Standard+6

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**Standard 6** **Teachers communicate well.** The teacher uses effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques as well as instructional media and technology to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

__**Evidence 1: [|District Website-8th Grade]**__

Rationale 1: I have created a webpage on the [|district website]for each of the four grade levels I teach. I encourage parents and students to join the webpage, as it includes links to assignments, my contact information, and a wide variety of Web 2.0 technology resources the users may use. This webpage is updated on a regular basis as assignments are given to students and as I find new resources to share with the members.

I have found this tool to be an effective method of communicating with the parents to keep them informed of what units we are covering in their child’s class. It has also been an effective means to include parents in their child’s learning experience by providing Parent Worksheets they can use to encourage a dialog with their child centered around the current lesson.

__**KSD**__


 * 6.K.4** The teacher recognizes the importance of nonverbal, verbal and media communication techniques.

Establishing a common platform for communicating with the students and the teachers has improved my relationship with the parents by keeping them informed of their child’s activities in class. I feel it’s important to keep the parents in the loop not only to increase their awareness but to also keep the lines of communication open between them and myself. It has also shown to be an effective method of communicating with the students who may miss some instruction time by keeping them informed of what we are covering in classes. Posting the assigments has decreased the number of students coming unprepared to class by allowing them access to the specific information outside the classroom.


 * 6.S.5** The teacher knows how to use a variety of media communication tools, including audiovisual aids and computers, to enrich learning opportunities.

Included in my webpage are links to websites, MS Word documents, and PDF files that expand the unit we are working on. I attach YouTube videos often to explain basic concepts (Common Craft is the source I use most often) when I introduce a new unit. This not only reinforces the unit for the student, but it also offers the parent the opportunity to learn what their student is learning!


 * 6.D.2** The teacher values many ways in which people seek to communicate and encourages many modes of communication in the classroom.

I encourage parents and students to communicate with me via my email (which is linked through my website) for the mere fact that they cannot connect with me during the school day via telephone. They are able to send me messages at any time of the day, and because I leave my Outlook open and I am able to respond within a short time, which is appreciated especially by the parents. I have found it’s far more effective than leaving messages on an answering machine when the student may be the first one home and might have a tendency to “accidentally” delete my message J

My webpage also includes a blogging forum where students and parents can converse with me or with each other. Periodically I will post a question for the students to reflect upon, and parents are welcomed to participate. Communication within the classroom is also encouraged through Edmodo and Twiducate (a contained social network website for the classroom.)