Work Cited:
Information for this blog was provided by:
Simonds Cheri J., Cooper Pamela J. Communication for the Classroom Teacher. Champaign,
IL:
Allyn & Bacon
(2011)
Conclusion
Conclusion
In conclusion, communication is the key to education. Without effective communication, no teaching or learning could take place. The key to successful communication is creating an interpersonal relationship with your students. Never stop learning about them, and always try to meet each individual's needs. Foster a positive learning environment in your classroom, and strive to treat everyone fairly. Always work on being a great listener, and overcome the numerous barriers to becoming an effective communicator.
Ethics and Diversity in Education
Ethics and Diversity
Below is a video taken from www.youtube.com on how to be a culturally responsive teacher:
"Ethical issues are inherent in the teaching profession, and more specifically, in the classroom" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). Teachers must always be aware of ethical dilemmas, and should always strive to uphold correct morals and values when it comes to education. All students should always be treated fairly, and should be made to feel safe and comfortable in the classroom regardless of their gender, race, culture, or abilities. When a school sets ethical standards for their students, it motivates staff and students to strive for higher achievement and establishes a strong educational environment.
There are ethical guidelines that should be followed when trying to resolve certain issues. The ethical guidelines are: audience analysis, political system, human nature, dialogical perspective, situational perspective, legal perspective, and personal code of ethics. For audience analysis, the teacher should consider the gender, culture, values, and background of the students in her class. In other words, she should analyze her audience. The teacher should also consider political system of her class when thinking about ethical reasoning. The teacher should also consider that human nature should be respected in the classroom. This would mean that individual differences would be looked at within the political structure of the class. The dialogical perspective means that the teacher should listen to all sides of the story when making an ethical decision. The situational perspective means that ethical decisions are made depending upon the particular situation. The legal perspective means that one would rely on what the legal ruling would be. The final ethical guideline is the personal code of ethics, which is the teacher's own personal values which can be looked at after reflecting on the various approaches. (Cooper & Simonds, 2011)
One of the most important things that educators can do when it comes to ethics and diversity in the classroom, is to create a positive learning environment where every student is treated fairly. In creating this positive, supportive environment, teachers are being proactive rather then reactive. Teachers that foster that positive climate are attempting to minimize the probability of having ethical dilemmas. In creating this positive environment, teachers should begin the year by: preparing and planning classroom rules and procedures, communicate classroom expectations clearly, establish routines, monitor student behavior, and provide feedback about academic performance and behavior. Teachers must maintain this positive learning environment throughout the school year in order for it to be effective. (Cooper & Simonds, 2011)
There are several communication concerns when it comes to diversity in the classroom. These are: sexism, ethnocentrism, classism, racism, and albeism. Each of these concerns creates communication barriers in the classroom. Teachers must be aware of these barriers, and work to overcome them in order to be an effective communicator. Sexism is favoring one gender over the other. To overcome this barrier, teachers must never favor boys over girls or vice versa. Teachers must be as fair as possible, and make sure that both genders have equal opportunities in the classroom. Ethnocentrism is thinking that one's own ethnicity is superior to others. Teachers can overcome this by taking time to learn about the different cultures of her students, and making sure to let her students know that she welcomes everyone into her classroom regardless of their background. Classism is making assumptions about someone based on their social class. Teachers must be open-minded when it comes to social class. Teachers must not stereotype students based on their family income level. Racism is discrimination based on one's race. Teachers must be very careful not to make judgements based on one's skin color. Teachers should make all students feel cared for, regardless of what their race is. Albeism is discrimination based on one's physical or mental abilities. Teachers should be accepting of all students, even and especially of those who have disabilities. Students that have disabilities should always be included in all classroom happenings. (Cooper & Simonds, 2011)
Instructional Strategies
Instructional Strategies
There are many different instructional strategies that teachers can chose from to use in the classroom. These strategies are: lecture, discussion, activities, storytelling, independent study, small group instruction, and peer instruction (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). It is up to the teacher to decide which strategies best fit the needs of her class, depending on the composition of students that make up her classroom. The teacher should chose which strategy is appropriate for her and her class based on the objectives that she is teaching, the various learning styles of her students, and the environment in which the teaching is taking place.
