Educational Psychology

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talk. It is also helpful to recognize that classroom communication has elements that are not only verbal, but also
nonverbal and unintended.

To be effective in using verbal communication, teachers need to use appropriate instructional strategies related
to content, such as using advance organizers, relating new information to prior knowledge, and organizing new
information on behalf of students. It includes strategies that assist students to communicate, such as inquiry
learning and cooperative learning. To communicate well about procedures and about the behaviors expected of
students, teachers need a variety of management techniques, such as those discussed in Chapter 7 and summarized
again in Table 19. To be effective in using nonverbal communication, teachers need to use appropriate eye contact,
allow ample wait time between speaking turns, and be aware of the effects of social distance on students.

Structures of participation influence communication by facilitating particular patterns of speaking and listening,
while at the same time making other patterns less convenient or disapproved. Four common participation
structures are lectures, questions-and-answers, classroom discussions, and group work.

Key terms

Caring community

Class discussions

Collaborative group work

Communication

Content talk

Control talk

Eye contact

Lecture

Nonverbal communication

Participation structures

Procedural talk

Questions-and-answer

Register

Social distance

Student talk register

Teacher talk register

Unintended communication

Verbal communication

Wait time

On the Internet

http://www.uu.edu/centers/faculty/resources/index.cfm?CatID=13 This URL offers tips for
enhancing classroom communication. It is organized around ten basic topics (e.g. “Organizing Effective
Discussions”) and focuses primarily on verbal communication. It is part of the more general website for Union
University of Jackson, Tennessee.

http://www.idea.ksu.edu/index.html This website contains over 40 short papers (1-4 pages each) on a
variety of topics, including many related to enhancing communication, but also some related to classroom
organization and management in general. Some of the papers refer to college or university teaching, but many are
quite relevant to public school teaching.

http://www.fhsu.edu/~zhrepic/Teaching/GenEducation/nonverbcom/nonverbcom.htm This
website contains a thorough discussion of nonverbal communication—more detailed than possible in this chapter,
and with photos and drawings to illustrate key points.

http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/index.html This website contains many resources, among
which are articles about classroom management and communication, including nonverbal communication. It is
intended strictly for public school teachers. Once you get to the homepage, click on their “Newsletter” for the
articles.

Educational Psychology 179 A Global Text