I've always seen myself as a simple-minded person giving really no thought to the way I listen and respond to forms of communications. I never realized it, but I have a fairly specific process of listening that isn't perfect and can definitely be improved upon as I continue through college. I still have much to learn about processing information, as well as reflecting and responding to it. It's eye-opening that many concepts we understand are so generalized and that things are more than just black and white (e.g. what really defines a genre). All forms of rhetoric can be related by any perspective whether its based on preexisting constructs or appearance. Saying that, I know it's okay to not have a specific answer when someone asks, "What kind of music do you listen to?" I love all kinds of music and its hard for me to say "rock" or "alternative" because honestly there are some"rock" and "alternative" bands that I just don't like. Even from bands I like, there are certain songs I just don't like (e.g. A Message by Coldplay). Then again there are albums like "The Search for Everything" by John Mayer with songs that would classify in several different genres. Regardless, I love every song on that album. Through all this, it begs the question; is genre necessary at all to prove one's point?
This week I learned about the way that I listen. As I was working on my Listening Prezi, I really tried to put as much genuine effort into it as I could. I thought back to times when I listened effectively and tried to remember the steps I took. More specifically, what I learned is that I reflect on what I hear. Whether that be in simple conversation, a long speech, or a classroom lecture, I tend to always think of key points and almost replay them in my head over and over. Maybe sometimes that isn't a good thing (if whatever I listened to was negative or difficult to hear), but I think for the most part it is a positive and I like that I reflect on important or significant things!
I have never been asked about how I listen before. I always thought that listening was another word for hearing. I never realized listening could entail so much more than hearing something. By learning about the true art of listening, I have realized that I am quite terrible at it. I get distracted to easily and let my mind wander when I should be paying attention. I learned that listening is a process that extends beyond the initial conversation. Real listening requires the digestion of information and that may take longer than a few minutes to do. I now see listening as more of a skill than an action.
I have learned that I lied about being a good listener. I have discovered and accepted that through this class and from at home this week, that I am not focused. As I chopped away at my listening Prezi, I had struggled to think of the ways I react to rhetoric from others, especially the slide that was about listening. I don't really get the whole message unless I'm being directly addressed or in a small space to get everything, and whatever I end up hearing, I usually think and contemplate more about it than I do respond. For example, I didn't really pay an ounce of attention to anybody's presentation on Friday, I kind of just wandered in and out of space and caught only frames of what was going on so I could stay relevant in the class conversation. I think I was too busy on what I was gonna eat when I got home and how gold broke above $1300 an ounce, but that has nothing to do with what I'm talking about it. I think I've always known my focus was bad, but I never accepted and understood it until the end of this week .To sum it up, my mom told me I should eat start eating a big breakfast and learn how to focus better, because then I would listen better and get more out of anything I was doing.
I learned that I'm not as good of a listener as I thought I am on the first day. I thought listening was a skill I had together because I mean its something we've been doing since birth. I thought after 18 years of living it would be a skill I should have mastered. However, after actually looking at the patterns I take to listen, and really analyzing the different levels of listening I figured that I am not the best listener their is. I have several weaknesses in my process that I need to correct in order to learn and be productive in my college and career life. Although, I can easily pick out my flaws, I've also noticed that I do have some strong techniques. After researching different listeners, I've realized that I am an active listener. That's something specific that I didn't know I was.
All of my life, I've taken my listening skills (or lack thereof) for granted. While I like to believe that I hold an acceptable ability to listen, I understand now how much potential there still is for me to learn and understand about the skill of listening. Even with a solid 19 years of life experience, there is still plenty of things that I have never truly questioned about my life and myself and as a result, there is still plenty of things that I need to learn and understand more.
I learned this week that rhetoric is everywhere and that I'm more susceptible to it more than I thought I was. I listen but don't spend enough time to process and analyze what I hear. I should take less things at face value and prepare myself to listen so that I can be more receptive and ready to challenge the things i listen to.
I Learned that the term rhetorical question is a repetitive term that does not mean what I thought it meant. Also I learned about my own listening experience and how I should take more time responding because I often respond instinctively when I shouldn't. I also learned this week that I do not like folk country music even if that genre cross doesn't exist in some people's eyes.
