EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Unit 1 - The Coldplay Concert

Why might Coldplay choose to begin their concert with an opera piece called 'O mio babbino caro' by Maria Callas, followed by intercultural salutations, and, finally, Charlie Chaplin's final speech from his film The Great Dictator?

Think about these pieces have in common?

How are these three pieces related to the concert that is about to unfold?

Thus, what is the intent and purpose of the beginning to this concert?

Is this opening an effective communication for you? Why or why not?

The answer to the final question is a matter of style. It may or may not work for you. Post your findings on your blog.

It seems appropriate then, to state that how we communicate matters as much as what we are trying to communicate. Thinking should precede communicating. Quite frankly, this is why effective communication is a skill.

Communication's connection to our first two chapters seems rather obvious. Our own level of comfort and skill sets will provide us with a reservoir of communication styles (personal development).

And understand the audience or recipient should determine, to a large degree, the delivery and content of the communication (intercultural understanding).

Add your Coldplay responses in your blog.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

ACTIVE LISTENING- I know you hear me, but are you listening?

Listening in the IB

Listening, truly listening, is a wonderful trait. Look at the IB learner profile in the personal development chapter and think about which of the attributes require listening skills. Be prepared to share your thoughts with a partner and don't forget to listen to their ideas too.

Active listening demonstrates that you care and provides the speaker with a sense of clarity, acceptance, and empowerment. We are all guilty of talking over each other, cutting off others' sentences to offer our own opinion, and focusing on multiple matters simultaneously when we could be giving our undivided attention. By practising active listening, you are essentially telling the speaker: "I am with you."

Unconditional Positive Regard?

Think about the following questions and discuss your thoughts with the whole class? Click on the picture below to read an article on Unconditional Positive Regard.

Unconditional Positive Regard / Our Harsh Self Perception

CLASS VIDEO

Dove Commercial: Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of Others

Unconditional Positive Regard Matter for Work

Form a group of three with two of your classmates. Between you, decide which of you will be the speaker, which of you will be the listener, and which of you will be the observer.

The speaker is to talk about of the of the following topics for several minutes:

- A difficult decision that you recently had to make.
- A conflict that you had at school, work, or home.
- A movie that has impacted you.
- A global problem that you feel strongly about.
- Your plans for your post-secondary studies and/or career path.
- The qualities of a mentor whom you admire.

The listener should the four active listening steps, as described above.

Once the speaker has finished talking, the observer is to give feedback about how well the listener practiced active listening.

Swap roles and carry out the activity again until each member of the group has had a turn in each role.

Add a reflection of this activity into your blog.

Non-verbal Cues

One of the key things to keep in mind in the activity above, and in all forms of face-to-face communication, is the body language we use whenever we interact with others. Exhibiting certain non-verbal cues can immediately help us to appear friendly, approachable, and confident. Below is a table of dos and don'ts to keep in mind next time you are having a conversation with someone that you want to impress, or put at ease.

Be prepared to show your resume and do an interview for a job in your career field.

Be prepared to share your findings with the rest of the class. Add your findings on your blog.

Unit 2: Conflict and Collaboration

The sad truth is that man's real life consists of a complex of inexorable opposites - day and night, birth and death, happiness and misery, good and evil. We are not even sure that one will prevail against the other, that good will overcome evil. or joy defeat pain. Life is a battleground. It always has been and always will be, and if it were not so, existence would come to an end.
- C.G. Jung

The quotation above makes things sound rather dire. Nonetheless, it effectively communicates the ongoing human struggles and challenges that we all face on a daily basis. One might view conflict as part of a naturally occurring cycle in all of our lives, but this does not mean it is not also a result of real problems and disagreements, which are avoidable and resolvable.

When one considers the innate distinctions between all people, as well as challenges of communication and language, conflict resolution becomes a critical component of healthy relationships, including those in the home, at school, and in the workplace.

The problem ownership model

Identifying problem ownership is a method that not only allows us to heal conflicts, but also to build stronger relationships. Watch this video, which demonstrates 'problem ownership model' devised by Thomas Gordon of Gordon Training International.

