Lesson Proper for Week 1

The word “communication” is derived from the Latin word “communis,” This can be divided into two parts,
com-munis (common, public). The initial syllable in communia is com – together and the rest is munia –
duties. From this etymology one draws the sense of “working together.” (Bulan & De Leon,
2002) “Communication is the transfer of information from a sender to a receiver with the information being
understood by the receiver.” - Koontz and Weihrich
Natures of Communication:
§ Communication is a two-way process.
§ Communication occurs between two or more people (the speaker and the receiver).
§ Communication can be expressed through written or spoken words, actions (nonverbal), or spoken words
and nonverbal actions at the same time.
Types of Communication:

1. Verbal Communication. This type passes information through spoken words. Moreover, it is
done mostly face to face and develops oral communication skills.
2. Written Communication. This type makes use of written words. Skills developed are
academic writing, revision and editing, critical reading, and presentation of data skills.
Additionally, this establishes Written communication skills.
3. Non-Verbal Communication. This type does not use spoken language to convey a message;
instead, it uses body language, facial expressions, touch, posture, eye contact, body language,
or hand gestures.
4. Visual Communication. This type makes use of visual forms of messages, generally through
still and moving images. Some widely used forms of this type are signboards, maps, pictures,
displays, charts, graphs, television, hoardings, and banners.

Illustration 1

Communication is a process of sending and receiving messages through verbal, nonverbal,

written, and visual means.

Verbal Written Nonverbal Visual

Radio and Letters Body language gestures, Graphs, charts, logos,
maps, diagrams,
telephone emails, how we dress or act, and
flowcharts, and
books, and how we look pictures,
magazines
Basic Elements of Communication:

1. Sender. The person who sends ideas to another person.

 2. Message. The idea, feeling, suggestion, guidelines, orders, or content intended to be
communicated.
3. Channel or Media. The medium, passage, or route through which the sender passes an
encoded message to the receiver. Some generally used forms are face-to-face communication,
letters, radio, television, email.
4. Receiver. The person who acquires and responds to the message given.
5. Feedback. The response of the receiver. The response indicates the completion of the
communication process.
6. Noise/Barrier: The hindrance in the process of communication. It can take place at any step in
the entire process. It reduces the accuracy of communication.

Two Processes of Communication

1. Encoding: It is the process of turning thoughts into communication. Moreover, it is the change
of conscious thought generally into words, symbols, diagrams, and actions.
2. Decoding: It is the process of turning communication into thoughts. The translation of the
encoded message is converted into a language that is suited to the reader.

Illustration 2

The illustration above is an example of successful communication. However, in some cases, the
communication process is not always horizontal. Thus, in this example, the communication barrier may arise
between the sender and the receiver in the form of technical issues, such as an empty battery, poor internet
connection, or any contextual factor.
Principles of Communication

1. Principle of Clarity – The idea or message to be communicated should be clear and must not
contain any ambiguities.
2. Principle of Attention – For communication to be effective, the message should be able to
attract the receiver’s attention.
3. Principle of Feedback –The recipient should give feedback to show whether they have
understood the meaning that the sender intended to send.
4. Principle of Informality –More often the not, formal communication is more commonly used
for the transmission of messages and other information. However, formal communication may
not be effective at all times. Thus, informal communication may be more suitable and effective
in certain situations.
5. Principle of Consistency – This principle states that the communication and the sending
party's policies, plans, and objectives should be consistent and should not be in conflict with
each other.
6. Principle of Timeliness – With this principle, there are proper times for communication to be
done so that it may help in the implementation of plans as any delays may render the
communication useless.
7. Principle of Adequacy – The information communicated should be adequate and complete in
order for proper decisions and action plans to be made.
Illustration 3
A student presented her report in front of the class using a PowerPoint presentation and
printed handouts distributed to his teacher and classmates. During the presentation, he
makes sure that his voice and words are heard to draw attention to his audience’s discussion
to be absorbed effectively.
Lesson Proper for Week 2
Globalization is the term used to describe the growing interdependence of the world’s economies, cultures, and populations brought
about by cross-border trade in goods and services, technology, and flows of investment, people, and information. Countries have
built economic partnerships to facilitate these movements over many centuries.
Effects of Globalization on Global Communication
1. Creation of a Global Village. “Global village” is coined by theorist Marshall McLuhan when distance and isolation do not matter
anymore because people are connected by technology, widespread telephone and internet access.
2. Increased Business Opportunities. With modernization through technology, globalization has reached out to many countries.
Today, many companies hire employees that are located in other countries. Communication vehicles make it simple for people to
converse with colleagues across the globe, connect with suppliers and customers worldwide, order food and products, and perform
other transactions at a massive pace, and shipment is onward. By these means, the economic status of the country is improved.
Thus, globalization is an asset in business; the operation has become modern at a large scale across the globe.
3. Fewer Cultural Barriers. Culture is crucial in any type of people interface. Through globalization and global technology, cultural
barriers are becoming less prevalent when interacting with people. Communicating effectively and frequently with various people
across countries contributes to understanding their culture progressively.
Impact of Communication in the Society and the World
Communication plays a significant role in the existence of human life. Science and information technology prevail in the 21 st century.
Email, the Internet, phones, and televisions are now common and make communication across countries easier, faster, and more
reliable than the traditional means of communication.
1. Creates family ties. Communication creates an atmosphere that allows family members to express their necessities, love,
admiration, and differences. It also prevents conflict among family members.
2. Enables society to be connected. Various organizations use electronic communication in day-to-day operations, and
individuals use it for personal purposes, such as video conferencing, communicating with customers online, paying bills, socializing,
etc.
3. Reduces distance considerably between countries, eliminating time lags.
4. Transforms the world into a global village.
Illustration 1

Connected, but Alone Excerpt

Jimmy Fischer

In Connected, but Alone Ted talk, Sherry Turkle talks about how technology has a considerable
influence on our social interaction today. The technological world brings us together but also
separates us from the real world. Sherry explains that many people who look for acceptance,
companionship, and interaction mostly go to their phones to seek that interaction. This
phenomenon is becoming a huge problem in our society because instead of relying on others,
people are relying on their phones. In Sherry’s speech, she explains that when people need to
interact socially, they turn to their phones and do not give their full attention to others who are
present at the time. Friends, coworkers, and family members feel neglected, and they do not
receive the interaction they need. It is not late to change this behavior. The way we interact with
people can be improved if we keep away from our phone to “help” us with social interaction.

Excerpt is from: https://connectedbutalonesummary.blogspot.com/

The excerpt above raises several insights into how technology touches people’s lives. We have begun to lean on technology in
our day-to-day routine. Everywhere we are in this world, we are connected in some way via technology devices, such as phones to
text and email, to socialize. Such devices are psychologically powerful that they change what we do and who we are. Thus, we
expect more from technology and less from each other.
The following article by Sherry Turkle titled, “The Flight from Conversation,” will help us further understand how technology has
changed our ways of communications (Turkle, 2012).