This past week I learned that there are many different ways in which people listen. Every human interaction requires listening, which made me think about how important it is to be good at it. Listening requires work in order to truly understand what someone else is saying to you. This past week made me think about how everyone not only wants to be heard but understood. The connection between humans that listening creates connects us to one another. Listening to someone can decide how they are gonna act around you. It is such an important skill, and I learned I definitely can improve my skill.
I always knew that I had a strategy for listening, but until this week I had never actually sat down and thought about what my steps for listening were. I can now truly understand what my technique is, which in turn allows me to listen even more effectively. I was able to reflect on my listening weaknesses, which allowed me to become more aware of when I was carrying out those bad habits and stop them. An example from this week, I was sitting in Chemistry listening to my monotone teacher when I started to think of a childhood memory that I started to relive in my mind as I often do, but then all of the sudden I asked myself if I was listening and instantly put all of my attention on my professor. Then I realized that under his monotone voice, the information he was giving was actually really interesting and I continued to listen, applying all of my listening techniques. My listening technique allowed me to not just hear him, but comprehend what he was saying and lock the information into my mind. I can confidently say that after one week of talking about listening I have effectively enhanced my listening ability.
This week was very eventful in Comp. and Rhet. in my mind. My reasoning was challenged and my knowledge of myself and others was improved. I learned about my listening process that I had otherwise ignored. Being in front of an audience is something I am quite comfortable with, so talking about a personal aspect of myself in front of the class was an enlightening and new experience. I feel as though the people in my class know me better because of my presentation and conversation. I have also picked up on all the rhetoric that surrounds my life in songs and stories and ads. The theme of death and sex appears in these same songs and stories.
What I learned about myself this week is that listening has a much bigger meaning than just hearing someone else talk. I found out that I am not a great listener because it takes more than just listening to the words that are being said to you, you have to be able to think about it and understand the person when listening and that is something I don't usually do, I tend to get distracted and lose my listening focus over that person.
Charlie Bohlen- What I learned about myself this week began with the song that was played about the boxing match. My entire life I have sworn that I like every kind of music except for country music, but after our lessons on listening I pushed myself to open up to the song. It was easier than expected given it had more of a folk side to it which I am comfortable with, but regardless I challenged myself to listen to what the singer had to offer lyrically and what the band had to offer musically. I found that I listen to music much like I listen to people, which I decided to explore in my Prezi, and ended up learning more about myself and the reasons why I respond in different ways to different messages when I listen to both people and music. Being the first to present my Prezi was also an interesting activity for me because I was surprised at how comfortable I felt. While I have a lot of experience with leadership and public speaking, I still typically feared speaking like that in a school setting, but the small class size and the depth of conversation made me feel very comfortable with myself, the material I was presenting, and the people I was presenting to. I was also able to engage with my fascination for literature this week in a way that I have been able to do in only small, rare events in the past which excites me for what lies ahead in this class.
Before last week, I had vague ideas of what listening was. You challenged me to really think about it when constructing my Listening process Prezi. My project was not amazing because I still am not entirely sure what my listening process is. I think it differs from time to time, and that it has evolved over the past few years/months. When Tucker gave his presentation, I was able to relate to his ideas about listening and began to second-guess my original concept of my listening process. To me, I think I might be more of a situational listener. Without the presentations and discussions in class, I would not be under this impression. I also learned a lot about music, and the meanings different songs can have behind the words and instruments you hear at the surface.
What did you learn about yourself this week, related to our experiences in class, that you did not already know?
I learned that I have specific tendencies, in reference to listening, that can cause my personality to come off as close minded, disrespectful, or arrogant. Furthermore, I didn't know that when a specific person or group talks I automatically make faces or assumptions that causes me to push away from something or someone who could help me in life. On the contrary, I did not know that I naturally have a defensive mechanism (that displays when something offends someone I care about) that instantly triggers my sensitivity/sympathetic side. Some of the experiences and discussions from class has awaken a part of me that I've personally have not realized until this week in class, causing me to reflect on what I've been told by close friends and family. -Kiyana Brice
I've always seen myself as a simple-minded person giving really no thought to the way I listen and respond to forms of communications. I never realized it, but I have a fairly specific process of listening that isn't perfect and can definitely be improved upon as I continue through college. I still have much to learn about processing information, as well as reflecting and responding to it.
