Read the article (Click the link) and then watch the video regarding communication apprehension. Virtual reality has become a popular experimental treatment for a variety of anxiety disorders, including public speaking. Advocates say it is an efficient and safe form of exposure therapy, and a growing body of research backs them up.  What are your thoughts? Do you think it could help you? (Remember, your blog response should be a minimum of 10-15 sentences). How to Give a Better Speech: Talk to a Dog.

Watch the video below. After watching the video, please tell me why are communication skills important? What did we learn about the communication process and the roles of sender/receiver? What could have been done differently by Abbot and/or Costello to ensure the message was communicated clearly?

Read the information provided by the Heritage Foundation at the link below. What are your thoughts regarding the document? Did anything surprise you in the information? If so, what? Who was the intended audience of this document? What made this a great or bad form of communication? What would you change to the document if you could? Why or why not?

Heritage Foundation: Does Your Vote Count?

Yesterday, September 11, 2016, marked the 15 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York City. On the assignments page, http://www.mrdickson.net/assignments.html, or at the bottom of this blog are a few articles about 9/11. For your response to this blog, please answer the following questions: How have the events of 9/11 and its aftermath shaped what it means to be an American? How have the events of 9/11 impacted your life or your family unit? Consider the actions the government has taken after these events, how it changed people's lives and how you think of yourself living in a post-9/11 America. What more can we do to honor the fallen? Or should we do more?

Sunday (Sept. 11, 2016 - 15th Year Anniversary of 9/11 - We Will Never Forget)

Help Honor 9/11 Victims
9/11 Kids to Terrorists: 'You Lose'
9/11 Child Turned Suffering Into Strength
New York's 9/11 Museum unveils its first ever special exhibition. 'Rendering the Unthinkable'
Background / Timeline of the 9/11 Attacks
Discovery Channel: Rebuilding Ground Zero

Convince someone why music or art or computers are important in your life.  Make them appreciate your viewpoint.

Lisa Quest contributed the following article to Forbes.

{"Did you know it takes only three to five seconds for someone to form a first impression? And while you might wish that opinion were based on your intelligence or experience, most studies show that first impressions are shaped by what can be seen or heard in those initial few seconds.

Harvard Business School social psychologist, Amy Cuddy, has studied first impressions and found that when meeting someone for the first time, we form not one impression, but two. “We’re judging how warm and trustworthy the person is, and that’s trying to answer the question, ‘What are this person’s intentions toward me?’ And we’re also asking ourselves, “How strong and competent is this person?’” states Cuddy. Her research shows that these two traits, trustworthiness and confidence, account for 80 to 90 percent of first impressions.

“First impressions matter when you want to build a lasting trust,” says Robert Lount, an assistant professor at Ohio State University. “If you get off on the wrong foot, the relationship may never be completely right again. It’s easier to build trust after a breach if you already have a strong relationship.”}

What impression are you creating? Why are first impressions so important? What first impressions do you believe you have made for the first week of school as it relates to your attitude and work product (provide examples or tell us a story)? What would you change about the first impressions you have already made this past week?

First days of school never get old. The energy of students and teachers alike make us all motivated to learn more. The challenge, however, is to keep that energy and motivation alive throughout the year. And it absolutely is possible to keep our energy and motivation alive for this year and many years to come. The secret to that energy and motivation is attitude. Our high school, through the leadership of our principal and assistant principals, have set the example for that attitude by establishing our theme (motto) for the year as “Each of us, all of us, every day!” May we all continue this spirit as students and educators throughout the year and throughout our lifelong learning process. With every challenge we face, may we always embrace it with the theme “Each of us, all of us, every day!”! Go Bearcats!

Please communicate with me your feelings on this year's school theme. Please respond by letting me know what this theme (motto) means to you and how it will allow you to communicate more effectively.