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|Student details |

|Your Name |Lisa Spagnolo |

|Course |Bachelor of Education (ECE) |

|Unit details |

|Unit code |312823 |

|Unit name |EDE101 - Effective Communication: Academic And Professional Contexts (OUA) (SP1 2012) |

|Your Tutor | |

|Assignment details |

|Essay Topic |Effective communication is one of the many skills required by educators. Why is this so and how would |

| |effective communication be used by an early childhood educator in the course of a day? |

|Due date |Wednesday 11th April 11.59pm(WST) |Your word count |1415 |

|Extension granted |No |Extension date | |

|Is this a resubmission? |No |Resubmission date | |

|Declaration |

|I certify that the attached material is my original work. No other person’s work or ideas have been used without acknowledgement. Except where I |

|have clearly stated that I have used some of this material elsewhere, I have not presented this for assessment in another course or unit at this or |

|any other institution. I have retained a copy of this assignment. I have read and understand the Curtin University of Technology document Academic |

|Integrity at Curtin: Student guidelines for avoiding plagiarism. |

|Name/signature |Lisa Spagnolo |Date |11th April, 2012 |

ASSIGNMENT FORMAT CHECKLIST

|I have named my assignment correctly in the following style: Surname_Firstname_Student ID_EDE101_Assignment1.doc | Yes |

|I have put in my Surname and Initial into the Header of this document. | Yes |

|I have used Arial 11pt font, 1.5 spacing throughout my assignment. | Yes |

Please note:

Page 2 of this document contains the Assessment Rubric for your assignment; please begin typing your assignment on page 3.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL: ASSESSMENT 1 (50%) ASSESSMENT RUBRIC

| |Fail |Pass |Credit |Distinction |High Distinction |MARK |

|Demonstrates the ability to |The essay is incomplete, superficial or is |The essay lacks detail or elaboration of |The essay satisfactorily addresses |The essay addresses the topic in |The essay is extremely | |

|analyze, evaluate, and synthesize |unorganised. The essay does not establish |ideas. The essay begins to establish the |the topic. Key issues/points are |some detail. Key issues/points are |comprehensible. Key issues/points | |

|material from a range of sources. |the importance of the topic or is shallow. |importance of the topic. Key issues/points |addressed or established and there |well addressed or established. |are succinctly presented, detailed | |

| |Key issues/points are not established. |are addressed but are not well established.|is some elaboration of ideas. Some|Ideas are well analysed, plausible |and very well developed. Ideas are | |

|(7.5 marks) |Readings are not included or are |Ideas are not crystallised. Appropriate |evidence of the synthesis of ideas.|and are crystallised. There is |interconnected and progress | |

| |inappropriate. Little evidence of extensive|readings are included. There is some |There is evidence of further |significant evidence of relevant |logically. There is substantial | |

| |reading or limited range of references |evidence of further reading. |reading. |further reading. |evidence of pertinent further | |

| |referred to. | | | |reading. | |

|Demonstrates clear understanding of|There is little evidence of understanding |There is some evidence of understanding |There is a good understanding |There is an excellent understanding|There is exceptional understanding | |

|the content, in the communication |related to identifying and critically |related to identifying and critically |demonstrated related to identifying|demonstrated related to identifying|demonstrated related to identifying| |

|of purpose, argument and audience |evaluating relevant content to produce an |evaluating relevant content to produce a |and critically evaluating relevant |and critically evaluating relevant |and critically evaluating relevant | |

|in the context of the articulated |effective essay |convincing essay. |content to produce a convincing |content to produce a convincing |content to produce a | |

|response to the task. (7.5marks) | | |essay. |essay. |reader-challenging essay. | |

|Demonstrates high order academic |Essay components are missing. The essay |The essay is satisfactorily organised. |The essay is well organised. |The essay is extremely well written|The essay is exceptionally well | |

|writing, including correct Curtin |lacks detail, is too brief, incomplete or |Acceptable academic writing style. |Academic writing style is |demonstrating an excellent academic|written using a high level of | |

|approved in-text and listed |superficial. The essay is unclear & | |adequately executed. |style of writing. |academic writing. | |

|referencing. |extremely difficult to follow. Unacceptable|APA referencing style needs considerable |Consistent referencing - APA |Consistent referencing – Correct |A very high standard of APA | |

