Sunday 29 June 2014

Communication Skills for Teachers - II

This was presented in the Faculty Development Programme for the Gujarat Government College Teachers, organized by Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG) at Ahmedabad. In this 90 minutes presentation:12 videos,17 images, #900 words – are used in 24 slides. The main ideas of the presentation are given below the embedded presentation.
The venue (KCG), the banner (FDP) and the participants



  • Communication Skills for Teachers Dilip Barad Dept. of English M.K. Bhavnagar University 27 June 2014 Faculty Development Programme
  • Morgan, Algiro L. in his paper ‘Communication Skills for Teachers’ • “One of the most neglected aspects of teacher training is thorough preparation in the diverse communication skills that are needed by good teachers in today's schools.”
  • Six Important Points: CS 4 T • Positive Motivation: create interest, enthusiasm, remove fear and inhibition. • Effective Body Language: Gestures, body movement with verbal skills – never sit and teach - Moving in aisles. • Sense of Humor: do not confuse dirty jokes with humour. • Understanding the Students: prefer dialogue over monologue – listen students’ opinion- saint on the stage vs guide by the side • Team Formation: helps in mutual understanding students as well as teachers. • Technical skills: Up-to-date with latest techno-tools for teaching.
  • Be precise: Brevity is the Soul • A Brief History of Communication . . (Video) • The journey from pre-historic to techno-era in a few seconds. • Save time! Time is the most precious. • (To view this video visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9KGt3OS4uM&index=2&list=PLSmZQVxjN9_j0Ln3e5i6L -NDzEpHGNP7W)
  • Newer Generations – Fresh Ideas and Ideals • Digital Generation. (Video) • Do not replace but replenish. • Click here to view video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg37kafMsWk&index=4&list=PLSmZQVxjN9_j0Ln3e5i6L- NDzEpHGNP7W
  • Look for the possibilities beyond the horizons • Education for all! (Video) • Click here to view video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bh3HP51rJs&index=5&list=PLSmZQVxjN9_j0Ln3e5i6L- NDzEpHGNP7W
  • Learn to unlearn, teach ‘unlearning’: Adopt – adapt - adept • Two women at the bus stop. (Video) • Age is not the barrier for learning new things. (Video) • Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMXzuxDXVKA&index=7&list=PLSmZQVxjN9_j0Ln3e5i6L- NDzEpHGNP7W • Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de087u7ylms&index=10&list=PLSmZQVxjN9_j0Ln3e5i6L- NDzEpHGNP7W
  • Make students sensible towards issues • Save trees (Video) • Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-gWkHZ0e1E&index=6&list=PLSmZQVxjN9_j0Ln3e5i6L- NDzEpHGNP7W
  • Demonstrate! Do not teach, let them learn! • Watch this video from movie 3 Idiots. • (The scene is that of Virus demonstrating nest of crow with eggs of Koyel)
  • Myth Vs Reality Communication Myths Communication Reality Communication is a conscious / deliberate process. (e.g. Osho’s visit to disciple, father-2 sons,) Communication is an unconscious process and it goes on at every moment of time! We communicate primarily through ‘words’ only. (zoo-zoos) We communicate through ‘verbal’ as well as ‘non-verbal signs. Words mean the same to everyone. (Pardon, women) Meaning of the words lies more in perception of reality. Communication is a one-sided process and it is controlled by communicator. Communication is a two-way process and it always happens, controlled by none. Message sent and message received are the same. (Video: Hu is . . . (video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgFHYteJSPk&index=3&list=PLSmZ QVxjN9_j0Ln3e5i6L-NDzEpHGNP7W Transmission and reception of message can never be identical.
  • Penny Ur - 1997 • She identifies some essential qualities, which relate to teaching rather than other professions: – I sense where the learner is at, what their problem is: I feel what they know and what they don’t know. – I know how to transform what I know about the language into a form that is accessible to my learners – I know how to design and administer activities and exercises that will foster learning – I know when learning is and is not happening by the way the learners behave: I don’t need tests – I get my ‘buzz’ from when the students succeed, learn, progress To master this, one requires to practice reflection of teaching
  • Use of technology as follow-up actions & CS4T • Pedagogy is evolving with newer technological aids for better communication in classroom. • Various ICT components helps teacher in enhancing their skills in teaching. • It also has its deep rooted impact on the learning of the students. • Here, we discuss how can we sharpen our communication skills by using it for follow-up actions?
  • • SMS, email, scrap, tweet, chat, web spaces, SIG, etc can be used effectively for: – Replying questions of the students – Solving their doubts/queries etc – Giving some task for next class in advance – Having group discussion out of the class – Uploading lesson/presentation to web spaces – Running web sites with LMS to check students progress – Managing e-groups (SIGs) – file upload, poll, discussion, photos etc.
  • Social Constructivism • Social constructivism extends constructivism into social settings, wherein groups construct knowledge for one another, collaboratively creating a small culture of shared artifacts with shared meanings. • When one is immersed within a culture like this, one is learning all the time about how to be a part of that culture, on many levels. • Eg. Cup.
  • Pedagogical Pyramidical Structure based on Bloom’s Taxonomy LOTs HOTs
  • Observation is the master key! • To be the master of effective Communication Skills, OBSERVE, OBSERVE, OBSERVE; minutely, meticulously, marvelously.
  • Let’s view this advertisement. We are supposed to identify the product - Fire crackers - Courier service – anti-roach spray - Gas Cylinder – Save Fuel - Save Environment – match box –– old age woes Click or copy / paste to view video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97650bEF434&index=9&list=PLSmZQVxjN9_j0Ln3e5i6L-NDzEpHGNP7W 29/06/2014 17 An Advanced National Workshop in General Semantics: 28-30 Jan. 2013
  • How observant are we? Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubNF9QNEQLA&index=8&list=PLSmZQVxjN9_j0Ln3e5i6L-NDzEpHGNP7W 29/06/2014 18 An Advanced National Workshop in General Semantics: 28-30 Jan. 2013
  • Structured education system . . . Unstructured Life!
  • Always in flux - Change with time If Monks can, why can’t Teachers?
  • Let us review highly effective skills of teachers • Be precise: Brevity is the Soul • Be contemporary: Newer Generations – Fresh Ideas and Ideals • Look for the possibilities beyond the horizons • Learn to unlearn, teach ‘unlearning’: Adopt – adapt – adept • Make students sensible towards issues • Demonstrate! Do not teach, let them learn! • Be observant! Avoid jundgmentalism • Always be in flux - Change with time • Practice Reflective Teaching
  • Lets conclude - teachers in action • Video 1: An imaginary picture of a teacher • Video 2: The reality! • Video1 link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlEP5uAhr3Y&index=11&list=PLSmZQVxjN9_j0Ln3e5i6L-NDzEpHGNP7W • Video2 link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amBhZP1b4x4&index=12&list=PLSmZQVxjN9_j0Ln3e5i6L-NDzEpHGNP7W
  • What is the message? • To get to the core of message, do not ask ‘WHAT’. • Do not ask ‘What is said or shown?’ • Ask, ‘HOW’ – The ‘How’ of the presentation has the message for teachers to be effective and efficient in classroom performance as well as in professional development. • In this 90 minutes presentation: – 12 videos – 17 images – #900 words – are used in 24 slides.
  • Thank You… •Questions???? •Before you ask, ponder this: PM of I, school visit, questions by students, Nawaz Sharif, Dawood, Iraq !@? • www.dilipbarad.com • dilipbarad@gmail.com