A lecture is an instructional strategy in which the teacher does most, if not all, of the talking. The teacher presents a vast amount of information in an efficient manner. During this strategy teachers are giving direction, providing information, and conducting evaluations. There are many advantages to giving lectures: they are flexible, easily adapted to a particular group of students, it covers a lot of information in a short amount of time, and it provides reinforcement for students. Lectures have disadvantages as well: they are very impersonal, which can affect learning, students can become easily confused with the amount of information being covered, it is difficult to maintain students' attention since they are not actively engaging, it is difficult to gear the information to the needs of each student. Teachers need to know when lecturing is appropriate and when it is inappropriate and use it accordingly. Teachers using the lecturing strategy should make sure their lecturing is engaging, and uses visual aids. Teachers also need to ensure they are giving students enough time to process all of the information they are teaching when lecturing.
Leading a class discussion is another instructional strategy used by teachers. The advantages to leading a class discussion are: giving students practice in expressing themselves, helping students gain experience in defending their views. The disadvantages of using a class discussion are: it takes a lot of time, teachers and students must posses discussion skills. Teachers that lead a class discussion must be very prepared. Teachers should have questions ready to prompt the discussion, and should be prepared to help the discussion flow. Teachers must also give up some of the "control," and step back to allow students to do most of the talking during the class. Class discussions are very beneficial to students if the teacher is prepared well enough.
Storytelling is another type of instructional strategy. Teachers and students use storytelling everyday in the classroom when they share about their lives and experiences. Stories can help explain difficult concepts, and because they are appealing, they can help in teaching certain objectives. Storytelling is entertaining, and can be a very effective teaching strategy when used appropriately.
Independent study is another type of instructional strategy. In independent study, a student works independently to accomplish the assignment given by the teacher. In using this strategy, the teacher must know that her students are capable of completing the objectives on their own. The students need to be given clear guidelines, and directions. They need to understand what they are to accomplish. It is important when using this instructional strategy that the students know that the teacher is there to assist them if they need help. When used appropriately, independent study can be very effective for student learning.
Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
Communication involves our words (verbal messages) and behaviors (nonverbal messages). To be an effective communicator, educators must use both verbal and nonverbal communication. Verbal and nonverbal messages support each other, and when used together appropriately, communication will be enhanced.
Verbal Communication
"Verbal communication takes into account the effect that words have on your students and will affect your ability to teach competently" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). Teachers must always work hard to make sure that communication is clear, concise, appropriate, and interesting. Some verbal communication techniques are: teacher clarity, teacher appropriateness, and verbal delivery. To promote teacher clarity, teachers should prepare students for what is being taught, provide many examples, demonstrate, provide lots of practice, and stress important or difficult ideas. Teachers should also make sure that the language being used in the classroom is age appropriate, and content appropriate. Teachers should always try to use inclusive language, which is language that considers all types of people regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, and so on. Verbal delivery is extremely important when it comes to verbally communicating well. Teachers should pay attention to their articulation, the tone of their voice, pronunciation of words, volume, and the rate at which they are speaking. Nobody wants to listen to a speaker who uses a boring, monotone voice. It is important that teachers have an enthusiastic quality when it comes to verbal delivery so that their students are engaged in the lesson.
Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is using facial expressions, gestures, and touch to portray messages. Nonverbal communication means that no words are necessary to communicate. "Nonverbal communication serves many functions in the classroom. As in any context, a nonverbal message can repeat, substitute for, complement, contradict, or regulate the verbal message" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011).
