Communication in the Classroom

Jane Patton, Ed. D. Communication Studies Faculty

Your typical class. . . First 5 min.

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Conclusion

Instruction depends upon communication

Your communication

Students’ communication ---with you & classmates

Class climate

Help Hurt

Kinds of classroom communication

Presentations, lectures

Group work

Interpersonal

Intercultural

Tips for Effective Presentations

Know your audience

Express ideas clearly & explicitly

Check audience’s listening skills

Gain & keep attention

Be well organized & prepared

Use visual aids effectively

Remember messages are verbal, visual and vocal

Effective visual aids

Can be understood in 6 seconds

Anchor listeners to the key concepts

Do not put audience in reading mode

Enhance (aid) your verbal & vocal messages

C. Hamilton

Benefits of visual aids

C. HAMILTONC. HAMILTON

Audience RecallAudience Recall

70%

10%

72%

20%

85%

65%

After 3 hours After 3 days

Verbalonly

Visualonly

VerbalandVisual

Don McMillan

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1529637984

Or google: Life after Death by PowerPoint

Group Communication Skills(students need to learn them)

Speak clearly & succinctly

Encourage others to speak

Don’t monopolize

Listen well; paraphrase

Stick to topic/task

Human relations skills

Interpersonal Communication

Listen; give attention

Paraphrase & summarize

Define terms

Build rapport; trust

Show empathy; respect

Remember messages are verbal, visual, vocal

Class Climates (Gibb categories)

DEFENSIVE

1. Evaluation

2. Control

3. Strategy

4. Neutrality

5. Superiority

6. Certainty

SUPPORTIVE

1. Description

2. Problem Orientation

3. Spontaneity

4. Empathy

5. Equality

6. Provisionalism

Intercultural Principles Successful comm. depends upon shared meanings.

Cultural patterns: the group’s collective beliefs, values, norms

One’s culture & language affects one’s cognition & learning

Native language affects one’s world view, beliefs, etc.

Different cultural practices in education

Differences continuum: minor to major.

Self Reflection Activity

Our Challenge:

To model and teach effective communication in our classrooms