The Flight from Conversation

By SHERRY TURKLE
We live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have
sacrificed conversation for mere connection.
At home, families sit together, texting and reading e-mail. At work, executives text during board
meetings. We text (and shop and go on Facebook) during classes and when we are on dates. My
students tell me about an important new skill: it involves maintaining eye contact with someone
while you text someone else; it is hard, but it can be done.
Over the past 15 years, I have studied technologies of mobile connection and talked to hundreds
of people of all ages and circumstances about their plugged-in lives. I have learned that the little
devices most of us carry around are so powerful that they change not only what we do, but also
who we are.
We have become accustomed to a new way of being “alone together.” Technology-enabled, we
are able to be with one another, and also elsewhere, connected to wherever we want to be. We
want to customize our lives. We want to move in and out of where we are because the thing we
value most is control over where we focus our attention. We have gotten used to the idea of
being in a tribe of one, loyal to our own party.
Our colleagues want to go to that board meeting but pay attention only to what interests them.
To some this seems like a good idea, but we can end up hiding from one another, even as we are
constantly connected to one another.
A businessman laments that he no longer has colleagues at work. He does not stop by to talk; he
does not call. He says that he does not want to interrupt them. He says they are “too busy on
their e-mail.” But then he pauses and corrects himself. “I am not telling the truth. I am the one
who does not want to be interrupted. I think I should. But I would rather just do things on my
BlackBerry.”
A 16-year-old boy who relies on texting for almost everything says almost wistfully, “Someday,
someday, but certainly not now, I would like to learn how to have a conversation.”
In today’s workplace, young people who have grown up fearing conversation show up on the job
wearing earphones. Walking through a college library or the campus of a high-tech start-up,
one sees the same thing: we are together, but each of us is in our own bubble, furiously
connected to keyboards and tiny touch screens. A senior partner at a Boston law firm describes
a scene in his office. Young associates lay out their suite of technologies: laptops, iPods and
multiple phones. And then they put their earphones on. “Big ones. Like pilots. They turn their
desks into cockpits.” With the young lawyers in their cockpits, the office is quiet, a quiet that
does not ask to be broken.
In the silence of connection, people are comforted by being in touch with a lot of people —
carefully kept at bay. We cannot get enough of one another if we can use technology to keep one
another at distances we can control: not too close, not too far, just right. I think of it as a
Goldilocks effect.
‘A Place Where Everybody Can Shop’ Is Closing Its Doors
Why Intellectuals Support Dictators
To Make Orchestras More Diverse, End Blind Auditions
Texting and e-mail and posting let us present the self we want to be. This means we can edit.
And if we wish to, we can delete. Or retouch: the voice, the flesh, the face, the body. Not too
much, not too little — just right.
Human relationships are rich; they are messy and demanding. We have learned the habit of
cleaning them up with technology. And the move from conversation to connection is part of this.
But it is a process in which we shortchange ourselves. Worse, it seems that over time we stop
caring, we forget that there is a difference.
We are tempted to think that our little “sips” of online connection add up to a big gulp of real
conversation. But they do not. E-mail, Twitter, Facebook, all of these have their places — in
politics, commerce, romance and friendship. But no matter how valuable, they do not substitute
for conversation.
Connecting in sips may work for gathering discrete bits of information or for saying, “I am
thinking about you.” Or even for saying, “I love you.” But connecting in sips does not work as
well when it comes to understanding and knowing one another. In conversation we tend to one
another. (The word itself is kinetic; it is derived from words that mean to move, together.) We
can attend to tone and nuance. In conversation, we are called upon to see things from another’s
point of view.
FACE-TO-FACE conversation unfolds slowly. It teaches patience. When we communicate on
our digital devices, we learn different habits. As we ramp up the volume and velocity of online
connections, we start to expect faster answers. To get these, we ask one another simpler
questions; we dumb down our communications, even on the most important matters. It is as
though we have all put ourselves on cable news. Shakespeare might have said, “We are
consumed with that which we were nourished by.”
And we use conversation with others to learn to converse with ourselves. So, our flight from
conversation can mean diminished chances to learn skills of self-reflection. These days, social
media continually asks us what is “on our mind,” but we have little motivation to say something
truly self-reflective. Self-reflection in conversation requires trust. It is hard to do anything with
3,000 Facebook friends except connect.
As we get used to being shortchanged on conversation and to getting by with less, we seem
almost willing to dispense with people altogether. Serious people muse about the future of
computer programs as psychiatrists. A high school sophomore confides to me that he wishes he
could talk to an artificial intelligence program instead of his dad about dating; he says the A.I.
would have so much more in its database. Indeed, many people tell me they hope that as Siri, the
digital assistant on Apple’s iPhone, becomes more advanced, “she” will be more and more like
a best friend — one who will listen when others will not.
During the years I have spent researching people and their relationships with technology, I have
often heard the sentiment “No one is listening to me.” I believe this feeling helps explain why it
is so appealing to have a Facebook page or a Twitter feed — each provides so many automatic
listeners. And it helps explain why — against all reason — so many of us are willing to talk to
machines that seem to care about us. Researchers around the world are busy inventing sociable
robots, designed to be companions to the elderly, to children, to all of us.
One of the most haunting experiences during my research came when I brought one of these
robots, designed in the shape of a baby seal, to an elder-care facility, and an older woman
began to talk to it about the loss of her child. The robot seemed to be looking into her eyes. It
seemed to be following the conversation. The woman was comforted.
And so many people found this amazing. Like the sophomore who wants advice about dating
from artificial intelligence and those who look forward to computer psychiatry, this enthusiasm
speaks to how much we have confused conversation with connection and collectively seem to
have embraced a new kind of delusion that accepts the simulation of compassion as sufficient
unto the day. And why would we want to talk about love and loss with a machine that has no
experience of the arc of human life? Have we so lost confidence that we will be there for one
another?
WE expect more from technology and less from one another and seem increasingly drawn to
technologies that provide the illusion of companionship without the demands of relationship.
Always-on/always-on-you devices provide three powerful fantasies: that we will always be
heard; that we can put our attention wherever we want it to be; and that we never have to be
alone. Indeed, our new devices have turned being alone into a problem that can be solved.
When people are alone, even for a few moments, they fidget and reach for a device. Here
connection works like a symptom, not a cure, and our constant, reflexive impulse to connect
shapes a new way of being.
Think of it as “I share, therefore I am.” We use technology to define ourselves by sharing our
thoughts and feelings as we are having them. We used to think, “I have a feeling; I want to make
a call.” Now our impulse is, “I want to have a feeling; I need to send a text.”
So, in order to feel more, and to feel more like ourselves, we connect. But in our rush to connect,
we flee from solitude, our ability to be separate and gather ourselves. Lacking the capacity for
solitude, we turn to other people but do not experience them as they are. It is as though we use
them, need them as spare parts to support our increasingly fragile selves.
We think constant connection will make us feel less lonely. The opposite is true. If we are unable
to be alone, we are far more likely to be lonely. If we do not teach our children to be alone, they
will know only how to be lonely.
I am a partisan for conversation. To make room for it, I see some first, deliberate steps. At
home, we can create sacred spaces: the kitchen, the dining room. We can make our cars
“device-free zones.” We can demonstrate the value of conversation to our children. And we can
do the same thing at work. There we are so busy communicating that we often do not have time
to talk to one another about what really matters. Employees asked for casual Fridays; perhaps
managers should introduce conversational Thursdays. Most of all, we need to remember — in
between texts and e-mails and Facebook posts — to listen to one another, even to the boring
bits, because it is often in unedited moments, moments in which we hesitate and stutter and go
silent, that we reveal ourselves to one another.
I spend the summers at a cottage on Cape Cod, and for decades I walked the same dunes that
Thoreau once walked. Not too long ago, people walked with their heads up, looking at the
water, the sky, the sand and at one another, talking. Now they often walk with their heads down,
typing. Even when they are with friends, partners, children, everyone is on their own devices.
So, I say, look up, look at one another, and let us start the conversation.
Excerpt is from: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-
conversation.html
Lesson Proper for Week 3
Each culture has its own rules and principles for communication, as these cultures would have varying norms, behaviors, and
actions (02A lesson proper, n.d.). Moreover, the meaning behind actions and behaviors would depend on the context and
culture.

According to Hall and Hall (1987, as cited in, 02A lesson proper, n.d.), context cannot be separated from an event as the
context is what gives it meaning. Different cultures would communicate with varying levels of context.

First, in low-context communication, the information is explicit, and the receiver of the message would likely understand the
information (Barchas-Lichtenstein, 2016). In these cultures, individuals separate themselves and stay secretive about their
lives, and the burden of meaning would fall on the sender of the message (02A lesson proper, n.d.). Furthermore, low-context
communication is more common in individualistic cultures (Barchas-Lichtenstein, 2016). Examples of these are Americans
and Germans.

