2+-+Communicating

= **Communicating** = Communicating is the exchange of information with various audiences using a range of media and formats. Effective communicators contribute to cross-cultural understanding, make informed choices when deciding on tools to articulate meaning, and provide relevant, significant feedback to others.

- Add in media studies / skills components? MAPS - message, audience, purpose style.

//** Trans theme **// **Listening:** I listen to directions and instructions. I listen to others and I listen to information.

**Speaking:** I speak clearly. I express my ideas so that they make sense to others. I share my ideas and opinions. I can present my work to small and large groups.

**Reading:** I read a range of sources for information. I read a range of texts because I enjoy reading. I understand and I reflect upon what I have read. I make conclusions based on what I have read.

**Writing:** I record information. I record my observations. I can take notes and rewrite information in my own words. I keep a reflection journal.

**Non-verbal communication:** I know that my body language, facial expressions and actions can give others a lot of information. I understand other peoples’ body language, facial expression and actions. I know that these things can mean different things in different countries.

__ BECTA __

A digitally literate person is a critical and discerning user of digital communication tools with the knowledge, skills and understanding that enables them to choose the most appropriate communication tool for the task in hand and how to use it effectively. Communication in the classroom allows students to share information, to re­ contextualise and repurpose their developing subject knowledge in order to create and internalise new understandings and present this to others.

Good communication involves an awareness of creating something for someone else, the ability to consider the needs of particular audiences and to communicate potentially complex ideas with clarity and lucidity. It can involve choosing appropriate formats, tools and media and thinking about the specific affordances of those formats, tools and media and how they can be used to represent meaning.

Critical digital communication skills Fostering digital literacy will also mean asking critical questions about digital communication tools and their use. When communicating using digital technologies, young people can be supported to question whether they are using digital technology for a purpose; digital tools should not be used in communication just for the sake of using digital media, there needs to be a clearly defined reason for doing so. Young people also need to think critically about how meaning is represented by different media and how this relates to cultural, social and political values. They need to consider the type of media they are using and which is best for the task they have been given, eg they may be excited at the thought of making a podcast, however if the information they are trying to convey is particularly visual, then a podcast may not be the most suitable tool for the task.

Teachers can support students to consider the implications of whether or not their output will be made publically available online by having whole class discussions on issues such as: _ the relevance, suitability and security of the information they communicate publically _ who and what they are representing (identity) _ digital permanence - once information is online, it is not necessarily easy to remove. Students and teachers should also be aware that some online tools allow people to use a free version but this can mean their presentation is stored online and made publically available. Of course with some other tools such as a blog, the very purpose of the tool is to make the communication a public one.

Audience Effective communication is not only concerned with the skills of delivering an end product (eg a presentation) to an audience. In order to communicate ideas well, it is important to reflect on the needs and prior understanding of the intended audience throughout the process of developing the product. Supporting young people to focus on an audience in this way encourages them to source information that they can understand and then re-contextualise so as to pass it on to others. It involves making purposeful decisions over what information to include and what to discard. This not only improves communication skills, it supports young people to critically engage with knowledge in a focused and meaningful way.

__** ISTE **__

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students: **a.** interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media **b.** communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats **c.** develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures **d.** contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
 * Communication and Collaboration**

__** P21CS **__

 // Communicate Clearly //

 *  Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts
 *  Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions
 *  Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)
 *  Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness a priori as well as assess their impact
 *  Communicate effectively in diverse environments (including multi-lingual)