This document summarizes a class on oral communication skills. It includes: - A discussion about sharing lesson plans and getting feedback from peers on upcoming practicum teaching responsibilities. - An overview of expectations for listening and speaking skills in the curriculum, noting the similarities between how these skills are taught. - Suggestions for explicitly teaching language skills through modeling, practice opportunities, self-reflection, and incorporating skills into various classroom situations. - Ideas for using storytelling, debate activities and dialogue to develop oral communication abilities. - Reflections on maintaining professionalism when communicating orally.

1. Week 10
Oral Communication Part 2

2. SJ PBP
• Presented
• Peer Evaluators:
• Rest of class: Share what you are teaching in
your practicum next week. Is there a unit you
are responsible for planning? Do you need any
creative ideas from your peers?
• No presentation today but lets take a minute
and create a google doc to share our lessons.
Presenter:_______ My Name: ________
During this presentation…
I noticed…
I felt…
I learned…
One thing I would like to incorporate into my
teaching from this presentation would be…

3. Listening and speaking skills
O1: Listen in order to understand and respond
appropriately
O2: Use speaking skills appropriately to
communicate
1.1 (Purpose): identify a range of purposes for listening 2.1 (Purpose): identify a range of purposes for speaking
1.2 (Active Listening): demonstrate appropriate listening
behaviour
2.2 (Interactive Strategies): demonstrate appropriate
speaking behaviours
1.3 (Comprehension): before during and after oral texts
1.4 (Understand): summarize ideas heard in an oral text
1.5 (Infer/interpret): identify stated vs implied ideas in oral
texts
1.6 (Extend): connect, compare, contrast
2.3 (Clarity): communicate in a clear manner with
appropriate organization and sequencing
of ideas
1.7 (Analyze): evaluate how well ideas were presented in
oral texts
1.8 (POV): identify POV and suggest alternative perspectives
2.4 (Language): use appropriate word choices, phrases, and
other stylistic devices to engage audience
1.9 (Presentation): identify elements good speakers used 2.5 (Vocal skills): use tone, pitch, volume and sound effects
appropriately
2.6 (Non-Verbal Cues): use facial expression, gesture, and
eye contact appropriately
2.7 (Visual Aids): use visual aids to support oral presentation
How are the expectations for listening and speaking similar?
What does this tell us about how to teach listening and speaking skills in the classroom?
What is the big idea?

4. All language skills need to be explicitly
taught through GRR
• Students need good listening and speaking skills modeled by you
• Students need opportunities to practice these skills independently, in
pairs, in small groups, and in large group settings
• Students need to practice using these skills in a variety of situations,
with a variety of audiences, and for a variety of purposes
• Students need to be given opportunities to be self-reflective (OE3:
Metacognition) in order to improve as effective communicators

5. Not all Listening Looks the Same
• People who are on the autism spectrum often lack the
filters neuro-typical people can use to filter out
extraneous sounds, so they’re assaulted by all the
noises around them.
• For those people, you may need to say their name or
touch their arm to get their attention before you speak,
if you want them to be able to focus on you.
• Similarly, people who are on the spectrum often find it
difficult to establish and maintain eye contact because
it takes a lot of energy for them to do that, and it
distracts them from focusing on what’s being said.

6. 2.0 storytelling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePNv-QaHJGM

7. • Brainstorm as a group: What makes a good story?
• Next, watch the video linked on Sakai about storytelling
in the classroom
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=99&v=JrZc6eztoH4
• Discuss as a group:
– What were the features of ‘good storytelling’ that the
students were working on?
– Where does story telling connect with the curriculum?
– How might storytelling help improve skills for other forms of
oral communication in the classroom? (speeches, role play,
discussion, read alouds, etc.)
Let’s talk about storytelling!

8. PLC
• Sharing ideas about Authentic Voices

9. Another Resource for you!
• Today’s Resource:
https://saskdebate.ca/Portals/0/EasyDNNnew
s/Uploads/50/Games%20and%20activities.pdf
• This resource contains listening and speaking
activities for the classroom!