Nonverbal communication can be categorized in several ways: proxemics, spatial arrangements, environmental factors, chronemics, artifacts, and kinesics. Proxemics has to do with personal space. Teachers need to be careful not to invade the personal space of students so as not to make them feel uncomfortable. Spatial arrangement affects communication. Teachers should be aware of how and where they seat their students, making sure they understand how their seating arrangement can affect classroom dynamics and communication. Environmental factors deal with the classroom environment. Teachers should make sure their classroom is clean, nice to look at, has a comfortable temperature, and has good lighting. All of these environmental factors impact communication. Chronemics is the study of how people use time. Teachers should always make sure they are giving students enough time on each subject being taught. Similarly, teachers should ensure that they are giving students appropriate time when responding to a question or participating in a class discussion. Teachers should always be dressed professionally and appropriately, and should expect the same of students as well. Artifacts, and/or clothes do have an effect on how students perform in the classroom. "Kinesics is the study of body movement, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and so on" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). Teachers that use more kinesic behavior in the classroom, are more effective at communicating with their students than those who don't use it as much. Things like eye contact, using gestures, or using a facial expression like a smile keep students in tune with what you are saying. Nonverbal communication is an important way of communicating to our students.
Below is a video taken from www.youtube.com showing what it would be like to communicate using nonverbal communication only:
In this video, we see a man trying to order coffee using only nonverbal communication. He cannot talk, and has to rely on using facial expressions and hand gestures to try to explain what he wants to order. As you can see, it is difficult to communicate using only nonverbal skills. This video makes it easy to see that one needs to use both verbal and nonverbal skills to communicate effectively. When used together in support of each other, verbal and nonverbal communication are very effective.
Communication Competencies: Listening Skills and Barriers
Having good listening skills is an imperative aspect of communication. Cooper and Simonds state that, "In the classroom, listening is the main channel of instruction" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). When so much time is spent listening in the classroom, "ineffective listening can be costly to students" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). Cooper and Simonds also state that most of us are inefficient learners, and we only retain about 20% of what we hear. Listening involves so much more than simply hearing what is being said. Judi Brownell (2009) describes listening in what she calls the HURIER model, which stands for six interrelated activities; hearing, understanding, remembering, interpreting, evaluating, and responding (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). We need to do all of these activities in order to understand and retain what is being heard.
There are four different types of listening: informative, appreciative, empathetic, and critical (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). Informative listening is when we are attempting to understand a message to gain knowledge for future use. For example, informative listening takes place when students listen to directions on how to take an exam. Appreciative listening is when we listen to something simply because we enjoy it. For example, when we listen to a teacher because we like to tone of her voice. Empathetic listening is when we are listening for the feelings of another person. When we listen to friend talk about a problem, we are listening empathetically. This kind of listening is very important in the teaching profession. The fourth type of listening is critical listening. Critical listening is making judgements about the messages that are being received (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). All four of these types of listening will be used as an educator. It is very important to be aware of all four types of listening, and utilize them properly in the classroom.
Listening Barriers
Effective Listening Chart from 1000ventures.com
Since it is so important to have good listening skills as an educator, we must discuss some listening barriers, so we know how to overcome them. The four major categories of listening barriers are: factual distractions, semantic distractions, mental distractions, and physical distractions (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). Factual distractions occur because we listen for facts, not the main ideas or feelings behind the message. Therefore, we lose sight of the "big picture" of the message. Semantic distractions are when we misunderstand the terminology being used, or associate certain emotions with the words or phrases. For example, when a student hears the word math, he feels negatively about the meaning of the word. He may not listen in math class, because he associates his negative thoughts and feelings to the word. Mental distractions occur when we are focusing on ourselves. We are so caught up in our own problems and needs that we don't focus on the person we are supposed to be listening to. Physical distractions can be a variety of different things. For example, noises, uncomfortable clothing, and the time of day could all interfere with one's ability to listen.
For effective listening to occur, we must be aware of these barriers, and try to remove as many of them as possible. We should work to always listen for the "big picture." We shouldn't take things literally, and shouldn't let our preconceived notions get in the way of our listening. We should always try to focus on the speaker, and try to avoid thinking only of ourselves and our problems when listening to others. We should avoid judging or stereotyping the speaker, as this will effect our listening skills. We should always strive to remove physical barriers when possible. If we try to limit these barriers, then effective listening will take place.