| |academic writing style. |revision. Inconsistencies in style and |referencing style needs some |APA referencing style used. |referencing used perfectly and | |

|(15 marks) |Poor or inconsistent in-text referencing. |format demonstrated. |revision. |Reference list is generally free |consistently throughout. | |

| |Poorly presented reference list. | |Reference list contains a number of|from errors |Reference List is completely free | |

| | | |errors | |from errors | |

|Demonstrates appropriate high level|Poorly presented. |Presentation and structure of presentation |Well presented. |A high standard of presentation is |Professionally presented. | |

|written English language and | |needs some revision. | |evident. | | |

|grammar skills, to communicate |Poor spelling, grammar & punctuation. | |Spelling, grammar & punctuation | |A very high standard of accurate | |

|successfully and effectively in an | |A number of punctuation, grammatical & |contain minor errors. |Spelling, grammar & punctuation are|spelling, grammar & punctuation | |

|academic essay form. (15 marks) |Basic errors in following assignment format|spelling errors. | |accurate. |used throughout. | |

| |guidelines | | | | | |

|Demonstrates a high level of |Limited participation on the discussion |Satisfactory participation on the |Highly satisfactory level of |Highly satisfactory level of |Outstanding level of participation | |

|participation on the discussion |board. |discussion board. |participation on the discussion |participation on the discussion |on the discussion board including | |

|board in Weeks 1-7. | | |board. |board including the weekly tasks |the weekly tasks and assisting | |

|(5 marks) | | | |and assisting others. |others. | |

|TOTAL MARK | | | | | |0 |

|Comment: |

| |

“Communication is an essential part of everyday life (Whie,H 2010) and is used extensively in many different professions. “Communication is a process of transferring information between two individuals--the sender and the receiver” (Dailey,K, 2010). There are two main modes by which information can be conveyed, verbal or non-verbal, and must be delivered in a way that is understandable, fluent and relevant to a particular audience. Good communicators speak well; effective communicators have the ability to deliver clear and precise knowledge

Adapting effective communication skills by educators is vital and must be acquired for teaching to be beneficial to young learners. These skills need to be taught to an educator, as are many other tools of teaching, but through practice an educator is able to succeed. Articulating with young learners can be tedious and requires a certain level of patience, and “by developing verbal and non-verbal communication skills” (White,H, 2010) an educator is able to deliver good quality teaching. Young learners cannot always verbalise feelings and emotions and are observing the reaction of educators to properly transform these senses into words.

An early childhood educator must identify appropriate ways in which children learn, which is the essence of teaching young children. This certainly is quite different to communicating directly to an adult, as the level of communication may be more complex. Children will learn better if they have a sound comprehension of what is being conveyed. A child that attends early childhood facilities wants to learn, and at a young age, a child will develop communication skills that will flourish into adulthood.

Educators are a major element of a child’s learning, which is why responsibility lies with a highly skilled teacher to become familiar with how effective communication benefits the early learner. “Through interaction with educators young children learn to use, understand and respect many ways of communicating” (Arthur,L, McArdle,F, Papic,M, 2010, p.5). An educator must have the ability to interact with a young learner appropriately, not only for teaching purposes, but also to build good relations with a child. If a young learner identifies with an educator, a trusting relationship has been built, and the communication between the two will prove to be more advantageous in the learning journey.

In order for an educator to impart productive teaching, the different aspects of effective communication must be exercised in order to accommodate the diverse learning needs of young children. For instance, age appropriate language, visual aids such as images or symbols, body language, tone of voice and listening are all important characteristics of effective communication, and can be fostered to enhance the learning of a young person. Using all or a combination of these techniques assists a child grasp a strong comprehension of what is being taught.

Verbal communication or speaking words is the most favourable way of communicating with children, however listening and tone of voice links to this approach. Children are inquisitive and will often ask questions. By listening to what a child has to say an educator is demonstrating acknowledgment. Grellier and Goerke interpret listening as influencing the way a speaker may communicate (Grellier and Goerke, 2010, p.185).

Offering feedback to a child’s response or point of view an educator is not only modelling a sound representation by which people communicate, but also letting a child know that what is being voiced is important and endorses courteous behaviour. It is important to keep responses or explanations simple as the early learner will benefit more from clear and precise language. Speed by which words are spoken are also significant to young children as an educator must be considerate of age and the fact that children may need time to digest information. Words and terms that are commonly used and understood by early learners keep children interested and excited about learning.