According to this model, wherever we encounter conflict, we should establish who owns the problem and employ the appropriate resolution or communication technique to resolve the issue.

Click on the "I" statement picture on the left and watch the video.

WHO OWNS THE PROBLEM?

Think about the was in which the 'problem ownership model' described above might be applicable to material presented in Chapters 1 and 2. Be prepared to discuss your thoughts with the rest of your class and in your blog.

Look at the diagram above, which displays various aspects of conflict resolution.

Choose one of the 10 aspects. Prepare a concise, well-written paragraph that aligns the aspect specifically to either the IB mission statement or attributes in the IB learner profile.

Add your paragraph in your blog.

Personal Development, Intercultural Understanding, and Effective Communication

APATHY SYMPATHY EMPATHY ETHOS LOGOS PATHOS

Your teacher will divide the class into groups and assign one of the above terms to each group. Together you should carry out an exhaustive investigation into the term assigned and prepare a presentation to deliver to the rest of the class. Each member of the group must have an assignment/role. The presentation could be delivered as a video, podcast, slideshow, or in any other creative format you choose, and must also focus on human manifestations of the term (for example, famous people, movie/fictional depictions, literary characters). Finally, each group must connect the term to their career studies, workplace opportunities, challenges, or goals.

After all of the presentations have been delivered, each student is to reflect on which of the other presentations was most informative and explain their choice in their field and post it the REFLECTIVE PROJECT TAB.

Collaboration

The cartoon to the left expertly depicts the connection between conflict and collaboration. It's almost like they are inseparable. Discuss the following questions with a partner.

- Are conflict and collaboration inseparable?

- What can we learn from the relationship between conflict and collaboration?

Whenever the contemporary workplace is discussed, the need to be able to collaborate is stressed. Collaboration is important, not only to ward off and deal with conflict, but also so that colleagues can bond together around a common purpose to deliver results and solve problems. The need to collaborate is often complicated (but also sometimes enhanced by the following two factors:

1. The wonderful diversity that we share (different languages, backgrounds, cultures, values, and so on).
2. The problems that are faced are often deep and complex.

However, the importance of collaboration cannot be understated. Watch this short video, "The Social Brain," below.

Forming and Performing

Collaboration often requires us to assume a number of simultaneous and complementary roles. Roughly speaking, these roles can be divided into two categories:

1 - Forming strong working relationships to ensure all team members can contribute to their full potential.

2 - Performing together effectively to ensure the task is completed to the required standards.

The tables below give some examples of roles that fall into these two categories.

What Roles do you Play?

When you consider how you operate in a group, how would you assess yourself in relation to these two aspects of teamwork? Which roles do you regularly assume from the two charts above? Do you have any idea where these traits originate for you?

Your teacher will divide the class into groups of three or four, ideally grouping you with classmates you have not worked much with previously.

Keeping in mind the roles you play when working in groups, prepare and introduction of yourself to present to the other members of your group, explaining which areas of collaboration and group work are your strongest and in which areas you do not feel as confident. The presentation must be between three to five minutes.

Afterwards, add the answers to the questions above and a reflection about your presentation. Please upload your Q&A's, reflections, and presentation to your blog.

Managing Change

Watch this video of David Bowie performing his song, "Changes" and read the lyrics.

Listen to Bowie's lyrics. What do you think he is saying about the notion of change?

Oh, yeah
Mmm
Still don't know what I was waitin' for
And my time was runnin' wild
A million dead end streets and
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
How the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
There's gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
Mmm, yeah
I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Don't tell them to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Where's your shame?
You've left us up to our necks in it
Time may change me
But you can't trace time
Strange fascinations fascinate me
Ah, changes are takin'
The pace I'm goin' through
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Ooh, look out you rock 'n' rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Pretty soon now you're gonna get older
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can't trace time"

About Change

Choose another song, poem, picture, short video clip or any kind of design that speaks about change. Be prepared to address the entire class and answer the following questions:
- What does your choice say about change?
- What was your intent and purpose in making this selection?
- Are you making a claim or an argument, or proposing a thesis?

Afterwards, add these questions and your answers in your blog.