ReplyDeleteIt's eye-opening that many concepts we understand are so generalized and that things are more than just black and white (e.g. what really defines a genre). All forms of rhetoric can be related by any perspective whether its based on preexisting constructs or appearance. Saying that, I know it's okay to not have a specific answer when someone asks, "What kind of music do you listen to?" I love all kinds of music and its hard for me to say "rock" or "alternative" because honestly there are some"rock" and "alternative" bands that I just don't like. Even from bands I like, there are certain songs I just don't like (e.g. A Message by Coldplay). Then again there are albums like "The Search for Everything" by John Mayer with songs that would classify in several different genres. Regardless, I love every song on that album. Through all this, it begs the question; is genre necessary at all to prove one's point?
This week I learned about the way that I listen. As I was working on my Listening Prezi, I really tried to put as much genuine effort into it as I could. I thought back to times when I listened effectively and tried to remember the steps I took. More specifically, what I learned is that I reflect on what I hear. Whether that be in simple conversation, a long speech, or a classroom lecture, I tend to always think of key points and almost replay them in my head over and over. Maybe sometimes that isn't a good thing (if whatever I listened to was negative or difficult to hear), but I think for the most part it is a positive and I like that I reflect on important or significant things!
ReplyDeleteI have never been asked about how I listen before. I always thought that listening was another word for hearing. I never realized listening could entail so much more than hearing something. By learning about the true art of listening, I have realized that I am quite terrible at it. I get distracted to easily and let my mind wander when I should be paying attention. I learned that listening is a process that extends beyond the initial conversation. Real listening requires the digestion of information and that may take longer than a few minutes to do. I now see listening as more of a skill than an action.
ReplyDeleteI have learned that I lied about being a good listener. I have discovered and accepted that through this class and from at home this week, that I am not focused. As I chopped away at my listening Prezi, I had struggled to think of the ways I react to rhetoric from others, especially the slide that was about listening. I don't really get the whole message unless I'm being directly addressed or in a small space to get everything, and whatever I end up hearing, I usually think and contemplate more about it than I do respond. For example, I didn't really pay an ounce of attention to anybody's presentation on Friday, I kind of just wandered in and out of space and caught only frames of what was going on so I could stay relevant in the class conversation. I think I was too busy on what I was gonna eat when I got home and how gold broke above $1300 an ounce, but that has nothing to do with what I'm talking about it. I think I've always known my focus was bad, but I never accepted and understood it until the end of this week .To sum it up, my mom told me I should eat start eating a big breakfast and learn how to focus better, because then I would listen better and get more out of anything I was doing.
ReplyDeleteEvan Hixenbaugh
DeleteI learned that I'm not as good of a listener as I thought I am on the first day. I thought listening was a skill I had together because I mean its something we've been doing since birth. I thought after 18 years of living it would be a skill I should have mastered. However, after actually looking at the patterns I take to listen, and really analyzing the different levels of listening I figured that I am not the best listener their is. I have several weaknesses in my process that I need to correct in order to learn and be productive in my college and career life. Although, I can easily pick out my flaws, I've also noticed that I do have some strong techniques. After researching different listeners, I've realized that I am an active listener. That's something specific that I didn't know I was.
DeleteAll of my life, I've taken my listening skills (or lack thereof) for granted. While I like to believe that I hold an acceptable ability to listen, I understand now how much potential there still is for me to learn and understand about the skill of listening. Even with a solid 19 years of life experience, there is still plenty of things that I have never truly questioned about my life and myself and as a result, there is still plenty of things that I need to learn and understand more.
ReplyDeleteI learned this week that rhetoric is everywhere and that I'm more susceptible to it more than I thought I was. I listen but don't spend enough time to process and analyze what I hear. I should take less things at face value and prepare myself to listen so that I can be more receptive and ready to challenge the things i listen to.
ReplyDeleteI Learned that the term rhetorical question is a repetitive term that does not mean what I thought it meant. Also I learned about my own listening experience and how I should take more time responding because I often respond instinctively when I shouldn't. I also learned this week that I do not like folk country music even if that genre cross doesn't exist in some people's eyes.