Second, in high-context communication, most of the information is implied rather than explicit (Barchas-Lichtenstien, 2016).
Furthermore, the burden of meaning would fall on the receiver of the message as there is little explicit information is
transmitted (02A lesson proper, n.d.). High-context communication is more common in collectivist cultures (Barchas-
Lichtenstein, 2016). An example of this culture is the Japanese.
Expressions/statements Meaning in direct culture Meaning in indirect culture
(LC) (HC)
1. Understatement - taken literally - express considerable interest
in the matter.
“I have one small - assume the speaker does not feel
suggestion.” strongly about this matter
2. Saying “yes” agreement, approval, acceptance, mere acknowledgment that the
and understanding. person heard you; being polite
and respectful

3. Saying nothing in The person does not object, - a person objects

response to a proposal or disagree with, or have a problem
suggestion with the proposal/ suggestion.
4. Informing a superior asking for intervention or help. a routine update and common
about something that is courtesy to the bosses who
going on. want to know everything that
is going on
5. Qualified answers: serve as affirmations The person does not agree
with the matter and does not
"probably,"
want to say so.
"I think so,"
Says "no" when they may
"I am almost sure," mean near affirmations.
and "there is a good
possibility."
Example from 02A lesson proper (n.d.).

Nonverbal Communication

Body language is different and must be learned effectively to communicate the intended message without giving unintended
insults.

Eye Contact. In some cultures, eye contact means honesty and straightforwardness, while it may come off as challenging and
rude in others. In the US, if you have good eye contact with a person, then it generally shows that you are interested in the
person. In the Middle East, eye contact is much less common and considered less appropriate than in other countries. In
many Asian, African, and Latin American cultures, extended eye contact can be taken as an affront or a challenge of authority.
In western Europe, maintaining almost constant eye contact with another person is considered proper and polite.

Gestures. When greeting friends, people in Russia and France kiss each other on the cheek, while people in other countries
greet each other through a firm handshake, a loving hug, and a bow/nod of the head.

Illustration 1.1
Directionality. Arabic text runs from right to left (RTL), while others’ numbers and Latin text run from left to right (LTR).

Illustration 1.2

For LTR readers, this laundry detergent advertisement is a sequence of three events, namely, a dirty shirt, washing, and a
resulting clean shirt. Meanwhile, for RTL readers, the message is a clean shirt, washing, and a resulting dirty shirt.

Cultural awareness is knowing that multiple cultures have different attitudes and outlooks. Cultural sensitivity is defined as
the “awareness and appreciation of the values, norms, and beliefs characteristic of a cultural, ethnic, racial, or other group
that is not one’s own, accompanied by a willingness to adapt one’s behavior accordingly” (American Psychological Association,
n.d., para. 1).

Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Guidelines

1. Admit that you do not know. It is okay to tell others that you do not know about their culture. Be humble and open to
learn from others.

2. Develop an awareness of your views, assumptions, and beliefs and how they are shaped by your culture. One way
is to communicate with people or friends of a different culture. Appreciate and celebrate differences. Do not find ways to beat
differences; instead, respect each other’s culture.

3. Take an interest. Getting to know other people means opening ways of communication by being interested in their
culture.

4. Do not make judgments. Commenting that another’s culture is bad and not interesting is not polite. Remember that
every culture, similar to a person, is unique.

5. Once you have collected information, start to check your assumptions. Find materials to prove your assumptions.
Make sure the facts are verifiable and your proof is sound.

6. Develop empathy. Be thankful for what you have. Empathize with others who do not have much in life. Do not be
negative toward their misfortune.

Illustration 2

Example from Study.com

Avery Jones, a 55-year-old African-American woman, has not been feeling well. Since she is new
in town and has not yet had a chance to establish care with a physician, she decides to go to Dr.
James Morrison at her friend's recommendation. Upon their first meeting, the 32-year-old Dr.
Morrison introduces himself as 'Dr. Morrison' and calls her 'Avery.' Dr. Morrison then assumes
that she is on Medicaid. Avery Jones leaves Dr. Morrison's practice upset and decides to find a
different doctor. Dr. Morrison is obviously confused about her response. So, what did he do
wrong?
DO NOT: Dr. Morrison was not being culturally sensitive. In many cultures, it is customary to
call people by their last names, especially when they are older than you. Since Dr. Morrison
called his patient 'Avery' instead of 'Mrs. Jones,' she took it as a sign of disrespect. To make
matters worse, Dr. Morrison assumed that Avery was on Medicaid based solely upon his initial
impression of her. This not only upset Mrs. Jones, but also prevented her from getting the medical
treatment that she needed.
DO: So, what would the culturally sensitive approach look like? Instead of calling her 'Avery,'
Dr. Morrison could have asked her how she would like to be addressed. He could then make a
note in her chart so that all of the staff know to address her as 'Mrs. Jones.' Instead of assuming
that Mrs. Jones was on Medicaid, Dr. Morrison would have asked her if she had medical
insurance and who her insurance provider was. Or maybe, he would have avoided the subject all
together, as most practices have a billing department that handles insurance matters.
(What is Cultural Sensitivity, 2019)
Varieties and Registers of Spoken and Written Language

Variety refers to any variant of a language that can be sufficiently delimited from one another.

1. Pidgin - These are new languages that are developed when there are individuals who speak different languages need to
communicate, but they do not share a common language (Language varieties, n.d.). The vocabulary of a pidgin comes from a
lexifier or a particular language. An example of this is West African Pidgin English.

2. Creole – These are languages developed from a pidgin that become the mother tongue of a community (Language
varieties, n.d.). These languages include the Jamaican Creole (Patois), Krio (Sierra Leone, Africa), and Chavacano in the
Philippines.

3. Regional dialect – These are languages that are spoken in a particular area of a country (Language varieties, n.d.).
Several regional dialects were given traditional names that would give them a distinction from the standard varieties spoken
in that same area. Ex. Cebuano, Ilocano, and Hiligaynon

4. Minority dialect - A variety used as a marker of identity that is generally with a standard variety by the members of a
particular minority ethnic group (Language varieties, n.d.). Ex. African American Vernacular English in the USA

5. Indigenized variety - This is mainly used as a second language in former colonies with multilingual populations
(Language varieties, n.d.) Ex. Singlish (spoken in Singapore)

Register

According to Crystal (2003), a register is the variety of language defined by its use in a particular social situation.

According to Joos (1968), there are five speech styles.

1. Intimate is a private speech style; that is, it only occurs between or among close family members or individuals because
the language use may not be shared in public.

2. Casual is a speech style that is used among peers and friends; the language used is generally jargon, slang, or vernacular.

3. Consultative is a speech style that is standard because this is the one used by professionals in the field. Ex. Newscasting

4. Formal style is one that is used in formal settings, but in contrast to consultative, this speech style is one-way; no slang
words are allowed. Ex. Sermons by priests and ministers, State of the Nation Address of the President, formal speeches, or
pronouncements by judges.

5. Frozen is a speech style that remains unchanged. Ex. The preamble to the Constitution or the Lord’s prayer.

Illustration 3
Lesson Proper for Week 4

(iStyleMagazine)
Text

We usually think "text" is anything that is written or typed with letters, words, and sentences. However, the term "text" in
communication studies means anything that can be analyzed to have meaning. It is made of a combination of signs that
convey a specific meaning. We should view a text as something that is complete and something that exists in a particular
context (Lotman, 1977).

Using the definition above, both pictures below are texts. The Religion clothing advertisement can be read as a text intended
to sell Religion clothes, while the written letter can be read as a letter of thanks.

("Hand written letter from Espen", licensed with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Cultural Text

What is cultural text? Cultural text is a text that reflects a particular culture. It shows a specific society’s ideas, beliefs, and
behaviors (Malley & Hawkins, n.d; Tylor, 1871). Thus, the cultural text conveys cultural meanings.

The tinikling dance is a cultural text as it conveys a specific meaning. Tinikling dancers imitate the movements of tikling, a long-
legged bird found in Leyte, Philippines. These birds are known for their grace in balancing on thin grasses of rice while
walking. Tinikling dancers show the Leytenos admiration of the tikling’s grace by dancing (Philippine Information Agency, 2006;
Horowitz, 2009).
 ("Tinikling (Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija)", licensed with CC BY 2.0)

Why Do We Evaluate Text?

Have you ever wondered why only you and your friends understand a funny meme (a text) while your parents don’t? When
you and your friends reach a consensus of what the meme means, you and your friends have evaluated the meme's comedic
meaning. Unfortunately, your parents did not have enough information why you thought the meme was funny.

Texts are constructed by someone to tell another person about something. A text usually has hidden meanings that can be
known by analyzing the different aspects of the text (Thoman & Jolls, 2003). If a person has enough information about the
sender, cultural context, or current events surrounding a text, they will be able to evaluate the meaning of the text.

