Making Learning Happen—Developing Students' Speaking and Listening Skills

Workshop Description
A teacher is a manager of a communication environment.  And this is the workshop that will identify the characteristics of that environment and offer insights, information, and instructional strategies designed to help the teacher be an effective "communication manager."  In addition, teachers will participate in several lively, engaging instructional activities aimed at improving their own-and their students'-speaking and listening skills.  Since classroom communication occurs daily in all classes in all subjects, this workshop is pertinent and valuable for teachers of all disciplines working at either the middle or high school levels.

Topics and Goals

• Describing the nature of the communication process
• Identifying basic principles of interpersonal communication
• Learning how to communicate directions clearly
• Practicing three basic skills involved in effective listening
• Establishing a sense of "community" and a positive class climate
• Developing students' creative, logical, and critical thinking skills
• Teaching students to work productively in a small-group setting
• Making literature and other textual material come alive through oral readings
• Improving students' information literacy skills through an analysis of "doublespeak" and deceptive advertising