Question:
What knowledge and skills related to communication do you believe are most needed for success in today's society, and why?
Evaluator:
Nathan Tulburt
Introduction:
This was an open-ended question in which we focused on communication, one of the 4 C’s in the P21 framework. Consisting of Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity, the 4 C’s are the collective learning and thinking skills that are crucial for developing a strong citizen in the 21st century. P21 includes these characteristics as the connectors between different literacies in their framework. Consistent with the framework, these connections were found frequently throughout all survey responses.
Effective communication is of utmost importance as students progress into a global economy that revolves around the need for collaboration and inter-communication skills. In the digital age, businesses and communities are changing how they communicate and interact with one another. However, there is still much to be said about the importance of in-person interaction. The following themes represent common trends prevalent in the questionnaire responses.
Theme I: “Proper” People Skills
Categories:
The following words were commonly found in responses that helped create this category: Concise, Articulate, Timely, Flexible, Openness, Ethical, People Skills, Non-verbal, Collaboration.
Findings and Interpretations:
Although the thought of what it takes to be “proper” is very subjective, the word was commonly interjected among survey responses. This theme also included responses that suggested the importance of in-person interaction and general people skills needed in a professional environment. Collaboration was of utmost importance as it seemed to be the glue that held the other trends of this theme together.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
Schools should encourage more interactive and collaborative activities where the students work together in small groups or as a whole class to develop many of these skills. This form of collaboration should be utilized as early as the primary grades, and focus should be placed on taking time to learn appropriate interactive and people skills, among others. These are skills that will be necessary for almost any job students hope to obtain after graduation and could help bridge the gap between in-school and out-of-school spaces.
Theme II: Interpersonal and Cross-Cultural Skills
Categories:
As the title of this theme suggests, the two trends that make up this theme are Interpersonal and Cross-cultural Skills. These were the recurring responses for this theme: the ability to speak other languages, interacting with different people, and being relatable.
Findings and Interpretations:
Interpersonal was often described as the ability to understand an opinion and express why a person believes (or does not believe) that opinion. Cross-cultural involves being able to view the viewpoints of others across various cultures. Having a global mindset was often discussed within these responses, as it is important for communication across people's diverse backgrounds. Many responses seemed to have a political undertone, possibly due to the shift in relations among many countries following the elections of political leaders over the past few years.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
Take time to learn about other cultures. The curriculum should be structured in a way where students are encouraged to become free thinkers but also to respect the opinions of others around them. Time should be taken to learn about different countries around the world, their cultures, and what we can do to help sustain a positive relationship with all people.
Theme III: Listening and Critical Thinking
Categories:
Again, this theme is made up of responses that were about listening and being a critical thinker. Here are the common findings for this theme among the survey responses: evaluation, reflection, and the importance of education.
Findings and Interpretations:
Listening is the ability to hear others before stating your own opinion, and thinking critically was often described as being able to think abstractly to find a creative solution with the person with whom you are communicating. Listening was easily the most common trend in the responses, with many responses solely listing the word itself. Listening and critical thinking are paired because responses in the latter category often included the ability of the person listening to consider insightful ways to push forward the conversation while taking into account the other person's ideas and viewpoints.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
Schools should strive to develop higher order thinking skills in all students, which will allow them to synthesize the information they are hearing and use language to respond to those comments in an appropriate manner. Listening and critical thinking should not only help students reflect on their own beliefs but also help them become more well-rounded individuals.
Theme IV: Multimodal Communication
Categories:
The common terms listed here were written, oral, and digital, including Facetime, Email, and Skype, along with social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Findings and Interpretations:
These responses were rarely singular as many of the tools were mentioned in a listed fashion as I have them listed here. No one tool seemed to be more important than the others as responses seemed to include them all in one communicative form of literacy.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
Schools should work to intertwine these different modes into their daily presentations. Many students already enter the building with the skills needed to navigate various multimodal forms of communication, so the challenge for teachers is to create avenues for students to learn to use these tools ethically and professionally.
