Dynamic Communication

Collins (2018), states that "Being able to communicate with others in a variety of settings is an important skill for 21st-century students to learning." When we look at synonyms for the word dynamic, we will find words like energetic, spirited, zestful, strong, powerful, and effective. Isn't this what we all strive for and ultimately want for our students? Communication is such an important part of our everyday lives. Communicating effectively is essential for most people's day-to-day tasks.

According to the article titled Communication for Personalized Learning (2016), there are five major purposes for communication. Those purposes are to inform, to express feelings, to imagine, to influence, and to meet social expectations. These five purposes, along with many others, are important to a personalized learning environment. Dynamic communication is an important component for cultivating responsible 21st century learners. When teachers model effective, dynamic communication and practice such with their students, students will then feel more empowered and equipped to face challenges. It also helps to build confidence and lifelong skills that learners can take with them and use for the rest of their lives.

When we think about the word "communication" and communicating in general, we often associate that with giving or relaying information. We think of it as an expressive act. However, a big piece of dynamic and effective communication is the receptive act of listening. Being a good listener is equally as important as being good at talking and relaying information. There are many benefits that come with being a good listener (How to Be a Better Listener, n.d.). Some of those benefits include:

Likability - People who intentionally listen to others are actually present in the conversation. Therefore, they are perceived as being more likable.

Strong Relationships - People who are dynamic listeners and listen to other intently are known for showing interest, asking questions, and acknowledging what is being said. This helps people feel more comfortable and stronger relationships are formed.

Clear Understanding - Misperceptions and miscommunication plays a big role in many disagreements, arguments, and/or workplace squabbles. Being an effective listener allows one to have a clear understanding of the subject at hand.

I wanted to take a moment to elaborate on the last benefit that I mentioned above. I would be remiss if I did not include a little bit about the Leader In Me program and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Kids that my school practices. Habit 5 states, "Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood". Think about how powerful that can be. If you are having a hard time understanding a situation, or why someone said or did something, etc., Habit 5 is an effective way to communicate that. I personally use it all the time, not only in my work life, but also in my personal life. I always aim to seek understanding (gain a clear understanding by listening) before I voice my side or opinion. This is something we model and teach our students almost daily.

Coaching Learners to Initiate Conversation

Standard Student-Teacher Communication

One way that I encourage my students to communicate is through the messaging feature on itsLearning, our learning management system. Using the messaging feature is a great way for my students to communicate with me when they are not in my small group. It is also perfect for when I am absent and not at school. It allows me to quickly and easily message my students and let them know that I am not there and what the expectations for the day are. Likewise, it is a great tool to use when students are absent and have questions. Teaching students to use the messaging system on our LMS has also allowed for some great digital citizenship lessons. We teach them that inappropriate messaging on this platform, or any platform, can negatively impact their digital footprint.

The RCA Way

Last summer, my two co-teachers and I had the amazing opportunity to attend a 2-day professional development event at the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) in Atlanta, Georgia. If you are not familiar with RCA, I highly suggest you explore what the academy is all about.

In most schools, standing on the desks and dancing is frowned upon. Not at RCA. At RCA, standing on desks, cheering, clapping, dancing, etc. is how they dynamically communicate. You might be thinking, "I could never let my students stand on the desk" or "There is no way my students could ever handle that". Trust me when I say, we thought the same thing. However, we have encouraged this type of dynamic communication with our students this year and it has been transformational.

One of the many key takeaways from our visit to RCA was the word "feet". You see, when students would like to answer a question or provide input on a discussion they may be having in class, they must stand up when they speak. There is no hand raising. I witnessed at least three students standing at the same time, trying to command the attention of the audience. It is truly amazing how there is always one student who is able to command the room. However, one important lesson in communication that is taught at RCA is that if you are speaking to an audience, you truly must address the audience by making eye contact. Oftentimes, teachers will simply say the word "feet" and that reminds the students to move their feet in order to turn and address the entire room. Students are RCA are coached to greet adults, make eye contact, and command the room.

We were so inspired by what we saw at RCA that we decided to bring back many of the communication techniques we saw and incorporate them in our classrooms. We taught our students to stand when answering a question and address the whole room. We also have greeter leaders as a class job. These students are responsible for greeting adults if/when they come in the classroom. Another class job is that of the "drummer". We have a djembe drum in our classrooms and the drummer for the day is responsible for drumming whenever someone answers a question correctly, shares an interesting thought, etc. It is a form of encouragement, which is an important part of communication for us.

