Cooper, Pamela & Morreale, Sherwyn (2003)
Creating Competent Communicators: Activities for Teaching Speaking, Listening, and
Media Literacy in Grades 7 - 12.
Scottsdale, AZ: Holcomb Hathaway Publishers.
Creating Competent Communicators introduces the K-12 teacher to communications studies in general and to teaching each of four components of the National Communication Association’s (NCA) standards in particular: (1) fundamentals of communication, (2) speaking, (3) listening, and (4) media literacy. The authors provide background information on each component as well as teaching activities for grades 7 to 12 that cross curricular boundaries. The book addresses two practical problems that teachers face in attempting to teach communication and media literacy across the curriculum: one, a paucity of useful teaching resources related to the NCA standards, and two, a lack of specific training in communication education.
The authors pose and answer the question, Why teach communication? A rationale for communication education is based on the value of speaking, listening and media literacy skills for personal and academic success in life. An argument is made for the relevance of oral communication competence for students’ social adjustment and participation in satisfying interpersonal relationships. The authors draw upon psychological and educational research to demonstrate the relationship between communication competence and self-actualization, professional success and successful living in today’s media saturated world. Operational definitions of speaking, listening and media literacy help the reader to move beyond a conventional understanding of communication and literacy as merely reading and writing. A new understanding of oral communication frames an approach to instruction that emphasizes communication standards and competencies which cut across oral activities and communication contexts.
After the introduction section, the book is structured in four main units that lead the teacher through background information and activities on each of the four components of the National Communication Association’s (NCA) standards. Each section is structured by the specific communication standards and teaching activities that reinforce specific concepts and provide illustrative examples of each communication standard. At least two teaching activities are provided for each of the twenty NCA standards for speaking, listening and media literacy in K-12 education. The standards themselves are detailed in the introductory chapter, and an itemized list of teaching activities with corresponding grade levels are mapped to each standard.
Teaching activities include a reference to the specific communication standard, a description of the activity and grade level, the specific learning objective, materials needed, the classroom procedure, and methods for debriefing. Activities for teaching the fundamentals of effective communication (unit 1) include name that analogy, poetry in motion, talking to parents and the other moral of the story is…. Teaching activities for speaking (unit 2) include pointers for polished public speaking, using the Internet as information resource, and using group speaking to overcome anxiety. Many of the speaking activities can easily be adapted for improving written communication (for example, Transitional Stories, p. 50 and Word Power, p. 52). Activities for teaching listening (unit 3) include invisible speeches, to tell the truth, and may I quote you? The introduction to the unit on listening provides an excellent overview of the listening process, effective listening skills and barriers to listening (p. 62 - 63). Teaching activities for media literacy (unit 4) include defining media channels, millions of magazines, a peak behind the scenes, advertising’s appeal, and the medium and the message. An approach to assessment is provided at the end of each teaching activity that guides the teacher towards evaluating meaningful outcomes. Photocopy ready assessment forms and checklists are provided with many of the activities.
The final section of the book is a compilation of teacher resources entitled “Tools, Tips, and Great Ideas”. Print and non-print resources for each of the four components of the National Communication Association’s (NCA) standards are provided that range from books, articles, videotapes and audiocassettes to web sites and professional organizations. Teachers might find most valuable the photocopy ready forms and assessment tools that are provided in the teacher resources section. Approaches to assessment are articulated in peer assessment forms, self-evaluation forms, and storytelling evaluation forms. Evaluation tools to assess persuasive and demonstrative speech are provided that identify key competencies and expectations for performance. A communication apprehension survey and self-assessments for managing anxiety, use of language and speaking, and listening skills can be used by individual students or by groups to reflect upon communication competencies.
New and experienced classroom teachers, student teachers and faculty in teacher preparation programs will find Creating Competent Communicators to be very useful for understanding communication education and for instructional planning, implementation and evaluation. Most of the teaching activities can be adapted and incorporated into classes and courses across subject areas and for children to adult learners. Some of the teaching activities are classics, such as Look Who’s Listening (p. 38), Public Speaking (p. 59) and Using the Internet as an Information Resource (p. 48, includes checklists). The authors also present some new and innovative teaching activities, such as Becoming a Family (p. 22), Choral Oral Literacy (p. 56) and A Peek Behind the Scenes (p. 90). The well-developed teaching activities offered in this book will help teachers to apply the communication principles presented in each unit to their own classroom environments.
Creating Competent Communicators provides both background information and practical activities to guide teachers’ efforts to implement communication instruction across the curriculum in junior and senior high school. Many of the teaching activities can also be adapted for elementary school and adult learners. In my opinion, the authors make a credible claim that the teaching activities will appeal to students of all ability levels, provide for student interaction and involvement, and require students to send and receive messages in a variety of contexts for a variety of purposes.
Pages: 112
Price: $19.50
ISBN: 1-890871-39-7
Reviewed by Dr. Michele Jacobsen, University of Calgary