Asking questions that require more than a yes or no answer stimulates conversation which uses verbal communication. Engaging in age appropriate discussions not only demonstrates good listening skills, but encourages the child to respond creatively. This is extremely important for an educator to enforce as it not only gives a child a sense of belonging but also self-worth.

Tone of voice is also very important when speaking to children. An educator must speak with “words that have pleasing sound, as tonal qualities are important” (Turner, Krenus, Ireland, Pointon, 2011) to early learners. Using a monotone manner becomes very uninteresting to young children, resulting in the learning to be ineffective. A child may lose concentration and become withdrawn from the subject and therefore become unresponsive.

Effective communication is not only associated with speaking and listening. Non-verbal communication is used in conjunction with verbal communication and refers to visual aids, body language, facial expressions and gestures. These methods can be just as powerful as talking and listening, maybe at times even stronger, and is particularly useful to learners who are visual learners or have difficulty in understanding the spoken language.

Cultural background plays a big part in the learning environment, and an educator must identify with these students and accommodate for their learning by incorporating non-verbal communication for the teaching to be constructive. Children with learning difficulties will absorb information in many different ways. This could include how they interpret, express or maintain what is being taught. It is important for educators to become familiar with the varied methods of communication in order for these children to be part of the learning environment. A child may only have the capability of pointing and verbalising one word in order to convey a message.

An effective educator will model the correct sentence in a way that is non-threatening to the child. Using language alone with a child with special needs may not be as beneficial as incorporating visual aids, making it easier and clearer to comprehend the teaching.

As an early childhood educator adopting effective communication skills not only applies to children, but also to professional bodies affiliated to an early learning environment, such as fellow staff members or notable representatives. An educator must be able to speak and perceive to an adult a message just as effectively as when communicating with children. Listening to representatives of the educational setting symbolises respect and appreciation for the communicator. If an educator maintains eye contact depicting listening, but is being distracting by fidgeting, the non-verbal actions indicate dispassionate for what the speaker is conversing. An educator will have dealings with fellow staff members throughout the course of the day and must speak in a manner that is not only appropriate but demonstrate competence.

Communicating with parents or caregivers an educator must demonstrate a proficient level of dialogue. It not only displays professionalism but enriches the manner in which the educational setting is conducted. Parents or caregivers entrust the learning of young children to educators and exhibiting assertiveness will display the skill an educator has to teach. It puts the minds of parents or caregivers at ease knowing that a child is receiving the best possible education. It is not acceptable to speak to a visitor of an educational setting, whether it be a professional or parent in an informal manner. An educator is on display at all times and must be approachable, courteous and show a sense of enthusiasm, particularly when working with children.

Effective communication is used every day in an early childhood setting, starting from the very beginning of the day by greeting not only the child but the parent or caregiver. Throughout the course of the day many communication skills will be practised from reading to a child, demonstrating correct use of tone of voice to giving out an instruction projecting clear precise language. An educator will use body language or gestures many times throughout the day to send out a message, for example, displaying delight when a child has achieved by smiling or show disapproval by crossing arms.

A highly skilled educator will use an array of different methods not only for the purpose of teaching but to demonstrate lifelong skills that are fundamental to a child’s learning journey. Through verbal and non-verbal approaches an educator of early childhood can bestow the best possible schooling to young children.

Communicating effectively in an early childhood setting rewards the early learner with knowledge, wisdom and the ability to speak, act and express individuality. Educators are mirrors for young learners and it is for this reason an educator must be skilled in using the appropriate effective communication, as the children of today will become the adults of tomorrow.

References

White, H (2010) : The limitless potential of you: Examples of effective communication skills, retrieved from http//: article/82418-examples-effective-communication-skills/

Dailey,K (2010) : The limitless potential of you: Good communication tools, retrieved from http//:article/164139-good-communication-tools/

Grellier J, & Goerke,V (2010) Communication skills toolkit: Unlocking the secretes of tertiary success: Second Edition, Cengage Learning Australia, Melbourne, Victoria

Turner,K, Krenus,B, Ireland,L & Pointon, L (2011) Essential academic skills: Second Edition, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Victoria

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