The final strand we explored in our literacy class is
teaching students effective ways of communication. Here are the overall
expectations as outlined by the curriculum, students will:
- Listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes
- Use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes;
- Reflect on and identify their strengths as listeners and speakers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in oral communication situations
The explored resources in this section of the curriculum
highlights that students need to become efficient communicators. That requires
them to understand and process the information by becoming good listeners. It
is especially important to teach highly effective ways of communications when
dealing with ELL learners as their needs will be addressed in a modified way.
Educators need to strategically plan and scaffold the learning of students that
struggle with communicating in class. Some students have high levels of anxiety
when it comes to presenting in front of the class; this means teachers need to differentiate
the method of presenting for the student and slowly scaffolds them to the
degree in which the student can confidently present in front of the class.
Some resources that I found helpful include; showing TedTalks
to model to students the power of communication and the steps that make an
effective communication possible. Another resource that I chose to explore was
an article on teaching students to debate. Now this may seem like a negative
concept to introduce to students, but it actually liberates the mind to think
in ways that may have otherwise been impossible for them. It helps students
organize their thoughts, opinions and evidence in order present and stand-up against
the opposition, and at the same time making them good listeners in order to
reply appropriately to the opposition’s questions, remarks, and accusations.
Overall, it is important to make students effective
communicators, and to build them up to that level, we need to educated students
on what make good listeners. Simple classroom management ideas such as getting
students to repeat the task or strategically picking students to answer your questions
can keep students alert during the instructional time. It is highly important
that students become good listeners in order to become effective communicators.
