Reflection Attempt 2

Cole Feeney

5/1/2014

Reflection Essay

            There were several aspects of the this class as well as this project that impacted my semester.

            This project made me struggle and grow. My largest struggle was the group work. Personally, I think group work is the worst thing in any situation, but it teaches patience and how to work with others. Well, I definitely learned that. Oddly enough I think my biggest struggle was also what made me most proud, my ability to negotiate with those in my group; as well as learning how to manage my peers without being condescending. The only change I would make to this project would have been to assign it at the beginning of the semester. This would have allowed groups to set up interviews with a larger time frame. My role was Coordinator in the group. However, I found this to really mean set up every interview, make sure people can go to events, email people to find out about events and all the details in between. In my role, I gave a interview, wrote our script and did the voice over in the documentary as well as tried to stay in contact with both Four Paws for Ability as well as Wildcat Service Dogs. Luckily, our group began a group text first off. This allowed for no miscommunication about who asked for what when because we would all get the messages. I would also offer to help with the more technical side, despite the fact that one of my group members said they would take care of it. I wish our group had set a time frame with more time to edit and see the progress. Someone once told me that if you think you are putting in more effort than your peers, you are probably putting in just the right amount; I find this to be true. There is always more work to be done than people think there is. I feel that I put in significant effort and time into this project and contributed a more than fair amount in this project.

                                                       

Being forced to essentially create our own group and then decide in how we wanted our audience to interpret our organizations was a lot of free reign. It did assist me to hone my critical thinking skills. Probably more beneficial than these group skills was to master the technology. I found it interesting that even the smallest detail has a purpose in a documentary. Before this class I had never really been forced to used technology in a class. I’d never done a blog post, or thought much of communication technologies. I found it genuinely interesting, learning about the different perspectives and what that meant. I really liked how the blog posts were set up and allowed me to predict the homework or even get it done early. Last semester I took CIS, and realized how little I liked writing papers about myself so I was far happier with this set up. I really liked your style of teaching as a professor. I found it easy to chip in a thought or be a part of discussion. It felt laid back, but also productive. It removed the formality slightly, but it allowed at least myself to feel as if I could come up to you and seek advice. I really liked how we began the semester with the shark tank proposals and then transitioned into other items on the agenda. Honestly I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for an amazing semester!!!

Reflection

Cole Feeney

5/1/2014

Reflection Essay

            There were several aspects of the this class as well as this project that impacted my semester.

            This project made me struggle and grow. My largest struggle was the group work. Personally, I think group work is the worst thing in any situation, but it teaches patience and how to work with others. Well, I definitely learned that. Oddly enough I think my biggest struggle was also what made me most proud, my ability to negotiate with those in my group; as well as learning how to manage my peers without being condescending. The only change I would make to this project would have been to assign it at the beginning of the semester. This would have allowed groups to set up interviews with a larger time frame. My role was Coordinator in the group. However, I found this to really mean set up every interview, make sure people can go to events, email people to find out about events and all the details in between. In my role, I gave a interview, wrote our script and did the voice over in the documentary as well as tried to stay in contact with both Four Paws for Ability as well as Wildcat Service Dogs. Luckily, our group began a group text first off. This allowed for no miscommunication about who asked for what when because we would all get the messages. I would also offer to help with the more technical side, despite the fact that one of my group members said they would take care of it. I wish our group had set a time frame with more time to edit and see the progress. Someone once told me that if you think you are putting in more effort than your peers, you are probably putting in just the right amount; I find this to be true. There is always more work to be done than people think there is. I feel that I put in significant effort and time into this project and contributed a more than fair amount in this project.

                                                       

Being forced to essentially create our own group and then decide in how we wanted our audience to interpret our organizations was a lot of free reign. It did assist me to hone my critical thinking skills. Probably more beneficial than these group skills was to master the technology. I found it interesting that even the smallest detail has a purpose in a documentary. Before this class I had never really been forced to used technology in a class. I’d never done a blog post, or thought much of communication technologies. I found it genuinely interesting, learning about the different perspectives and what that meant. I really liked how the blog posts were set up and allowed me to predict the homework or even get it done early. Last semester I took CIS, and realized how little I liked writing papers about myself so I was far happier with this set up. I really liked your style of teaching as a professor. I found it easy to chip in a thought or be a part of discussion. It felt laid back, but also productive. It removed the formality slightly, but it allowed at least myself to feel as if I could come up to you and seek advice. I really liked how we began the semester with the shark tank proposals and then transitioned into other items on the agenda. Honestly I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for an amazing semester!!!

Interview Schedule

Interview schedule/outline:

1-President of Four Paws (Caitlin Little)

      -perspective from administrative point of view

     -any exciting stories

      - how she obtained/earned this position and what do you need to qualify?

      - what is the graduating process in four paws? Process of the entire program?

       -ask about the events they hold. which are their favorites and why?

2-Wildcat Service Dogs Trainer (Savannah Shipp)

      -what its like to train the dogs

      - hardest things to overcome when training

      -whats the process like to become a wildcat trainer

      -any interesting stories to share

      -any questions specific to her training since she is newly training a brand new puppy

      -why did you pick wildcat service dogs as opposed to the four paws for ability? Any reasons specific to you?

3-Leader for Wildcat Service Dogs (Laura )

      -how did you become a leader in this organization?

      -ask about the club if any specific questions in mind

     -try to pull any stories we can

       -what is the training process like for the wildcat service dogs?

       -ask about the events they participate in and which of them are their favorites and why?

4-Trainer for Four Paws (Allison Shirley)

     -any stories

     -whats it like to train these dogs since they are more geared towards being socialized rather than trained to aid those with impairments.

      -how do you discipline them when in public and how do you deal with their reactions?

       -have you ever had to train older dogs and not just ones that are only a few months old?

       -why did you pick this organization over the wildcat service dogs? Anything specific to you?

5-Random Interview (street interview or someone on campus)

        -have you ever heard of either of these organizations?

        -what do you know about them?

Born Into Coal

After watching the documentary "Born Into Coal," I realized the harsh reality that coal miners had to face. Between the brutal work and the suffocating work space, these men and women battle a hard life. In addition, they also have to face unsafe working conditions that leave short and long-term side-effects. The images showed the lifestyle and the coal mining industry with new light. Both in a metaphorical and literal sense, as the documentary utilized dim lighting which casted a ominous shadow to the show. Stylistically, there were many changes to the documentary that changed the feel of it.

How it began with the story of Ariana and came back to her brought forward a more relatable feel to the piece. Coming from California, I don’t know much about coal mining but her story made me feel like I could understand it; it became personal. When I think of an eight-hour workday, I think of a nine to five job, something in an office, something that I honestly would hate; I never considered working in a dark, cold, mine. I never considered how these people’s lives are at steak because of our need of an energy source. There are also many hazards that come with the job. With more than seven percent of miners contracting “black lung,” the risk involved in a mining occupation doesn’t only affect the workers, but also their family. What I expected from the piece was not what I came away with at all. I expected a pro-coal documentary, something I would not really be able to relate to or actually understand. I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth transitions and unique storyboarding and overall planning.