Evaluating a text is an important skill, especially when we see, hear, and observe more texts because of our easy access
to communication technology. Also, there are now more ways to convey messages, such as through film, memes, blurbs, and
computer game graphics. Lastly, texts come from different contexts; meaning, we may misinterpret a text if we do not
consider its contextual or cultural background.

Concepts to Note When Evaluating Text

Before we can evaluate text, we need to take note of the contextual aspects of a text (Thoman & Jolls, 2003).

· Sender - All texts are constructed by a person. A tree is not sending a message. On the other hand, an artist can draw a
tree to convey a message.

· Rules and Form - Texts are constructed using meaningful signs (language) and rules of form, grammar, and other rules of
communication.

· Reception of the Audience - Different people will receive or understand a text differently.

· Point of View - Texts are embedded with values, ideas, and points of view.

· Purpose - Texts are made for certain purposes. Messages are placed in the text to inform, persuade, or entertain the
receiver of the message. For instance, advertisements are made to convince us to buy items. Another example would be why
electoral candidates have their own social media page: to convince voters to vote for them.

How to Evaluate Text

To evaluate a text, we find information about the contextual aspects of a text. The following table shows what questions we
may ask to study a text. We take the example of the picture below to demonstrate the evaluation process.

The picture below shows two doors leading to two different bathrooms in a restaurant. What do the pinned dolls mean?
 ("Funny Bathroom Signs - Ken and Barbie" licensed with CC BY 2.0)

Contextual Needed Information Information in the Bathroom Signs (Text)

Aspects
The message is simple: the door to the right
leads to the men’s restroom, while the door
· What message do the pinned to the left leads to the women’s restroom.
Sender dolls say? The signs were made by the owner of the
· Who made the signs? restaurant or someone they hired. Also, the
bathrooms may not have a stall for persons
with disabilities (PWDs).
The restaurant used Ken to say “men’s
· Why use Ken and Barbie? restroom” because it has a male form. Barbie
Rules and
Form · Is the use of the dolls effective has a female form. It effectively shows us
in sending the message? which door leads to the men’s or women’s
restroom.
We can assume that the owner of the
restaurant knows who Ken and Barbie are.
They might also think that both dolls
epitomize the male and female forms.

· What can we perceive from the On the other hand, people of color may be
Reception of text? taken aback by the signs because the sign
the Audience · How will other people from makes use of the traditional (Western and
other cultures receive the message? Caucasian) forms for males and females.

Some children who have an affinity with

Barbies and Kens may approve of the signs,
while children who fear dolls may be scared
of entering the bathrooms.
The sender of the message shows in the text
that they believe that Ken and Barbie are
· What ideas are represented in good models for men and women.
Point of View the text?
· What is missing in the text?
It might be better to use male and female
icons that do not fit a certain racial profile.

· Why did the sender make this The main reason for making the text is to
text? inform customers which door leads to the
Purpose men’s or women’s restroom. We may also
· What are other reasons why think that the sender thinks it adds some fun
dolls are used? to the restaurant's interior design.
Lesson Proper for Week 5
Communication aids help an individual to communicate effectively with people around them (Sadiq, 2017). These aids are
also called augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, which are defined as the large range of techniques
that support or replace spoken communication. These aids include gestures, signing, symbols, word boards, communication
boards and books, and voice output communication aids (VOCAs).

Different Types of Communication Aids

1. Comprehensive Expressive Aids: These types of aids are designed to cater to the daily communication needs of a
person (Sadiq, 2017). Examples of these aids include alphabet boards, communication boards, and books that contain
multiple messages that are shown through words, letters, symbols, and photos.

2. Targeted Expressive Aids: These aids, such as community request cards or object symbols to allow a person to make
basic requests, are designed for certain situations when limited message sets are needed (Sadiq, 2017).

3. Visual Supports: The purpose of visual supports is to help individuals in making sense of their day, recalling events, and
completing their tasks (Sadiq, 2017). Some individuals would have complex communication needs as it is difficult for them to
recall their memories and understand abstract information. Examples of visual supports are picture or object calendars,
picture shopping lists, and picture social stories.

4. Supports for Communication Partners: These types of support “provide details about an individual with complex
communication needs, their means of communication and other routine related information that assist a communication
partner to consistently support them throughout the day” (Sadiq, 2017, para. 7). Examples are a book about me, a personal
communication dictionary, or a personal history.

5. Technical Aids or Assistive Technology Devices: The technical aids for communication must allow the client to reach a
significant level of independence. Regular, off-the-shelf equipment may occasionally compensate efficiently for certain
disabilities and be considered assistive technology devices, but the program does not systematically cover them.

v The assistive technology devices covered by PMATCOM falls into the following five categories:

A. Speech aids are devices designed to enhance the use of natural speech.

B. Augmentative and alternative communication aids are devices designed to replace or augment speech and are
mostly used with communication software.

C. Adapted telephones are equipment or accessories that allow telephone use and adapted phone services at home for
people over 12 years (e.g., adapted telephones with breath control tubes, adapted telephone with scanning access software).

D. Computer access is a device or accessories that enable the functional use of the computer for writing or communication
activities. This type of technology is booming. Regular keyboard and mouse have many alternatives, such as an oversized
keyboard, keyguards, on-screen keyboard software, and head-pointing devices.

E. Environmental control devices are a kind of technology that allows users to control electronic or electrical devices at
home remotely (e.g., lights, tv, sound systems, etc.). These aids improve the user’s autonomy and help him stay at home with
few caregivers.

Types of Traditional Visual and Audio Media:

1. overhead transparencies

2. flip chart

3. whiteboard/chalkboard

4. document camera

5. video

6. handouts

7. sound recordings

Illustration 1
1. An alphabet board may be suitable for people who have literacy skills. It can be explicitly designed to suit the person’s
needs, such as using either an ABC or QWERTY format, with direct access or partner-assisted auditory scanning. A nontech
option is also helpful as a backup for individuals who may have an existing electronic communication device; remember,
batteries do not last forever!

2. A book about me may be suitable for people who can understand photos or pictures but is the most useful for support
workers. It contains current relevant information about a person’s needs and abilities. It can provide support to people with
information about a person’s daily routine and how to support them consistently with activities of daily living, such as during
mealtimes. It may also provide communication partners with information on the person’s likes and dislikes.

3. A multilevel communication book allows access to an extensive vocabulary. The first pages cover the index and will
enable the user to “go to” a range of topics. Tabs make navigating through the pages easy. Each page allows the user to
return to the index. The content may be a picture, word, or photo. Several people also include the alphabet if they have
spelling skills. The vocabulary should be personalized to reflect the individual’s skills and interests.

4. A personal communication dictionary is helpful for partners unfamiliar with how a person communicates. It contains
information about unique or idiosyncratic communication behavior. It provides information about what the person does,
what this means, and what the other person should do in response to the communication behavior seen. A gesture dictionary
can also be developed to include the signs and gestures that people understand or use to communicate.

5. A personal history provides communication partners with information and photos about a person’s life and family
history. They include past and present skills and interests, likes and dislikes, and future aspirations and dreams. It can be
used as a conversation starter or to gain information about the person, especially when they have difficulty in expressing
themselves and telling their own story.

6. A cues book can be helpful for people who need additional information to make sense of the “here and now” in their
world. Supporting people in the environment can provide several consistent sensory cues to the person during their daily
routines. Cues can be visual, tactile, olfactory (smell), or auditory. A cues book helps present these cues in a user-friendly
format for communication partners to ensure that consistent signals are used to show the person that an event or activity will
occur.

Three Main Elements of an Oral Presentation:

1. the words you say

2. how you say them

3. the visual support you provide

Guidelines for visual presentation:

ü be creative but keep infographics simple; make your design but keep it as simple and professional as possible;

ü use good fonts, such as Arial, and its size should be at least 20 pt to be read easily from a distance;

ü use a high-contrast color scheme (e.g., black on white or white on dark blue background);

ü each slide must contain one main point or message;

ü bullet points are preferred instead of full sentences; and

ü use graphs and charts to present complex information but make sure to explain their relevance and significance
thoroughly.

