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Communication and Museum’s:

I had never given much thought to the relationship between museums and communication until taking this course. I primarily thought of museums as locations where people visit to view artwork, historical artifacts, or other significant items. I’ve begun to understand that museums are also about narrative and communication through our class talks and activities. A visitor’s comprehension of the material can be drastically altered by how a museum arranges an exhibit, describes an item, or employs images and films. As a communications major, I’ve discovered far more links between museums and my field than I had anticipated.

I find that storytelling is one of the most significant relationships. We are always considering how to present a story in a way that will keep an audience interested in communications and media. The same is required of museums. It is not enough for an exhibit to simply place items in a space and expect visitors to comprehend their significance. To give the items context, museums employ explanations, images, music, video, and interactive displays. I became more aware of the choices made behind the scenes as a result of our class talks on how museums show information. Museums must choose what information to display, who is represented, and how they want visitors to react.

A communications expert could make numerous contributions to a museum. People with knowledge of social media, public relations, advertising, video creation, interviewing, and audience engagement are essential to museums. A communications specialist might, for instance, make films for Instagram or TikTok that promote a new exhibit or feature interviews with individuals related to the subject being discussed. Additionally, they could assist museums in reaching younger audiences who might not otherwise consider going. The American Alliance of Museums states that museums seek to provide individuals with cultural and educational opportunities. To make those experiences understandable and engaging for various audiences, communication is crucial.

This concept particularly relates to my interest in sports media and broadcasting. I began considering the concept of a sports-related museum project for our Signature Project activity. Sports museums are an excellent illustration of how history and communication can coexist. Even while a jersey, basketball, trophy, or picture may appear to be a straightforward item, their backstory can give them significance. That narrative can be told with the aid of game videos, athlete interviews, data, images, and commentary. As someone who is interested in sports broadcasting, I might use my research, interviewing, narrative, and video production talents to help build an exhibit that connects visitors to a team, athlete, or significant period in sports history.

Still, I believe there are aspects of the museum industry that I can use in communications. One of the most important is realizing that the presentation of information is just as important as the information itself. Whether I’m producing sports content, giving a broadcast, posting on social media, or conducting an interview, I have to consider my audience and what I want them to learn. Additionally, museums demonstrate the value of accurately portraying people and preserving stories. All things considered, this course has made it clearer to me that museums and communications are far more intertwined than I had previously believed. Finding meaningful methods to communicate knowledge, experiences, and narratives with others is the ultimate goal of both industries.

I was a Communication and Media major at Montclair State University when I first started college, and I was interested in sports broadcasting and becoming a sports commentator. I had never given my schooling any thought in terms of “Habits of Mind” until then. The four General Education Habits of Mind—Purposeful Communication, Problem Solving, Integrated Perspective, and Self-Regulated Learning—were introduced to me after I transferred to Plymouth State University. A habit of mind is defined by Plymouth State as a “usual way of thinking, a way of engaging with the everyday world.” I can see that I was honing these abilities before I even understood what they were named when I reflect on my time at Plymouth and Montclair. Although there are certain indicators that I still need to work on, I would currently classify myself as climbing in the majority of areas.

Purposeful Communication

The Habit of Mind that most closely relates to my major and eventual profession is Purposeful Communication. Awareness of Context, Understanding, Purposeful Expression, and Effective Use of Communication Strategies are some of the indicators. Communication is crafting messages that can “increase knowledge, foster understanding, and/or promote change,” according to the Habits of Mind reading. Throughout college, I have put this into reality through projects, papers, presentations, and class discussions. I learned that being a sports analyst requires more than just statistical knowledge from my studies in sports and media at Montclair. You must comprehend the material and present it in a way that maintains the attention of the audience. Through Communication and Media classes at Plymouth, which force me to consider my audience and the context of a message, I have continued to hone these abilities. I think I’m improving in this area because I can adapt my communication style to the task and target audience. The Effective Application of Strategies for Communication This is something I still want to work on, particularly when I’m speaking in front of an audience. If I want to work in broadcasting or sports analysis, it will be crucial that I develop my presentation skills and confidence.

