6. Communication
Definition of "Communication"
A teacher must be able to use knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom. Two of the most important skills that students obtain in school is the ability to communicate their knowledge and opinions to others and the ability to listen to and engage with others. An effective teacher models clear and frequent communication by setting clear expectations, using multiple forms of communication with students, and maintaining an online course presence.
Supporting Artifacts and Analysis
My artifacts show examples of communication at the course level, unit level, and topic level. Each has a purpose in setting expectations for students and effectively delivering content.
I built a public website to house my Statistics course. The homepage links to the unit schedule where students can see upcoming dates with assignments and assessments. Posting the course schedule online helps students plan ahead and keep track of what they need to do to meet course expectations. Each lesson has its own page with very specific daily objectives, the homework assignment attached (if students need to reprint), and full solutions for homework problems. Some lessons also house instructional videos for students to watch at their own pace. Like the Moodle-based websites for my other courses, this website is designed to communicate all of the information a student needs to be successful. As a department, we all agree that the solutions to homework are not a secret -- it is the procedures and approach that we want students to learn -- so we post the full solutions to problems in a place that students can access them. Along with solutions, we post Youtube videos that students can watch at their own pace. It benefits the faster students by allowing them to get through the notes and examples without becoming bored with the pace. It also benefits the slower students by allowing them to move at whatever pace they need to, pausing the video as necessary.
The design process I used to create an Algebra 2 Unit, based on the principles of backward design, was used to clearly communicate to students what they were expected to learn in each content module. Every module included notes, a specific instructional video, and targeted practice problems. In other units, I struggled as a teacher to articulate what was most important for students to focus on and students struggled to identify exactly what they didn't understand. The design of the notes packet for this Algebra 2 unit aided communication in both directions. Besides the overall structure, the most important communication and reflection piece of the design was leaving space to track homework and quiz results. Students marked problems they answered correctly that those that they needed help with. They also marked how their quiz score broke down into each problem type to focus their review. This artifact is a detailed description of the unit. The notes packet, which provides structure for the unit and guides student to self-reflect on their learning, can be viewed directly here.
As someone who learns best by making connections between related topics, I built graphic organizers and online interactives that help students in Algebra 1 and 2 understand the relationships between the different forms of quadratic equations. The first example is a Geogebra widget -- this is an interactive tool that students can use online. I designed it to help students experiment with different translations and widths of parabolas and how changing the vertex and lead coefficient completely change the equation. The widget lets students view an (x,y) table of points, the roots, and the equation in vertex, factored, and standard forms. While using it, students can make a prediction about the equation and instantaneously see if they are correct. The widget also highlights the benefits of the different forms quadratics can be written. I designed related visual as a flowchart that allows students to see how to convert between the different forms of quadratic equations by hand, tying in factoring and completing the square into the context of the rest of the unit. These two visual tools combined communicate a new way of thinking about how the pieces of a quadratics unit fit together.
Synthesis
I use multiple channels to communicate with my students. My Google and Moodle-based websites lay out an entire course's materials with a schedule so that students always know exactly what they need to be doing. In class, I communicate not only the logistical information, but the behavioral expectations that I hold for students as I manage my classroom. I communicate expectations for what students must learn through my website and guided notes design. I deliver content in multiple forms so that students are not limited to receiving information from me in a single, limited manner. I communicate progress nearly every day through some form of assessment that we take then discuss. I facilitate students communicating with each other in structured activities, such as peer instruction questions or projects, and through unstructured work time. I believe it is critical that I understand my students needs and that they understand my expectations. I do everything I can to keep all forms of communication between me and my students open and active.