Flipgrid

Another way that I encourage my students to communicate is by using Flipgrid. Flipgrid is a really great tool for students to initiate communication. They can express their thoughts and ideas and receive feedback as well. For this particular Flipgrid assignment, students were asked to do a book review on the book How To Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell. We read this book together as a group and incorporated many different IEP goals into the novel study. At the end of the novel study, the students had to give their review of the book and answer questions such as, "Did you like this book?" and "What was your favorite part?" and "Would you recommend this book to a friend?". Students were encouraged to interact with each other's videos and share their thoughts via the comments section. I also printed QR codes for each of the reviews and put them out in the hallway for others to scan and listen. The students really enjoyed this form of communication.

Communicating Curricula

Communicating via Conferencing

At my school, we focus a lot on conferencing with students in order to communicate learning targets, success criteria, power goals, and much more. This is one of our methods of giving the students a voice and choice in their learning. One way we do this is by conferencing using our learning target model. We use this model as a visual while we talk with students about their level of learning in terms of a particular standard or goal. The students love this simple model for many reasons, but mainly because it is an easy way for them to visually see their growth. We, as teachers, also love this model because it opens up the floor for many conversations on success criteria and allows for celebration of growth and mastery.

Communicating Student IEP Goals

It has become increasingly important for me to ensure that my students truly know and understand why they work with me. I think what used to be a taboo subject has taken on a different light. Just as the general education teachers let them know about the standards they need to learn and master, I let them know about the IEP goals they need to learn and master. One way I help students recognize, remember, and work toward their goals is through "practice boards" or "learning paths". Each student has an individualized Google Slides presentation that has their IEP goals listed by subject area. Not only does it state their goals, but it also provides resources and practice activities so they can work toward mastery.

Engaging Content

While I did not necessarily create this example, I wanted to share because I do take pride in curating engaging content for my students. Why reinvent the wheel, right? I think resources that have a captivating and colorful design is almost as important as the content itself. I have found that bright, colorful, and even animated resources have been beneficial for many of my students who have attention needs and deficits. I also think it is important for the content to be relatable. As you can see in this example, the first content slide starts off by asking "Have you ever experienced a situation like this one?" That gives students context and allows them to better apply their learning to the real world.

Mini Lesson_ Firsthand and Secondhand PowerPoint.pptx

Communicating Curricula & Resources via an LMS

Another way I communicate curricula and resources with students is through our learning management system (LMS), itsLearning. We are able to state our learning targets, the success criteria for that learning target, and the activities for the day to reach those targets. I have also included digital resources on my page, which link to things such as online math manipulatives, a digital word wall, and much more.

Model & Nurture Effective Communication

Newsletters

General education teachers typically send out newsletters each week. In this newsletter, they provide any important updates, dates to remember, and the standards that are being taught. As an IRR teacher, I find that parents feel out of the loop with what is happening in our co-taught and small group segments, This year, I started sending newsletters home once a month. I found that the parents really appreciated that and it kept them in the loop with our learning.

Transparent Email Communication

Communication with families is so important to me. It always has been, but more than ever in my role as an IRR. I also believe that all of our roles as an IEP team are equally as important. I want to be sure my parents are aware of what we are seeing at school, good and bad, at all times. I am very detailed and transparent in my communication with them. They really appreciate this. I definitely see my families as partners in their child's education and all decisions that need to be made regarding that.

Hamburger Feedback

One way that I model and nurture effective communication is by teaching my students the "hamburger feedback" method. I have an anchor chart in my classroom that looks just like the image to the right. When students wish to share, in regard to another student's work, they must use the hamburger feedback method. The idea of this method even comes into play when students are answering questions or engaged in conversation about the content. For example, if a Student A is answering a question about the main idea of a passage we just read, and Student B wants to add on to what Student A said, then Student B has to say "I agree with..." or "I disagree with what Student A said." This helps establish an environment where the students are not only respecting the adults in the room, but they are respecting each other as well.

References

4 types of listening: Exploring how to be a better listener. Maryville Online. (2021, June 4). Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://online.maryville.edu/blog/types-of-listening/

Collins, P. (2021, February 10). Dynamic Communication. Dynamic Communication | Patrick A Collins. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://pacollins.com/blog/dynamic-communication/

Communication for personalized learning. (2017, January 3). BYOT Network. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://byotnetwork.com/2016/06/28/communication-for-personalized-learning/

Elementary the 7 habits of happy kids. The 7 Habits of Happy Kids - Leader In Me. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.leaderinme.org/the-7-habits-of-happy-kids/

Ron Clark Academy. The Ron Clark Academy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://ronclarkacademy.com/

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