Tips in Using Presentation Media:

ü practice with your media

ü consider your room and audience

ü speak to your audience and not your media

Always Remember:

ü 10-20-30 – 10 slides, 20 minutes, and 30 pt font size

ü 1-6-6 – 1 main idea, 6 bullet points, and 6 words per bullet

ü 7-7 –7 lines and 7 words

ü 9 Ps – Prior Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance of the Person Putting on the Presentation

Illustration 2

The following are the reasons for avoiding these mistakes (5 presentation design, 2015).

· Overusing display fonts will make your audience cringe; the text is hard to read.

· Lengthy line spillover throws off the alignment of your slide.

· Using multiple random images makes your presentation look disorganized.

· Formatting inconsistency distracts your audience.

· Slapping solid text boxes over busy images messes up the visual flow.
Lesson Proper for Week 7
Different Types of Speech According to Purpose

1. Informative Speech – An informative speech is aimed at disseminating information regarding a certain topic to an
audience (Purposive7-11, n.d.). Furthermore, this type of speech should provide the audience beneficial information
regarding the subject of the speech. The parts of this speech are the introduction, body, and conclusion. An example of this
speech is Marie Curie’s speech regarding the discovery of radium. The following is an excerpt of the speech from Purposive7-
11 (n.d.).

“I could tell you many things about radium and radioactivity and it would take a long time. But as we cannot do that, I shall
only give you a short account of my early work about radium. Radium is no more a baby, it is more than twenty years old, but
the conditions of the discovery were somewhat peculiar, and so it is always of interest to remember them and to explain
them. We must go back to the year 1897. Professor Curie and I worked at that time in the laboratory of the school of Physics
and Chemistry where Professor Curie held his lectures. I was engaged in some work on uranium rays which had been
discovered two years before by Professor Becquerel.***I spent some time in studying the way of making good
measurements of the uranium rays, and then I wanted to know if there were other elements, giving out rays of the same
kind. So, I took up a work about all known elements, and their compounds and found that uranium compounds are active
and also all thorium compounds, but other elements were not found active, nor were their compounds. As for the uranium
and thorium compounds, I found that they were active in proportion to their uranium or thorium content.”

2. Persuasive Speech – Persuasion is defined as an attempt to influence another person’s attitudes, beliefs, or behavior
(Purposive7-11, n.d.). In a persuasive speech, the speaker’s goal is to persuade their audience and convince or influence them
in some way (Purposive7-11, n.d.). The speaker may convince the audience to move or act for a certain cause or adopt the
opinion or belief of the speaker. An example of this speech comes from Martin Luther King Jr. The following is an excerpt of “I
Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. from Purposive7-11 (n.d.).

“Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of
segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the
solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.”

Principles of Speech Delivery

According to Lucas (2012), good speech delivery should convey the speaker's ideas interestingly and clearly without leaving
the audience distracted. Furthermore, the audience "prefer delivery that combines a certain degree of formality with the best
attributes of good conversation—directness, spontaneity, animation, vocal and facial expressiveness, and a lively sense of
communication" (Lucas, 2012, p.240).

1. Articulation refers to the speaker's ability to have clear diction, the proper pronunciation of words, and effectively convey
their message (Jimenez, 2017).

2. Modulation refers to the ability “to adjust or manipulate the resonance and timbre of the vocal tone” (Jimenez, 2017, para.
3).

3. Stage Presence refers to the ability of the speaker to control the stage, fill the stage, and show their personality to their
audience (Jimenez, 2017).

4. Facial Expression, Gestures, Movement, Audience Rapport

· Facial expression helps the speaker connect to the audience. It can show the speaker’s sincerity, credibility, and emotions
(Jimenez, 2017).

· Gestures can help the speaker emphasize, express their emotions, and interact with their audience (Jimenez, 2017).

· Movements can make your speech dramatic and prevents it from being monotonous (Jimenez, 2017).

· Audience Rapport can help you in connecting to your audience (Jimenez, 2017).

Tools for Effective Delivery

To be effective in your delivery, watch prominent people deliver their speeches in public. While observing, the following are
four points to take note of:

1. How they approach their audience – Are they formal or informal? Is their speech style personal,
conversational, or casual?
2. How they connect with their audience – Are they using eye contact, body movements, gestures, and facial
expressions?
3. How they present themselves – Are they confident to stand on the stage? How do they look? How do they
stand, walk, and use nonverbal cues on and off the stage?
4. How they use their voice in terms of the following:
a. Volume – loudness or softness of voice

b. Pitch – highness or lowness of voice

c. Rate or speed – fastness or slowness of speech

d. Pauses to show emphasis and improve the clarity of the message

e. Vocal variety – effective changes in volume, pitch, rate, and pauses

f. Pronunciation – correct enunciation of words

Three essential questions to ask before an oral presentation:

1. Type of your presentation you are going to do or the types of speech according to a purpose. Why am I doing this
presentation? Am I going to explain, argue, persuade, or inform?

2. Target audience. To whom am I presenting? Who will be the people to listen to me or read my work? If you know your
audience, then you will have an idea of what to include in your speech because you have to give them information that will
help or influence them.

3. The overall goal for the presentation. You must know your goal for the presentation because your speech, preparation,
and materials all depend on it. What is my intended outcome upon the completion of my presentation?

Performance Rubrics for Oral Presentations

For the performance rubrics, the major points are content, organization, and clarity of report, delivery, presentation aids, time
management, and audience impact. This rubric describes the three levels, such as developing, standard, and exemplary, of
which the perfect point for each criterion is 10 points, with a total of 60 points.
Lesson Proper for Week 8
The type of speech is determined by the topic, purpose, audience, and context. Speakers adjust language, complexity, and
manner of delivery to suit these criteria. The following are the types of speech according to purpose:

INFORMATIVE SPEECH

The speech style provides the audience with information to have a clear understanding of objects, people, processes,
concepts, and ideas. The speaker does this by describing, demonstrating, giving details, and defining. Organization, repetition,
and visualization of key points help effectively impart knowledge to listeners so that they understand and recall what they
have heard. Research is needed to ensure that details and information are complete and correct. The speaker should not
include personal bias and opinion. The speaker also needs to think about the audience, their needs, relevance, and prior
knowledge of the topic.

Four categories of informative speech:

1. Object or descriptive speeches

This informative speech seeks to impart tangible things knowledge about people, animals, places, things, or experiences. The
speaker provides an overview of the topic using sensory language that appeals to the senses to create a vivid and detailed
picture.

Topics that may be used in descriptive speeches:

· Places you loved as a child

· Piece of modern art

· An eco-tourism destination in your area

2. Process or demonstrative speeches

This informative speech demonstrates how something is made, is done, and works. The speaker helps the audience
understand the process so they may be able to do it themselves where applicable. Visuals of completed steps are used to
support the audience retain and recall the steps.

Topics that may be used in demonstrative speeches:

· How to use a learning platform

· How to set realistic goals

· Ways to protect your mental health

3. Events or explanatory speeches

This informative speech explains an occurrence or event. The speaker describes the time, date, location, and circumstances of
these events. The speech focuses on how and why certain customs, transformations, inventions, policies, and outcomes
might have happened. The information can be organized chronologically, topically, or through cause-and-effect. Data and
statistics may be presented in visuals like timelines, graphs, and tables.

Topics that may be used in explanatory speeches:

· The effects of the lockdowns on global trade

· The reality show phenomenon

· The history of autism as a diagnosis

4. Concepts or definition speeches

This informative speech defines concepts, ideas, beliefs, theories, attitudes, principles, and issues. The definition may include
historical derivation, classification, synonyms of terms, background, and core attributes of a concept. Concrete ideas such as
explicit examples, context, and applications make abstract ideas relatable and tangible to your audience. Concept speeches
break down complex ideas into manageable chunks of understanding for your audience.

Topics that may be used in definition speeches:

· Big Bang Theory

· Philosophy of Education

· Me Too Movement

We may follow any of the five patterns of organizing an informative speech, as follows:

1. Chronological order – Information is organized according to time of occurrence, either from the present back to the past
or from the past to the present.
2. Spatial order – Information is organized according to how things fit in location or space.

