ETP111: Educators As Effective Communicators

ETP111: Educators as Effective Communicators 3: Intercultural Communication Multimodal Communication: PowerPoint

Defining Culture Mohan, McGreggor, Saunders and Archee ( 2008:90) suggest that culture can be defined within four main dimensions, which "affect the quality and outcomes of intercultural communication", they are:

1. History and worldview, including values, beliefs and religion. 2. Socialisation, including education, enculturation and personal growth 3. Language 4. Non verbal communication.

Non-Verbal Communication and Culture: (Mohan et al (2008) ch 3-4) 4 functions of non-verbal communication: 1. To reinforce or compliment 2. To contradict (you’re nodding but I can see by your expression you have some issues) 3. To regulate and repeat 4. As a substitute to spoken

5 Non-verbal systems that are influenced by culture: 1. Body language: body position and movement, eyes, facial expressions, personal appearance 2. Space and Proximity: where do people sit in meetings (parent-staff, staff) 3. Time: (Territory time vs. East coast Time?) A child missing every Friday of school 4. Touch: (who you can touch, how often and how): High touch and low touch cultures 5. Voice: (tone, pace, pauses): getting the space to have a chance to speak

Language, Communication and Culture: A Perception

Donna Robbins (GOO Bathurst Island Lecturer): ‘In discussions with teachers I have sometimes been told that it is difficult to teach about a concept because there is nothing in Indigenous language that means that same thing: for example in math it is commonly believed that "little bit" and "big mob" are clearly understood but other measurements are too difficult to teach - "It's not in their worldview", in the set text, Mohan et al suggest that "..., although some terms in one language are virtually untranslatable, most ideas can be translated from one language to another." (2008:93).

 What do you think?  How does this perception affect the way you would establish and maintaining effective communication when working with Non-Indigenous teachers and Indigenous parents and students?

1 Communication System Analysis and Issue Report

What Works is a website of resources to improve outcomes for Indigenous students. Address is at: http://goosantateresa.wikispaces.com/Resources

Examine each of the three documents given:

1. Engagement: the big issue: Could the school use/adapt a document like this to begin talking to families? Who? How? When?

2. Conversations-Relationships-Partnerships: a resource for Indigenous parents and communities  What do you think of this idea: partnerships need relationships which need conversation?  How could you use this as a Source in your Report to give support to your proposals?

3. Conversations-Relationships-Partnerships: a resource for school staff  How might this be used to achieve a short term goal for improvement in school-family communication?  To achieve a longer term goal?

A Multi-Modal Text: PowerPoint

Link to Prior Knowledge Opener: What is a bad PowerPoint in relation to communication?

PowerPoint Text Type What are the language features of a PowerPoint (ie what kinds of words, sentences etc on slides, in notes)? What are the visual features of a PowerPoint?

PowerPoint Evaluation Whenever we evaluate (make a value judgment about) a text, we assess it under the following elements to answer the BIG QUESTION:

HOW EFFECTIVELY DOES IT MAKE AND CONVEY ITS MEANING????? Form: does it follow the rules of the form (e.g. a poem, a news article, a PowerPoint slide) Context: does it suit the setting in which it will be ‘read’ Purpose: does it have a clear purpose and is that purpose achieved? Audience: do the language and visual elements appeal to/relate to the audience Tone: does the voice or tone of the words and visuals fit with the elements above? Style: do the choices of words, sentences, layout etc fit together and fulfil the purpose?

 Create a checklist that will help you to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a PowerPoint