Introduction

This learning tool is intended to give you an opportunity to reflect on the concepts and feelings you're experiencing during this course. What you write in your journal is confidential; however, in class you will be asked from time-to-time to discuss your experiences and reflections with classmates.

Each item below contains one or more questions. When you print this document, place each item on a separate page. You should write at least one typed (double-spaced) page on each item unless otherwise noted.

Please keep up-to-date on the entries and bring this journal with you to class each day in case we want to discuss the issues raised here.

The video "Productivity and the Self-Fulfilling Prophesy" highlights the powerful, almost magical, Pygmalion Effect. Rosenthal's four-factor theory is reviewed in an effort to demystify the phenomenon. What are the four factors and how do they work to create the self-fulfilling prophesy? Provide examples from your own experience to illustrate each of the four factors.

 
Item 2

Psychologists who study group process have proposed that all groups go through four distinct phases: 1) an initial "getting to know you" phase called "forming," 2) a conflict-oriented phase in which status and rules are contested, called "storming," 3) an engaged negotiating phase called "norming," and 4) an active work phase called, "performing."

All groups must go through all four phases to be engaged and effective, however, not every group goes through these phases productively. Some well-established groups go through these phases so quickly an outside observer might think they didn't engage in any "forming," "storming" or "norming." Some groups never gel at all and get mired in "forming" or "storming." Sometimes groups have to go back to earlier phases to redo a step.

Has your -ISM (N.) group moved into the "storming" phase yet? Most work groups suffer from role confusion and disaffection as they mature. How has your group dealt with frustration or disagreement? Has the group confronted these issues directly or have they been ignored? How has this affected your work progress?

As you have learned, the -ISM (N.) group project works at several different levels: at the overt level, you and your partners make a video about an "-ism," but at a deeper level, the group itself is a learning tool. By struggling with the intentionally vague demands of the task (no one forced you to decide on what topic you focused, who did what task, etc.) you should uncover knowledge about how groups work and what groups skills you possess. You are living diversity, not just reading about it!

Given this perspective, discuss the effectiveness of your -ISM (N.) group. How successfully are you navigating the "forming-storming-norming-performing" process? What are you learning about how groups work (or don't work) that you can take with you into the classroom? What are you learning about your group skills? (Respond to this question after your -ISM (N.) group has had an opportunity to do some significant work on your video.)

Your response to this item should be at least two-pages long.