3. Cause-effect – Information may be organized from a cause or the root to an effect or result. There may be one cause and
several effects or one effect and several causes.

Example: The cause is poverty. The effects are crime, drug addiction, and early marriage.

4. Comparison and contrast – This pattern shows the similarities and differences between the two main points.

5. Categorical or topical – Information may be presented according to category, family, or topic. This organization of pieces
of information shows the general topic and the sub-topics that support it.

Sample Illustration 1
This excerpt is from Marie Curie’s speech regarding the discovery of radium:
I could tell you many things about radium and radioactivity and it would take a long time. But
as we cannot do that, I shall only give you a short account of my early work about radium.
Radium is no more a baby, it is more than twenty years old, but the conditions of the discovery
were somewhat peculiar, and so it is always of interest to remember them and to explain them.
We must go back to the year 1897. Professor Curie and I worked at that time in the laboratory
of the school of Physics and Chemistry where Professor Curie held his lectures. I was engaged
in some work on uranium rays which had been discovered two years before by Professor
Becquerel.***I spent some time in studying the way of making good measurements of the
uranium rays, and then I wanted to know if there were other elements, giving out rays of the
same kind. So I took up a work about all known elements, and their compounds and found that
uranium compounds are active and also all thorium compounds, but other elements were not
found active, nor were their compounds. As for the uranium and thorium compounds, I found
that they were active in proportion to their uranium or thorium content.

This excerpt is from:

https://www.softschools.com/examples/grammar/informative_speech_examples/384/

ENTERTAINING SPEECH

This type of speech aims to share goodwill, joy, and pleasure with the audience. The entertainment speech is also called the
speech for a special occasion. The tone of the speaker is conversational, friendly, and relaxed. The speaker must know the
audience to entertain them effectively. Examples of these include roast speeches and speeches by a special guest during a
graduation.

Speech writing checklist (Peterson, 2015)

ü Give a dramatic twist to common issues. Add emotion to your speech and cite real situations that touch/affect people.

ü Perform dialogues and metaphors. A speech becomes alive and lively with the injection of conversations. The uses of
metaphors make the speech vivid and colorful, thereby appealing to the audience.

ü Tell a personal experience and interrelate a humorous anecdote to the main theme. Nobody can disprove your experience
because it is an actual event that you had undergone. A humorous anecdote also adds flavor to your speech.

ü Give mocking comments on ordinary things, persons, places, values, or thoughts. This approach awakes the thinking and
reasoning skills of the audience to see familiar things and give comments.

Balgos and Sipacio (2016) list five steps in writing an entertaining speech:

1. Choose - Choose a light topic that you want to share with your audience. It may be an anecdote or experience that you
feel worth sharing; it may be funny or scary.

2. Enjoy – When you feel relaxed while delivering your entertainment speech, the audience will also feel good.

3. Simplify – Make the flow of your speech simple and less formal. The audience should not feel tight while listening.

4. Visualize – Use descriptive, vivid words that appeal to the five senses to make your audience go with the flow and listen.

5. Surprise – Add twists to your presentation to surprise your audience, thereby making your speech entertaining.

Sample Illustration 2

The following is an example of a roast:

He won’t even pick me up in New York City on his way down from Boston to Pennsylvania. It’s
freaking 15 minutes out of his way on a 6-hour trip. He just got engaged after 3 years of dating his
fiancée… Congratulations! Or as my Grandmom said, “What took you so long???” But, THANK
YOU BRETT! It’s about time you took some of the pressure off me. Grandmom says, “Did you set
a date yet? You know, Grandpop didn’t get that new hip for nothing.”
So, now he has a real reason not to pick me up. No matter when he’s going home, it’s always
something – one time it was the neighborhood I was in, then the car was “acting” up, he gets more
inheritance by showing up first, there was a bomb in Boston – as if that would’ve stopped him
years ago! Do you remember who drove you to college, you …………? Last time he couldn’t pick
me up it was something about eczema or psoriasis. If that’s true his fiancée must be contaminated
all over. It’s not like I’m going to kiss him or hug him
This text is from:
https://thecomedyconsultant.com/jokes/roasts/
PERSUASIVE SPEECH

It is a specific type of speech in which the speaker aims to convince the audience to accept their perspective. The primary goal
is to influence the thoughts, feelings, actions, and behavior or attitude of the listeners (Gamble & Gamble, 2012). It seeks to
provide the audience with clear or acceptable ideas that can influence their opinions and decisions. This type of speech seeks
to change their perception and convince them that your argument is important, practical, attainable, or feasible.

Categories of persuasive speech

1. Preposition of Fact- It is speech that claims something is true or false. This type requires reliable evidence supported by a
study.

2. Preposition of Value- It is speech that proves an idea in terms of the speaker’s sense of values and wrong or right.

3. Preposition of Policy- It is speech that recommends action or changes.

Forms of Appeal (Proof)

1. Appeal to Reason (Logos)

The argument should appeal to the rational intellect by finding common ground to thoroughly understand the topics. The
speaker presents facts and statistics to support the argument.

2. Appeal to Emotion (Pathos)

The argument should anticipate the ethical, religious, social, and political beliefs and the feelings of the audience. The speaker
invokes sympathy by making the audience feel a certain way.

3. Appeal to Character (Ethos)

The argument should appeal to the sense of right and wrong, justice, and fair play. The credibility of the speaker gives
authority to the claims.

Qualities of an Effective Persuasive Speech:

1. Having an attention-grabbing introduction

2. Authority to speak (credibility and competence)

3. Logical presentation

4. Smart pacing

5. Stirring conclusion

Sample Illustration 3

The following speech was delivered by Steve Jobs on June 12, 2005, addressing the graduates of
Stanford University.
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the
world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college
graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three
stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for
another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student,
and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by
college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife.
Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my
parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: “We have an
unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” They said: “Of course.” My biological mother later
found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never
graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few
months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive
as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition.
After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and
no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money
my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out
OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin
dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn’t all romantic. I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends’ rooms, I
returned Coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across
town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And
much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless
later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country.
Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand
calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take the normal classes, I decided to
take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and sans serif typefaces,
about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great
typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t
capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But 10 years later, when we
were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into
the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that
single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally
spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would
have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class,
and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was
impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear
looking backward 10 years later.
Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.
So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in
something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it
has made all the difference in my life.
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents’
garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us
in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees. We had just released our finest
creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How
can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I
thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well.
But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we
did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had
been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn’t know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of
entrepreneurs down — that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David
Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public
failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to
dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I
had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could
have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of
being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative
periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and
fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the
world’s first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation
studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and
the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene
and I have a wonderful family together.
I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful
tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick.
Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did.
You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your
work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what
you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t
found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find
it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep
looking until you find it. Don’t settle.
My third story is about death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last,
someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past
33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day
of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been
“No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me
make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all
fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only
what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the
trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to
follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly
showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this
was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer
than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is
doctor’s code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have
the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up
so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an
endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my
pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me
that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned
out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and
I’m fine now.
This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and I hope it’s the closest I get for a few more
decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when
death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet
death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be,
because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out
the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now,
you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite
true.
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma —
which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions
drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and
intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is
secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was
one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from
here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960s,
before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors
and Polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came
along: It was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run
its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover
of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find
yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay
Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have
always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much.
This speech is from:
https://jamesclear.com/great-speeches/2005-stanford-commencement-address-by-steve-jobs
Lesson Proper for Week 9
There are four Types of Speeches According to Delivery:

1. Manuscript Speech

First, the Manuscript Speech is a kind of speech with advanced preparation that is planned, rehearsed, and read aloud with a
written message. It is advantageous to public figures, media personalities, spokespersons for government and private
organizations. Because of their busy schedules, someone is assigned to prepare their speeches, commonly called a
“ghostwriter.” Examples of manuscript speeches include newscasting over television, presenting legal proceedings and
verdicts in a court, and reading the rules and criteria in a contest . The advantage of manuscript speech is one merely reads
the exact repetition of the written words, and it is a guided speech. On the other hand, it is disadvantageous as it may seem
like a dull and uninteresting presentation, and it lacks audience rapport or connection.

