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Background Information for Teachers
on Communication Skills |
The Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements identify communication as a "unifying them that crosses all disciplines."
The Commission on Student Learning says this about the importance of strong communication skills:
- Communication for Today and Tomorrow. The information age and the increasing contact between people of different cultures make communication more important than ever before. These global realities heighten the need for clarity and an understanding of the ethical responsibilities and consequences of communication. As education research Ernest Boyer noted, "It should be remembered that we speak more than we write. Throughout our lives we judge others, and we ourselves are judged, by what we say and how we speak. The information age raises to new levels of urgency the need for all students to be proficient in the use of the spoken as well as the written word."
- What is Communication? Communication is defined as a process by which we assign and convey meaning in an attempt to create shared understanding. This process requires a vast repertoire of skills in intrapersonal and interpersonal evaluating. Use of these processes is developmental and transfers to all areas of life: home, school, community, work, and beyond. It is through communication that collaboration and cooperation occur.
- Fundamental Beliefs about Curriculum and its Assessment. If there is one unifying theme that crosses all disciplines, it is communication. Communication is our window to basic literacy and academic excellence. Reaching levels of excellence and accuracy of expression mandate mastery of formal English. These are the capabilities that cultivate the potential in each student and the possibilities for the future.
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