10. • Paired Mad-Lib Story Starters
– Focus: O2.5 & 2.6 - Speaking with expression and other good
visual/verbal speaking cues
• Triple Speak & Impromptu Narratives
– Focus: O2.1 - speaking for intended purpose and audience
– Focus: O2.3 - speaking with clarity - appropriate organization and
sequence of ideas
• Personal Narratives
– Focus: O2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 – Clarity/sequence organization;
appropriate language/engaging word choice; verbal and non-
verbal strategies for engaging an audience
• LISTENERS:
– O1.2 – active listening skills;
– O1.7 – analyzing/evaluating effectiveness of oral texts
Storytelling in the classroom
Speech(GRR)

11. • Debate is a great way to assist students in
fostering listening and speaking skills.
• Battle Bars [modified]
– Split into 2 groups and hand out 2 objects
– Groups to collectively develop arguments for why
their object is better
– Line up in two rows facing the opposition. Take turns
going down the line with short arguments and
rebuttals.
– Listening/Speaking Skills: You must acknowledge and
repeat what was said before responding:
• “Yes…[repeat]…But…[respond]” – everyone says this
DEBATE:
Where listening and speaking come first

12. Teacher Hat Reflection:
It matters how you say things…
• The manner in which you express yourself will
have a significant impact on how, or whether
or not your message is heard.
• What are we projecting? To what degree of
professionalism are we aspiring, when we
speak?

13. Reflecting on Our Professionalism
Measuring ourselves against the curriculum
• Purpose - identify a variety of purposes for speaking
– Are we speaking to potential employers the same way we would to our
parents?
• Interactive strategies - demonstrate an understanding of
appropriate speaking behaviour in a variety of situations,
including paired sharing, dialogue, and small- and large-group
discussions
– Are we conducting ourselves as professionals with our colleagues,
contributing meaningfully and listening respectfully? Are we treating
our classmates as professionally as we would our teaching partners?
• Clarity and Coherence - communicate orally in a clear, coherent
manner, presenting ideas, opinions, and information in a readily
understandable form
– Are we expressing ourselves articulately?

14. Reflecting on Our Professionalism
Measuring ourselves against the curriculum
• Appropriate Language - use appropriate words and phrases from
the full range of their vocabulary, including inclusive and non-
discriminatory language, and stylistic devices suited to the
purpose, to communicate their meaning accurately and engage
the interest of their audience
– Are we being respectful and mindful of our audiences? Is our
sense of humour appropriate?
• Vocal Skills and Strategies - identify some vocal effects, including
tone, pace, pitch, volume, and a variety of sound effects, and use
them appropriately and with sensitivity towards cultural
differences to help communicate their meaning
– Are we undermining our professionalism by sounding too casual or
informal? Are we using inflections effectively or are we distracting
people from hearing our messages?

15. Reflecting on Our Professionalism
Measuring ourselves against the curriculum
• Non-Verbal Cues - identify a variety of non-verbal cues,
including facial expression, gestures, and eye contact,
and use them in oral communications, appropriately
and with sensitivity towards cultural differences, to
help convey their meaning
– Can everyone read what we’re thinking on our faces? Is
our body language closed off or openly receptive to the
ideas of others?
• Visual Aids - use a variety of appropriate visual aids
(e.g., posters, charts, maps, globes, computer-
generated organizers) to support or enhance oral
presentations
– Are we using available resources effectively to ensure that
our messages are being understood?

16. Tips for Engaging in Dialogue
• Listen with an open mind
• Consider partners/group members as
sources of information
• Ask questions
• Don’t interrupt the speaker
• Be willing to reconsider your point of view
after hearing others speak

17. Tips for Engaging in Dialogue,
(continued)
• Focus on the topic
• Offer new ideas and possibilities
• Build on what others are saying and offer support
• Don’t make it personal when you disagree or
challenge a comment
• Be willing to clarify and explain your point of view
– Source: “Grand Conversations in the Classroom”, Ontario Ministry
of Education, 2011.

18. A video to send you on your way:
• Keep this in your mind each day!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCATGYMDqyc
(John Spencer: Teach in Beta: Treat Each Lesson Like an Experiment (2:30)

19. Closing Circle
• Practicum Questions & Advice
• Community Circle Prompts:
– Please share with the group:
• One thing you are nervous about,
heading into your practicum
• One thing you have in your toolbox to
help you cope
• One thing you are excited about

21. Looking Ahead…
• Next year!
– Our next class: January 8th, 2019
• PLC: 3W – Final Forum Post! 
– Choose ONE visual resource or idea that you explored. Consider how it
could address a key principle in teaching language arts or a specific
expectation for at least two strands of the Language Arts Curriculum.
• Good luck on your first full teaching practicum!
• Be proud of yourselves and how far you’ve come this
term!
• Wishing you all things magical this holiday season!