Communicate 1.1.1 Definitions of Communication

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The times, they are a changing... and so my communication skills must adapt, too.  I can proudly say that I have witnessed and experienced the communication revolution first-hand.  From the archaic beeper to the first generation cell phones to the introduction of social media through Facebook, I have been at the front end of each major technology and trend, embracing them wholeheartedly.

Most recently I have especially enjoyed refining my social communication through blogging!  As I mentioned in my introductions post, I have been blogging personally for about a year now.  The more I write and share my ideas with the world, the more evolved my communication skills become.  These improved skills have also carried over into my professional communication through my writing of emails, recommendation letters, and even this most recent blog on my pursuit of becoming a virtual teacher.
 
With new innovations in technology changing every aspect of education, how teachers communicate with stakeholders must also continue to evolve.  I said in an earlier post that communication is key and this has never been more true for teachers in the virtual classroom.  Online teachers must be especially mindful of how they communicate with students, parents, and colleagues in order to build rapport.

For my own classroom, I have incorporated my interest in blogging to effectively communicate with students and parents.  By incorporating a blog roll onto my course website, I am able to share class activities, homework, and important announcements every day.  Students and parents can also sign up for an RSS feed of the blog posts.  Beyond this, twitter and remind are two of my favorite ways to communicate.

When I think back to when I began teaching I sometimes wonder how I ever survived without the communication tools I have today.  With all the guaranteed changes in Ed Tech and communication technology, the one element that must remain constant is the teacher's role in modeling exemplar communication skills.  As educators we teach content and standards, as models we show appropriate behavior to be imitated.