CONTENTS 1 Spread the Word 2 A Brief History of Communication 3 Speak Your Mind 4 Write On 24 5 Picture This 30 6 Social Studies 34 7 More Than Words Can Say 38 8 Last Call 42 Glossary 46 Learning More 47 Index 48
1 SPREAD THE ORD What Is Communication Wake Up Call The alarm clock goes off You open your eyes groan and pull the covers over your head Outside the bees are buzzing and the birds are tweeting Inside your smartphone is also buzzing with messages and tweets Your dog is barking and you wonder if anyone has fed him yet You hear the phone ring as your mom calls you down for breakfast You re not even out of bed yet and your day is already jam packed with Communication Communication is the process of using words sounds signs or behaviors to share ideas and information and to express thoughts and feelings You communicate verbally when you speak such as chatting with friends telling stories or giving presentations at school You communicate in writing when you post on social media create poetry and send texts and emails You also communicate without using words Your body language facial expressions and other nonverbal signals show others how you think and feel l In 2 a e 6 5
The Communication Process Communication begins with a sender or person who has something to say The sender encodes the information they want to share That means they put it in a form that can be transmitted such as words or pictures The sender chooses a channel of communication such as speaking or texting to send the message A person called a receiver gets the message They decode it and give the sender feedback Communication is only successful when a message is received and understood Encoding Decoding Sender Receiver Channel of Communication It takes two to tangor and at least two people to communicate Message Feedback 1 Skills 21st Century Our digitally interconnected world is always changing and evolving To keep up and be successful we have to be lifelong learners which means that we must be constantly learning how to think in new and innovative ways The Partnership for 21st Century Learning is an organization that has identified four essential skills that students need to build to achieve their goals at school at work and in their personal lives They are the 4Cs Communication collaboration creativity and critical thinking Each skill is important on its own but combining the four together in our everyday lives is the key to success in a 21st century world There are many roadblocks to effective communication Knowing what they are can help us avoid
