As The Train Leaves The Station

18 Nov marks the end of the module with the submission of the blog self-assessment form, and incidentally, it is the eve of Christmas eve. After that, all of us will probably depart on our separate ways, just like trains leaving the station. A consolation, however, is that sometime down the rail, we are bound to meet(and hopefully catch up).

Through the journey of 13 weeks, I am proud to declare that I have learnt(and not simply reproduced hard knowledge), and it is the most enjoyable module that I had. I had had the privilege and honour with working with everyone in class, from the peer teaching group, to the mock interview and class discussion groups, and finally the proposal group. I started to appreciate the difference and qualities of different individuals. It is almost like clockwork, where there are quartz needed for internal lubrication and metal for external protection; the tensioned spring needed for driving the clock and the dynamic gears for coordinate the hands. We have tech-savvy Yongxin who looks at the big picture, and interactive Jonathan who looks at the fine details. We also have forthright Yong Chean, and reserved May (and of course, our brilliant maverick Brad). It is virtually a jewel box, and it is indeed a beauty when you can appreciate the different qualities of the individual gems. =)
Sentiments apart, the module empowered me, with not only communication skills, but collaboration skills. The exercises and assignments(which you guys/gals know very well already) played their roles well, and allowed us to hone our abilites to both write and listen actively--hallmarks of effective communication and colloboration.

The most impressionable point the adopting of a "You-Attitude". Just like how the points must connect to the greater purpose in the communication, the communication itself should connect to the correspondent. I failed that once in that in my first cover letter, and in light of the suggestions and comments (Thanks Yong Chean and Brad!), I managed to write a better draft for the mock interview. The importance of the You-Attitude surfaced again during the oral presentation. While I might have connected verbally with the audience, the You-Atttitude did not manifest in my non-verbals. I was standing in the dark, and mentally I had not psyche to connect with the audience emotionally. As a result, I lost a connection with the audience on that level. However, I was glad that the course exposed me to such a challenge, initiate an "immune response", where the exposure allows me to work against the problem and be eventually able overcome it in the future. This would definitely be an aspect I will work on.

The un-(but soon to be)-conventional assignments such as blogging and wiki writing were refreshing in that it also provided media for off-class interactions. The blog was an innovative and apt method to demonstrate key principles of communication-- currency and intereactivity. Quoting Brad, who said that the best thing about blogging is that it is not cast in stone, the fact that we could edit and update the blogs is truly a merit. It allows the communication channel stay current and responsive.

On the other hand, I felt the wiki required some improvements before it can become mainstream. The interface, for a start, was unattractive. But, what I thought was damning was that a great injustice was done when the promotion of wiki had not played to its advantages.
In the exercises, wiki was projected to replace current collaborative platforms such as Google Doc as a superior platform. However, the lack of real-time editting impede such success. Currency is an important principle underlying collaboration(and communication), and the currency offered by wiki was not up to par with real-time programmes. However, I believe there can more creative uses to wiki, such as as a presentation aid. 
Regardless, it was a good gambit to include the e-portfolio as part of the assessment, as it would expose students to not just conventional communication, but also newer communication routes via the internet.

Just as the tides come and go, this old train goes and new trains will come; it carries off a crowd, so that the new trains can bring in a fresh new wave. And someday, rails may meet and the trains will end up in the same stations.
All the best guys!

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Seek: Honest Opinions!

Finally, there is a chance to surface and gasp for a breath of fresh air. The week had not been easy, and I am proud to survive. What made me more proud was the presentation, which I felt was my best one so far. It was quite a joy to work with wonderful people who can think on their feet. They are definitely a boon to have on the same side for a presentation.

In hindsight, I felt the team on the whole delivered on the purpose of the proposal. For my segment, I was gratified that the introduction of the team and team members were successfully executed. I was so glad that the water binging helped to maintain a functional throat after the drink-and-mug regime(i.e. drink lots of coffee to stay awake and study for the night). A clear voice is an essential tool in a presentation, but I had overlooked the importance of others, such as stance and facial expression. 

I felt that while I was stating my points clearly, I could have interacted or engaged with my audience more, like my team mates did. I did not feel that I maintained positive facial expressions, which could have helped me connect with the audience better by seeming more amiable. Perhaps I had let too much of my severe personality show, and it made me seem more distant. Well, in self-consolation, my perfomance would be probably not be out of place with a bunch of serious and sombre audience. Or perhaps it was not that bad when I was not entertaining(channelling Chimamanda Adichie). Then again, I guess I am not a good judge, especially of myself. So please, guys(and gals), pull no punches!

Cheers!

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