Problem Solving

Both in the classroom and in my experiences outside of college, I have improved my problem-solving skills. This region is divided into Problem Framing, Challenge Identification, Plan Development, Decision-Making and Revision, and Evaluation of Progress according to the Habits of Mind Signposts. Group projects are one setting in which I have used these abilities. There have been occasions when members of the group have disagreed, a concept has failed, or we’ve realized that our initial strategy needs to be modified. Rather of giving up, we must determine what is causing the issue and choose a different course of action. I have had the same issue when performing handyman, moving, and landscaping tasks outside of school. It’s possible that a project will take more supplies than anticipated or that, once we start, the initial design won’t work. I’ve learned from these encounters that problem solving calls for adaptability. The significance of being able to “persist and adapt despite failure” is also mentioned in the reading. I would classify myself as Climbing in this Habit of Mind as I’ve grown accustomed to altering plans as needed. Evaluation of Progress is the signal that I need to work on the most. I normally concentrate on finishing the task or project, but I should take more time to reflect on what went well and what I could do better the next time.

Integrated Perspective

As I’ve taken various classes and interacted with a variety of people throughout college, my integrated perspective has grown. Self-awareness, perspective seeking, interconnectedness, and collaboration are some of its markers. Our “beliefs, ideas, and values are influenced by personal experience” in addition to cultural, historical, and other variables, according to the Habits of Mind reading. I’ve learned a lot about this from my Plymouth Intercultural Communication classes. For instance, I discovered that actions like maintaining eye contact can have cultural connotations. A person from a different cultural background can view something that I would consider to be a sign of confidence or respect differently. Since I’ve had to interact with peers who might approach a subject differently than I do, group assignments have also aided in my development of collaboration. In addition to exposing me to a new school setting, moving from Montclair to Plymouth made me more receptive to many viewpoints. Although Interconnectedness is a marker I still need to improve on, I would rank myself as Climbing in this category. Instead of focusing exclusively on the immediate outcome, I want to get better at considering how my own decisions can impact other individuals and the greater community.

Self Regulated Learning

Throughout my time in college, the last habit of mind—self-regulated learning—has likely been one of the most crucial. Meta cognitive awareness, involvement in the learning process, and responsibility for one’s own learning are its markers. Self-regulated learners, according to the reading, “take responsibility for their own learning” and learn from obstacles and errors. Since college demands a great deal more freedom than high school, I have personally experienced this. This became even more crucial when I transferred colleges because I had to become used to a new environment and set of expectations at Plymouth instead of Montclair. I’ve discovered that dividing more complex work into manageable chunks is beneficial, particularly for lengthy papers and presentations. That demonstrates meta cognitive awareness as I’m starting to identify the methods that enable me to learn and successfully finish my work. Although I would describe myself as climbing, I still have room for improvement in terms of my engagement with the learning process. I would be able to devote more time to learning and revision rather than stressing about meeting deadlines if I could organize my time better and start assignments earlier.

Still Climbing

I can see that the four Habits of Mind are not exclusive to General Education courses when I reflect on my time at both Montclair State and Plymouth State. I use them in everyday circumstances, jobs, group projects, and my Communication and Media classes. I can also see how they relate to my desire to work in sports analysis or broadcasting. A sports analyst must be able to communicate effectively, overcome unforeseen issues, comprehend other viewpoints, work with others, and continuously acquire new knowledge. I concur with Plymouth State’s explanation that cultivating the Habits of Mind is a “lifelong pursuit.” Since I have proof that I am forming each habit, I would currently rate myself at the Climbing level. However, I am also aware of the areas in which I still need to improve. Evaluating my progress, realizing interconnection, time management, and gaining confidence in various communication techniques are my main areas for improvement. I won’t consider myself to have mastered everything if I make it to the Summit. It will indicate that I have kept getting better and that I know how to continue learning even after I graduate from college.