What knowledge and skills related to communication do you believe are most needed for success in today's society, and why?
Evaluator:
Nathan Tulburt
Introduction:
This was an open-ended question in which we focused on communication, one of the 4 C’s in the P21 framework. Consisting of Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity, the 4 C’s are the collective learning and thinking skills that are crucial for developing a strong citizen in the 21st century. P21 includes these characteristics as the connectors between different literacies in their framework. Consistent with the framework, these connections were found frequently throughout all survey responses.
Effective communication is of utmost importance as students progress into a global economy that revolves around the need for collaboration and inter-communication skills. In the digital age, businesses and communities are changing how they communicate and interact with one another. However, there is still much to be said about the importance of in-person interaction. The following themes represent common trends prevalent in the questionnaire responses.
Theme I: “Proper” People Skills
Categories:
The following words were commonly found in responses that helped create this category: Concise, Articulate, Timely, Flexible, Openness, Ethical, People Skills, Non-verbal, Collaboration.
Findings and Interpretations:
Although the thought of what it takes to be “proper” is very subjective, the word was commonly interjected among survey responses. This theme also included responses that suggested the importance of in-person interaction and general people skills needed in a professional environment. Collaboration was of utmost importance as it seemed to be the glue that held the other trends of this theme together.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
Schools should encourage more interactive and collaborative activities where the students work together in small groups or as a whole class to develop many of these skills. This form of collaboration should be utilized as early as the primary grades, and focus should be placed on taking time to learn appropriate interactive and people skills, among others. These are skills that will be necessary for almost any job students hope to obtain after graduation and could help bridge the gap between in-school and out-of-school spaces.
Theme II: Interpersonal and Cross-Cultural Skills
Categories:
As the title of this theme suggests, the two trends that make up this theme are Interpersonal and Cross-cultural Skills. These were the recurring responses for this theme: the ability to speak other languages, interacting with different people, and being relatable.
Findings and Interpretations:
Interpersonal was often described as the ability to understand an opinion and express why a person believes (or does not believe) that opinion. Cross-cultural involves being able to view the viewpoints of others across various cultures. Having a global mindset was often discussed within these responses, as it is important for communication across people's diverse backgrounds. Many responses seemed to have a political undertone, possibly due to the shift in relations among many countries following the elections of political leaders over the past few years.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
Take time to learn about other cultures. The curriculum should be structured in a way where students are encouraged to become free thinkers but also to respect the opinions of others around them. Time should be taken to learn about different countries around the world, their cultures, and what we can do to help sustain a positive relationship with all people.
Theme III: Listening and Critical Thinking
Categories:
Again, this theme is made up of responses that were about listening and being a critical thinker. Here are the common findings for this theme among the survey responses: evaluation, reflection, and the importance of education.
Findings and Interpretations:
Listening is the ability to hear others before stating your own opinion, and thinking critically was often described as being able to think abstractly to find a creative solution with the person with whom you are communicating. Listening was easily the most common trend in the responses, with many responses solely listing the word itself. Listening and critical thinking are paired because responses in the latter category often included the ability of the person listening to consider insightful ways to push forward the conversation while taking into account the other person's ideas and viewpoints.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
Schools should strive to develop higher order thinking skills in all students, which will allow them to synthesize the information they are hearing and use language to respond to those comments in an appropriate manner. Listening and critical thinking should not only help students reflect on their own beliefs but also help them become more well-rounded individuals.
Theme IV: Multimodal Communication
Categories:
The common terms listed here were written, oral, and digital, including Facetime, Email, and Skype, along with social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Findings and Interpretations:
These responses were rarely singular as many of the tools were mentioned in a listed fashion as I have them listed here. No one tool seemed to be more important than the others as responses seemed to include them all in one communicative form of literacy.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
Schools should work to intertwine these different modes into their daily presentations. Many students already enter the building with the skills needed to navigate various multimodal forms of communication, so the challenge for teachers is to create avenues for students to learn to use these tools ethically and professionally.