ReplyDeleteThis past week I learned that there are many different ways in which people listen. Every human interaction requires listening, which made me think about how important it is to be good at it. Listening requires work in order to truly understand what someone else is saying to you. This past week made me think about how everyone not only wants to be heard but understood. The connection between humans that listening creates connects us to one another. Listening to someone can decide how they are gonna act around you. It is such an important skill, and I learned I definitely can improve my skill.
ReplyDeleteI always knew that I had a strategy for listening, but until this week I had never actually sat down and thought about what my steps for listening were. I can now truly understand what my technique is, which in turn allows me to listen even more effectively. I was able to reflect on my listening weaknesses, which allowed me to become more aware of when I was carrying out those bad habits and stop them. An example from this week, I was sitting in Chemistry listening to my monotone teacher when I started to think of a childhood memory that I started to relive in my mind as I often do, but then all of the sudden I asked myself if I was listening and instantly put all of my attention on my professor. Then I realized that under his monotone voice, the information he was giving was actually really interesting and I continued to listen, applying all of my listening techniques. My listening technique allowed me to not just hear him, but comprehend what he was saying and lock the information into my mind. I can confidently say that after one week of talking about listening I have effectively enhanced my listening ability.
ReplyDeleteThis week was very eventful in Comp. and Rhet. in my mind. My reasoning was challenged and my knowledge of myself and others was improved. I learned about my listening process that I had otherwise ignored. Being in front of an audience is something I am quite comfortable with, so talking about a personal aspect of myself in front of the class was an enlightening and new experience. I feel as though the people in my class know me better because of my presentation and conversation. I have also picked up on all the rhetoric that surrounds my life in songs and stories and ads. The theme of death and sex appears in these same songs and stories.
ReplyDeleteWhat I learned about myself this week is that listening has a much bigger meaning than just hearing someone else talk. I found out that I am not a great listener because it takes more than just listening to the words that are being said to you, you have to be able to think about it and understand the person when listening and that is something I don't usually do, I tend to get distracted and lose my listening focus over that person.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Bohlen- What I learned about myself this week began with the song that was played about the boxing match. My entire life I have sworn that I like every kind of music except for country music, but after our lessons on listening I pushed myself to open up to the song. It was easier than expected given it had more of a folk side to it which I am comfortable with, but regardless I challenged myself to listen to what the singer had to offer lyrically and what the band had to offer musically. I found that I listen to music much like I listen to people, which I decided to explore in my Prezi, and ended up learning more about myself and the reasons why I respond in different ways to different messages when I listen to both people and music. Being the first to present my Prezi was also an interesting activity for me because I was surprised at how comfortable I felt. While I have a lot of experience with leadership and public speaking, I still typically feared speaking like that in a school setting, but the small class size and the depth of conversation made me feel very comfortable with myself, the material I was presenting, and the people I was presenting to. I was also able to engage with my fascination for literature this week in a way that I have been able to do in only small, rare events in the past which excites me for what lies ahead in this class.
ReplyDeleteBefore last week, I had vague ideas of what listening was. You challenged me to really think about it when constructing my Listening process Prezi. My project was not amazing because I still am not entirely sure what my listening process is. I think it differs from time to time, and that it has evolved over the past few years/months. When Tucker gave his presentation, I was able to relate to his ideas about listening and began to second-guess my original concept of my listening process. To me, I think I might be more of a situational listener. Without the presentations and discussions in class, I would not be under this impression. I also learned a lot about music, and the meanings different songs can have behind the words and instruments you hear at the surface.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you learn about yourself this week, related to our experiences in class, that you did not already know?
ReplyDeleteI learned that I have specific tendencies, in reference to listening, that can cause my personality to come off as close minded, disrespectful, or arrogant. Furthermore, I didn't know that when a specific person or group talks I automatically make faces or assumptions that causes me to push away from something or someone who could help me in life. On the contrary, I did not know that I naturally have a defensive mechanism (that displays when something offends someone I care about) that instantly triggers my sensitivity/sympathetic side. Some of the experiences and discussions from class has awaken a part of me that I've personally have not realized until this week in class, causing me to reflect on what I've been told by close friends and family. -Kiyana Brice
By the way, when i posted my first blog on week 1, apparently it didn't post like I thought it did.
Delete