A Recipe for Change

The terms below are all factors that contribute to the successful management and implementation of change.

Capacity for Change Reinforce and Solidify Change Pressure for Change

Clear shared vision Model the Way Actionable First Step

In groups, research and discuss these terms. Together, come to a consensus about the order in which they should occur to lead to successful change.

Each group should present their findings to the class in a way that involves one other medium besides speaking and writing, for example a map, slideshow, podcast, design, music, digital technology.

Do the different groups agree on the order? Be prepared to justify your decisions to the rest of the class.

Be prepared to self-assess, as a group, how you employed any of the following in your research plan:

- formulating questions - planning - recording data - interpreting data

- observing - collecting data - organizing data - present research findings

Finally, give yourself a grade out of 3 for each of the five criteria below, and combine them to give yourself a total score out of 15. The grades are as follows:
3 = excellent
2 = good
1 = fine
You may be asked to provide evidence.

a) Focus and Method
b) Communication
c) Knowledge and Understanding in Context
d) Group Engagement and Self-Reflection Throughout
e) Critical Thinking

Unit 3 - Leadership

Managers and administrators are problem solvers who create goals in order to maintain the stability of the organization. Leaders, on the other hand, are visionaries, who value task functions and human functions equally and who inspire workers to take part in their own and the organization's development and change.

By and large, successful leaders:
- Create ownership for others
- Treat employees at all times and in all ways with dignity and respect
- Value and seek employees' (and others') input and make human relations a priority for all
- Recognize the efforts of people at all times
- Employ trust and honesty in all dialogue - they practice transparency as much as possible
- Celebrate successes, big or small
- Maintain a non-negative, constructive and positive, open-door policy that allows all to honestly share feelings and concerns
- Hire, support and retain competent people
- Promote a service mentality among employees

Follow the Leader

Research three leaders. One should be a fictional character, one should be a real person you have learned about in one of your other courses, and one should be a person you know, either from work, extra-curricular activities or your personal life. Your research should focus on what qualities these people have that made them good leaders.

Form a group of three with two of your classmates and discuss each of your chosen leaders. See if you can identify common traits, characteristics or practices that help these individuals perform their roles as leaders.

Think about the following statements and based on your research and discussion, decide how important they are in defining what it is to be a leader. Be prepared to share your opinions with the rest of the class, and to back them up with evidence.

- A true leader is a change agent.

- An accomplished leader often demonstrates the ability to be a good follower.

- Leadership skills chiefly involve resolving conflict.

- A leader is a lifelong learner.

- A leader communicates effectively, verbally and non-verbally.

- A leader's toolbox has to contain group process skills.

- A leader needs to be bold.

Unit 4 - Language Development

In many ways, the constant that exist throughout the many elements of effective communication is 'seeking common ground.' We see this present in conflict resolution, collaboration, and change contexts. What an IB education seeks to foster is the idea that it is through extensive and exciting experiences working with language that we can make the world a better place.

Language
is the
Bridge
that allows us to make
Connections;
It should not be a
Formidable Iron Gate.

"Language holds the key to our knowledge, our understanding, our memory, our culture and our identity."
- Bernadette Holmes

You are very fortunate that the IB Career-related Programme allows you to design and follow studies in language. The language development, and related portfolio, can hep you understand, appreciate, and thrive, personally and professionally.

LANGUAGE PORTFOLIO

As a class:

1) Discuss how you plan to meet the language portfolio requirement of the Career-related Programme.

2) Research how other students (in your school and other schools) have pursued similar language development opportunities.

3) Create a class bulletin board that lists, documents and celebrates the ways that different members of the class plan to pursue language development opportunities.

Don't be afraid to be creative - make connections to your career-related studies and the service learning component, where possible, and, of course, to the personal and professional skills we have already covered in Chapters 1 and 2.

Discover, share, and celebrate who you are (Chapter 1) and embrace the opportunity to explore the unknown in a wise and caring fashion, truly learning about the traditions, mores, values, and beliefs of others (Chapter 2).