Tips for preparing a Manuscript Speech:

· Rehearse the speech over and over again until it sounds natural.

· Observe accomplished news anchors and note how conversational they sound when they deliver the news.

In using the manuscript speech method, one must do the following:

1. prepare

2. mark

3. practice

4. practice more

5. concentrate

6. act it out

2. Memorized speech

Second, the Memorized Speech is a manuscript that is committed to memory. In this type of speech, the speaker chooses a
speech to memorize for days. This speech is advantageous because the words are polished, and the speaker can have eye
contact with the audience. However, it is disadvantageous as only a few individuals can memorize well; hence, their speech
becomes spontaneous. A memorized speech should be avoided, especially for your first speech assignment.

Tips for Memorizing a Speech

· Break it down – Break your speech into parts to memorize it easily, piece by piece.

· Build it up – Memorize the speech by part or paragraph and then build up by adding another paragraph and another.

· Speak out – Speak aloud when you start to memorize a speech. Speaking activates your sense of hearing while using
your eyes to read the copy. The more senses are engaged, the better the retention in the brain will be.

· Identify keys – Mark the keywords in your speech with a red pen or highlighter to help remember them.

· Have a break – After memorizing parts of your speech, you should take a break. Rest for a day, watch television soap
operas, take a nap, visit a park, or chat with friends.

· Record and listen – Record your speech and listen to it for feedback. Then, you may re-record it until you make a
perfect delivery.

· Use note cards – Using note cards will help you remember the parts of your speech and eventually memorize them
easily.

3. Extemporaneous Speech

Third, the Extemporaneous Speech is a type of speech prepared and practiced, but the exact wording is determined at the
time of utterance. In preparing it, only crucial points or outlines are included. Practicing the Extemporaneous Speech will
make one confident and familiar with the topic. Furthermore, it permits you to control speech far more than impromptu
speech and, it is used mainly in the class where lectures are delivered extemporaneously. Out of the four types of speeches,
this is the most popular because it is conversational in tone and is more personal than the other types. It is like talking to your
friends.

4. Impromptu Speech

Fourth, the Impromptu Speech is when you are asked to give a speech without being informed before the speaking
engagement any is delivered with barely any preparation (Thompson, 2021). As it is on-the-spot, this is a speech that you have
to make without much or any time to prepare. Examples include the speech people make when attending special events,
such as weddings or celebrations; in school, teachers use impromptu speech. For this speech, no preparation, script, and
outline is needed. Your immediate ideas are most precious.
In giving an Impromptu Speech, one should follow the following steps (Give a Great Impromptu Speech, n.d.).

1. Take your time getting ready to speak. Do not hurry to stand up or go to the podium. While relaxed and deliberate,
slowly walk to your mark. If you need more time to prepare, prolong your preparation time by shaking the hands of others,
greeting or complementing others, or adjusting the equipment such as the microphone before you speak.

2. Calm your nerves. Take deep breaths to collect your thoughts and concentrate on giving an impromptu speech. Ignore
all distractions, especially those that may get your attention and thoughts that may lead you to self-doubt.

3. Project a confident aura. Smile and face your audience and make eye contact with the audience nearest to you. Avoid
fidgeting, trembling, and arranging yourself in an awkward manner to maintain a confident look.

4. Make a short introduction. Briefly let your audience get to know you by stating your name, why you are in the event,
and why you are a speaker. In addition, it is also beneficial to thank your audience for their attention and attendance.

Three strategies in organizing and delivering an impromptu speech:

1. Past, Present, Future. You can use the following to indicate the time in your speech.

· In the past, …

· At present, …

· In the future, …

For example:

On Procrastination

In the past, I crammed during an examination and obtained low scores because I was so laid back and postponed reviewing
my notes. At present, I attempted to have a study habit and religiously follow it. I keep self-discipline. In the future, I look
forward to getting high scores and grades in my subjects because I studied hard and know the lessons well.

2. Point-Reason-Example/Explanation-Point

For Example:

I love (Subject).

I have two reasons for this…

Through (Subject)…

(Subject), indeed, is…

I love Facebook. I have two reasons for this. First, I enhance my poetry writing skills because of joining international poetry
contests in Facebook poetry groups. Second, I meet poet friends who coach me and from whom I can learn
something. Through Facebook, I use my free time developing my poetic skills. Facebook, indeed, is a helpful avenue for
learning and meeting like-minded people.

3. Opening, Rule of Three, clincher

Opening: Every time I see homeless children, …

Rule of Three:

First, …

Second, …

Third, …

Clincher: The three are….

For Example:

Every time I see homeless children, I remember my old days in the province. First, I want to help them with the resources I
have. Second, I would like to reach out to government organizations to do something for them. Third, I can organize a project
with my friends to alleviate the suffering of these children. These are the three things I would like to do for these children.

Practice!

Try Relaxing Breathing Exercises

Dr. Weil, the health guru, recommends this simple exercise anytime you feel stressed, especially
before speaking in public
1. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth and keep
it there through the entire exercise.
2. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
3. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
4. Hold your breath for a count of seven.
5. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
6. This is one breath. Now, inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times, for a total of four
breaths.
You will notice that after a few breaths, you will feel calm because the exercise is a natural
tranquilizer for the nervous system. (Weil, 2019).
Lesson Proper for Week 10
Healthcare is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases and illnesses in humans. Healthcare is provided by
different doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers, such as therapists.

Importance of Communication in Healthcare according to Abdullah (2017).

1. Good communication helps patients/clients feel at ease.

People who need healthcare services feel anxious about their health, what tests and treatment they might have to undergo,
and what the future holds for them. This phenomenon can lead them to speak out of character, perhaps being a bit rude or
aggressive. Having good communication with healthcare workers will reduce their anxiety and build their confidence.

2. Good communication helps patients/clients to feel in control.

People easily feel that they give up all control of their lives once they enter the health system. For example, if they are in
hospital, even with things they usually have control with every day, such as when they get out of bed, wash, and eat, might be
dictated by someone else. People would feel hopeless and helpless if they feel that they are not in control (Abdullah, 2017).
These feelings could hinder their chances to recover from a certain illness. With proper communication, feelings of
hopelessness can be avoided, and patients can see and feel that they are still in control of their lives.

3. Good communication makes patients/clients feel valued.

According to Abdullah (2017), time is one of the most valuable things we can give to another person. When we show that we
are willing to set aside all other our tasks to be able to spend time with someone, it is a way to show that you value that other
person. Being able to communicate well would help in achieving this with patients and clients.

Common Communication Methods

1. Transmitting Patient Data

According to Regis College (n.d.), the records of patients are securely shared through interhospital or intrahospital
communications. They add that if there are delays withing the receiving of records, it could cost the hospital a large sum of
money. It is important that the data is properly shared within the departments of the hospital as it is used to create a medical
history and provide the appropriate care and if it is not shared properly the chances of errors and costs would increase.

2. Sharing Research Findings

For the creation and improvement of procedures, the healthcare industry uses research (Regis College, n.d.). However, there
is a reluctance among third-party researchers such as private companies or pharmaceutical laboratories due to the
competitive nature of these industries. In an article published by Forbes, “lack of access to the latest research can stall
medical advancement, waste funding, and negatively impact health outcomes” (Regis College, n.d., para. 11). There is a need
to implement communication systems for easy collaborative research within and among organizations for the evolution of
healthcare techniques.

3. Collaborating with Colleagues

Communication within hospitals is heavily reliant on collaboration as patients, laboratory technicians, doctors, and staff need
to be in a smooth and constant flow of communication so that there may be a system that operates smoothly (Regis College,
n.d.). Collaboration among colleagues includes accurately encoding information in databases as the inaccurate
communication can lead to database entry errors which is a risk to a patient’s safety.

Important Communication Aspects

Body language can communicate one’s interest and engagement in a conversation (Abdullah, 2017). Our posture, eye contact,
facial expression, and touch should all match the words we are saying. Communication is much more that the words that we
say as it also includes our tone, the attention we give, the way we position and move our bodies, and the clarity of what we
write.

1. Verbal Communication

There is a need to be careful to what we communicate with patients or clients (Abdullah, 2017). There should be clarity,
accuracy, honesty, and appropriateness to the message we communicate.