Effective Listening Strategies
- Remove physical barriers
-Concentrate on the speaker
-Do not stereotype or judge the speaker
-Avoid thinking of one's self
-Listen
-Ask questions
Interpersonal Communication: Teacher and Student Expectations of Communication
Teachers and students expect certain things from one another. When these expectations are appropriate, then effective student learning can take place. Below is a chart that I created showing both teacher and student communication expectations.
In order to have effective communication,
educators must take valuable time in getting to know students, and creating
relationships. Teachers need to have a
good rapport with their students, learning what each individual needs in terms
of communication. One thing that helps
tremendously in communicating effectively is to have a positive view of others,
or a positive self-concept. When
teachers view others positively, they are less likely to be critical, tend to
be more open-minded and accepting, which allows students to feel supported,
making communication easier.
It is also essential that teachers set clear
expectations for their students, and hold them accountable for those
expectations. In setting these
expectations, teachers are preparing students to be motivated to achieve, which
helps them have a good self-concept.
When students receive appropriate feedback for meeting their
expectations, self-concept rises allowing for an effective learning experience. Cooper and Simonds state that, "certain teacher/student expectations are recommended for an effective learning experience. Without expectations teachers would not be effective" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). Interpersonal relationships between teachers and students is crucial in order for expectations to be met, and for effective communication to happen in the classroom.
Communication Competencies: Application for Teachers
There are five types of communication competencies for teachers. The competencies are: informative messages, affective messages, imaginative messages, ritualistic messages, and persuasive messages. An informative message is a message that allows educators to send and receive messages that give or obtain information (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). In an affective message, "teachers should demonstrate competence in sending and receiving messages that give or obtain information" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). With affective messages, educators must be willing to express their feelings, and offer opinions on topics. Teachers must also demonstrate openness and provide a feeling of warmth to students. Imaginative messages are messages that "speculate, theorize, and fantasize" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). Teachers should encourage creativity, and show appreciation for students' imaginations. A ritualistic message is a message that "maintains social relationships and facilitates interaction" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). A ritualistic message should model appropriate social behaviors and the normal roles in conversations of speaking and listening. Persuasive messages are messages that seek to persuade, or convince someone of something. In a persuasive message, one must differentiate between facts and opinions. The teacher and/or student must support their ideas with evidence.
These five types of communication competencies are vital to educators. We use these types of communication every day in our classrooms to ensure that our students understand the messages we are trying to convey. We also use these types of messages to help us communicate with the parents of our children as well. Without these five types of communication competencies, we would be very ineffective in communicating in education.
Foundations of Communication
Without communication, there would be no teaching and learning. As educators, we need to learn how to communicate effectively if we want our students to be successful. In this blog, I will be teaching about communication, and will inform you about different communication techniques to allow you to be a successful communicator in your classroom. We will start out by discussing the foundations of communication.
There are three domains of communication: communication pedagogy, developmental communication, and instructional communication. Communication pedagogy is "determining appropriate ways to teach communication competencies" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). It is the study of communication, and the effect it has on your teaching in the classroom. Developmental communication is "how individuals acquire, or develop, communication skills" (Cooper & Simonds, 2011). Communication researchers suggest that teachers should concern themselves with how students develop communication competencies. Instructional communication is how to use communication to teach. All teachers need good communication skills to be effective in the classroom. A teacher may be an expert in her content area, but if she cannot communicate her knowledge to her students effectively, then no learning is taking place.
These three domains; communication pedagogy, developmental communication, and instructional communication, provide the foundation of communication. As educators, we need to understand all three of these domains, and the importance they have on us as teachers. Without effective communication, our students will not succeed, thus we need to learn about communication to better ourselves, and help us become more prepared to teach.
Goals and Objectives
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