Once this activity is complete, please reflect in your LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT TAB

UNIT 5 - Literacies

THE BEGINNING OF YOUR REFLECTIVE PROJECT

"THE SOCIAL CHARACTER OF LITERACY IS REVEALED IN THE VARIETY OF WAYS - AND LANGUAGES - IN WHICH IT IS PRACTISED. LITERACY TODAY, IN ITS MANY MANIFESTATIONS, HAS BECOME A VITAL SET OF COMPETENCIES AND PRACTICES, INTERWOVEN IN THE FABRIC OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIETIES." - The Making of Literate Societies (UNESCO)

EVERYDAY LITERACY

LITERARY STATISTICS

DIGITAL LITERACY

Literacy is a pillar of sustainable societies. The ability to read and write is such an essential part of so many of our lives that perhaps we take it for granted.
Click on each icon above to go through these mini-lessons.
Afterwards, add your reflections of each category into your blog.

Information Literacy

Data Literacy

UNIT 6 - SELF EXPRESSION

THE BEGINNING OF A THESIS

Watch these two videos:

CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY

Think about the following two questions below and discuss your thoughts with the rest of your class. After, add your thoughts to your blog.

1. What happens in each video to suggest how communication can be most effective?
2. What are the similar messages or lessons that each share?

There are certainly many different ways to approach writing. Each writing assignment should be looked upon as an individual project, and, as with any method of communication, the intent and purpose of the piece of writing should dictate the form and style you choose to use. In order to maintain focus on your original purpose, you should develop a plan; however, don't be afraid to modify this as the project progresses. You will also need to do some research and investigation. As you accumulate evidence, a thesis or argument should begin to form. You are then ready to put together the project. Just like a science experiment, a documentary film, a musical or artistic performance, a piece of writing should follow a structure and stay on track. If you have clarity of purpose, meaningful timelines and deadlines, and a strategy to seek feedback throughout, your project should be a success.

THESIS STATEMENT

Go to your teacher and get the two guides in order to formulate a thesis statement.

Follow the guidance there, begin to formulate a possible thesis statement for a future writing assignment, for example your reflective project.

We began this chapter with Coldplay's concert introduction. The below from Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator was part of the opening.

THE GREAT DICTATOR

Read Charlie Chaplin's speech from his film The Great Dictator. In small groups, discuss the following questions:

- Is there a thesis in this speech? How about an argument?

- Without knowing much about the context of this speech, what do you envision the movie is about? Be creative, but stay on your thesis message.

- Finally, design a concept map which connects the speech to both of the IB mission statement, the IB learner profile, and your career studies' values and beliefs. Post your Thesis Statement and Concept Map in the REFLECTION PROJECT TAB

UNIT 7: Résumés

When it comes to your career, one of the most common and straightforward ways of introducing yourself is your résumé (referred to in some countries as a curriculum vitae or CV). This document typically contains information about your education, experiences, skills, and interests. It allows employers and others, a quick and easy way to learn the basics about you; therefore, it is vital that you made a good first impression.

Here is an example:

The example of a résumé above may look fairly basic and a bit sparse, but it should be noted that this in entirely appropriate, especially for a high school student, who may not have much in the way of work experience to include. It is simple and direct and serves as a starting point for further discussion. Details and dialogue should follow later, in interviews, essays, and recommendations.

There is a tendency for people to go overboard when composing a résumé; applicants often erroneously believe that the sheer volume of information listed on a résumé will impress an employer, or a university admission officer. In fact, the opposite is true: long-term commitment and well-honed skills are two factors that are perceived to have the most value. Once again, we find evidence that multi-tasking and multi-faceted working may not be good habits. Sticking with something over time, and through difficult situations, demonstrates a personal quality that is sought after in professional arenas.

If you are lucky enough to be invited for an interview, don't forget the tips for interview and presentation success listed in the Intercultural Understanding section of this website.

Be honest with yourself and be prepared to show your teacher evidence for each of the different sections.
Combine your individual scores into an overall mark for the chapter, and award yourself a grade based on this mark.
Is there merit in reflecting on your score?
Why might this assessment of learning also be termed an assessment for learning?
Add your reflection within your blog.