentation

The presentation of February 17th the presentation talked about conflicts and in what way can we solve them. Conflict is not always something bad, it can be a chance that improve relationship or know better the other person. The presentation was really interesting,in this case they teach us that the best way of solving problems is talking and learning from the other person.

My group in the day of the presentation wrote about the strenght and conflict of each individual. In these strenghts we discuss that each one get alone and with maintain a good relationship with each other. Also we havent had any conflicts in the passed months, the first semester we learn of each other and we discuss what we like and dislike of each other. In this conflicts was the dishwashing and how loud is each other.

A way I can improve is by improving the relation with my friends more and continue to be friendly, fortunately there havent been any major problems and everything is going well.

Danny Loza

January 22th Meeting by Juan Franco

• The meeting of January 27th was perhaps one of the most insightful and powerful experiences I’ve ever had, not only did I learn a lot about myself, but also about those who live in my same environment (Summit Park). I connected too many people while we were doing the “step to this side of the room if…” exercise through common experiences or ways of thinking, but I also realized how diverse our group is. Most Drury students cite Summit as the place where the best students are, but I learned that night that we could all be the best students in hundreds of different ways. It takes a lot of courage to undertake projects like we all did, and even more to discuss them with our class and teacher. What I take from that night was that I should never be quick to judge. Most people in Summit I thought I had figured out, but after that eye opening experience I can humbly say that I was wrong and that I want to get to know a lot of them better. “Excellent teaching and learning for all” is the motto of Pipkin Middle School and I can say that I couldn’t be more proud of working with an institution that promotes learning for everyone no matter what education level you may have. Although our project is limited to only Summit, I know the school hosts a Reading Club and I’m almost positive that they take on volunteers.
  Community website link-https://sites.google.com/a/pipkinpirates.org/pipkin/
• Pipkin Middle School

  sites.google.com

Juan Fernando Calderon Monthly Journal Blog about Community Partner

On the class from 1/27 there were several points that could be taken to consideration of making connections and diversity. In this class we made an activity that was called "cross the line", were the speaker made questions to the group and either you needed to cross the line if the answer was yes, or stay were you were if the answer was no. This activity helped to me and I believed to my group because I could understand more about my summit peers and their backgrounds. Also this helped me see how a diverse group of people we had in our class. It was a hard activity were some questions were compromising that sometimes people didn't want to respond. This showed me it takes value to cross the line and to accept what the reality to what the question is. The key point I took is that with a simple activity like that you can get to know a group of 40 people. Thats what we can do in getting to know our Pipkin students with simpler activities but get to bond with them with simple activities like this. 


Our community partner does not have a link but the Springfield Public Schools does have information about Pipkin Middle School. 


http://springfieldpublicschoolsmo.org/relocating/pipkin.htm


Mission Statement: Excellent teaching and learning for all.


You can get involved with our program by visiting the school and working together with us so that we can gather a bigger group to work with more kids instead that only 15. This also could raise awareness in Springfield Public Schools so that the school system can be changed and there will be better education and easier access for college. By gathering more people we can show the society that kids are our future and that we need to work with them. Thats why we need to gather people who is interested in joining our program or could join us in the weekdays that we go to Pipkin to work with the kids, one hour a day, Monday, Wednesday, or Friday.

Community Partner key point

So during the meeting that we had last week I observed and learned a lot about my teammate’s experiences and personality. A very important key point that I took away from my community partner in this activity is that he is very organized with his schedule. I will like to implement this to my leadership since organization is very important to do things right and maintain a high level of performance. Organizing my time will allow me to do more things and even get a better communication with the people that I'm working with. I excited to start my Pipkin help and organization will be fundamental to fulfill the goal of this group. For this semester our goal is to teach our boys success is achievable and that a great future is waiting for them if they make good decisions in their lives. 

Danny Loza

Smart Goals (Juan Franco)

S

I want to create positive change in the Drury community before 2012 is over in an effort to increase awareness about Diversity so that we as a society can benefit from the experience.

M

I will know when my progress is moving forward when I observe how people I know change their behavior towards diversity issues. Sadly, parts of this campus are not friendly towards things that defy the majority, they are not used to change or doing things in a different manner. I personally am living proof of this, I have felt the resentment when I speak towards issues they are not used to discussing. I do not like to generalize as there are people in this campus who share my vision and recognize that there are better ways of doing things. I will test the people to observe whether they have committed to change through innovation.

A

As tough as it sounds I believe that to accept change the status quo needs to be challenged. People will struggle to commit but as one my favorite quotes says: it is always darkest before sunrise, symbolizing how things may get very bad but when they hit bottom this is when our desired goal will become a reality. People need to be pushed and pushed until they realize that not only there are other options and ways of life out there, but actually a better way of doing things. I will encourage being different since this will create a greater pool of perspectives.

R

I can accept this sounds extremely tough and there might be repercussions socially, but it is my motivation that will never change. I just cannot accept that I live in an environment that does not consider Diversity a priority. Although Drury as an institution has made deep promises concerning this, it is the students that must be part of the change and if they don’t do it then who will? That’s why it’s realistic, we don’t have another choice. However I also find strength to fulfill this because of my life experiences, experiences that have shown me this path is the way to go.

T

Just this month I won the election to become the new Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for the Student Government Association here at Drury, and it is through this position that I’ll spearhead my movement. Although I would very much like to make this a life-long goal, the position I represent gives me legitimacy hard to obtain through other methods and so my timeline will be 1 year from January 1^st to December 31^st of 2012. In one year I will attempt to create change in a community that needs it desperately

 - Juan Franco

Vision Statement (Juan Franco)

The crowds cheering, the nervousness creeping into my feelings as I ascend the stairs to reach the podium. I am suddenly unable to see ahead of me because of a strong spotlight directed my way. As my sight adjust to the glare I swallowed my nervousness and for the first time addressed the crowd as an elected official. I spoke of change and innovation, how the power to modify our lives lies within us and it is this power that can help us change society and on a general scale the world. I had just won my first election based on a campaign of honesty, responsibility and humility, and I was going to make an impact in people’s lives. I felt as if I was going to change the world. 

-Juan Franco