With the same importance as to how we say it, at all times we must be:

· Courteous and respectful: Patients must be addressed by how they wish to be addressed (Abdullah, 2017). Some may
opt to be called by their first names and some might want to be formally addressed therefore, there is a need to know what
the individual is comfortable with. Pet names such as “dear” or “doll” should be avoided.

· Encouraging: Prompts such as “yes, do go on,” and “can you tell me more about that” should be used to encourage
patients to communicate with you (Abdullah, 2017).
· Your tone of voice is also important. It is a given that a person working in healthcare could become extremely busy.
With the multitude of things to do, one could feel the need to rush. However, you must remain calm and focused on the
patient as they can sense irritation and impatience just from the tone of your voice (Abdullah, 2017).

2. Nonverbal communication is often described as “body language.”

Our body language communicates our interest and engagement in a conversation. The message that we convey can be lost if
our body language is different from what we are saying (Alyahya, 2019).

Key learning point: Our body language says a lot about our interest and engagement in the communication we are having.
Our posture, eye contact, facial expression, and touch should match the words we are saying.

Sample Illustration 1

Source: https://rcni.com/hosted-content/rcn/first-steps/non-verbal-communication

3. Questions

The two kinds of questions we can use to help us understand what patients/clients want and need are closed and open
questions.

1. Closed questions – These questions are used when responses can be answered with simply a “yes” or “no.”

2. Open questions – These types of questions are used when we want the patient to explain or talk about something in
depth and invite the patient to open up (Abdullah, 2017). Asking open-ended questions would lead to you asking more open-
ended questions. This is done in order to get to the bottom of the issue.

4. Written Communication

It is important for health professionals to properly keep written records of the care they give to their patients because of
the following according to Abdullah (2017):

· To make sure that the patient is safely given proper continuous proper care regardless of who the current attendants
are.

· To have records of the care that the patient has received

· To make sure that there is a record that can be used as “evidence” if a patient were to complain about the care given to
them.

You will be supporting registered staff to prepare and update patient records. Thus, having a good understanding of the
principles of written communication is important. The actual level of your involvement in written patient records will vary
from workplace to workplace; you need to find out what is expected of you in your workplace and make sure you follow the
rules.

Sample Illustration 2
 Source: https://rcni.com/hosted-content/rcn/first-steps/written-communication

Barriers to Communication

· Communication issue: Patient/client “sensory” problems – sight, hearing, and/or speech impairment

Solution: Speak slowly and listen carefully. Do not shout to someone who has a hearing impairment; pronounce your words
clearly and make sure the person can see your lips. Use communication aids, such as hearing aid, Braille, and written
communication.

· Communication issue: Patient/client confused or living with dementia

Solution: Remove all distractions if possible, such as a TV playing in the corner and find a quiet location where the person can
focus easily. Ask family/loved ones how they communicate with a person; they are often experts in this.

· Communication issue: Patient/client does not speak or understand English

Solution: Many simple needs can be defined by imitating actions, such as eating, drinking, and taking a short walk. Complex
conversations will need the help of a trusted family member who speaks English or a translator.

· Communication issue: Busy and noisy, with a lack of privacy

Solution: Many healthcare environments are like this; you might be in a busy hospital ward with many people and equipment
around and noisy trolleys rattling in and out the ward or in a GP surgery treatment room with various people interrupting
while you are trying to speak to a patient. Many care homes and private houses are just as busy. However, generally, you can
find a quiet space that you can go to. Doing simple actions, such as turning a TV off, drawing curtains around the bed area,
closing windows if noisy traffic or roadworks are nearby, and closing the door of the treatment room, can also help.
Lesson Proper for Week 11
Classroom communication is verbal, written, and nonverbal communication between teacher and students to constitute
cooperation and achieve learning outcomes. Teaching and learning in classrooms are communicative processes. Teachers
and students communicate with each other and how they communicate affects instruction.

Functions of Classroom Communication (Effective communication: Verbal and non-verbal, 2021).

1. Understanding and insight

Understanding is an integral part of effective learning. Teachers deliver lessons as straightforward as possible to aid their
students in understanding the subject content and that they may be able to give their insights regarding the topic at hand.
Through communication, asking questions that help students reflect is promoted which then leads to a better understanding
(Effective communication: Verbal and non-verbal, 2021).

2. Persuasion and influence

Persuading and influencing, specifically teacher to their students, is one of the purposes of communication in the learning
process (Effective communication: Verbal and non-verbal, 2021). They try to use persuasion through direct words
intentionally to get the student's attention to do work or change the behavior and/or attitude. Meanwhile, students
commonly use writing to influence the teacher, other learners, and people in the community.

3. Promoting learning skills

To develop the learning skills of the students, let them:

· speak more through class recitations and reporting

· read texts and discuss in groups/class

· participate in writing tasks

4. Initiate and maintain a relationship

Classroom teaching is interpersonal on a social aspect (Effective communication: Verbal and non-verbal, 2021). The students
learn best when they have a strong sense of belongingness and feel valued and respected by their classmates and teacher.
Otherwise, the objectives of education will not be attained.

Two Key Roles of Classroom Communication (Effective communication: Verbal and non-verbal, 2021).

1. Classroom Instruction

Teachers are responsible in helping students become better at learning and hone their skills, most especially in
communication. Instructing a class should not be likened to explaining all through by a teacher; instead, allow them to do
certain tasks individually, in pairs, or in groups that foster habits of mind, such as imagination, creativity, critical thinking, and
problem-solving.

2. Communication and classroom management

Classroom management is a way to ensure that the condition of the environment is optimal in promoting an effective
learning environment. Encountering disruptive behavior in classrooms is inevitable. Thus, several strategies are formed to
maintain classroom control.

Four strategies to maintain classroom control

· Behavior modification. The behaviorist approach, according to experimental psychology by B.F. Skinner, recommends a
consistent and systematic approach of rewarding (reinforcing using words such as “good job” and “well done”) for appropriate
student behavior and removing rewards (punishment) for misbehavior.

· Promoting socioemotional learning environment. Teachers use communication to convey their ideas for subject
understanding, feelings, and attitudes toward their students inside the classroom. The classroom can be maintained and
established using positive communication that results in a good relationship with people in the school and makes all the
students willing to participate in class. This positive communication may comprise the sense of belongingness, support,
worthiness, success, enthusiasm, confidence, and the use of praises and rewards. The teacher must project attributes of one
who is real, accepting, and empathic.

· Initiating and managing the group process. Learning in groups helps students develop their communication and
independent learning skills. They will stay on track if tasks are cognitively challenging, meaningful and within their level. You
must also initiate support through prompts, clarifying and repeating instructions, and providing additional resources or time.

· The authoritative approach. It is when the teacher yields high control of the class, but the learner involvement is low.
The teacher is controlling, strict, and inflexible. His focus is on content and not the feelings or problems of the students.

Types of Classroom Communication

Teachers and students interact with one another in various contexts and use all three types of communication, as follows:
1. Verbal Communication – any communication with your students where messages are conveyed through words, sounds,
or a language. For example, a teacher may ask a student to stand up. The following factors are observed in this type of
communication:

· Voice – the sound produced when communicating verbally. Some guidelines when communicating verbally using your
voice.

o Volume – Keep the volume of your voice at an appropriate level; this will make you sound confident. If your volume is low
when it should be loud, then you will be perceived as shy. Meanwhile, if you speak loudly with a small group, then you will be
perceived as aggressive.

o Intonation – Avoid using monotone because it would be unnatural and ineffective.

o Rate – You need to slow and fast at the same time, depending on your listener.

o Pitch - Strike a good balance between high and low pitch.

· Clarity – the quality of being coherent and intelligible. It is best to use simple words. Moreover, when using technical
terms, ensure the proper spelling and use definitons.

2. Written Communication – any communication with students where messages are conveyed through writing. In the
classroom, you will write on a chalkboard or whiteboard. You will prepare teaching aids wherein you will use written words,
such as written handouts, task instructions, and charts, and give written feedback on the students’ writing. You will write
performance reports, assignments, and examinations and prepare PowerPoint presentations. Ensure you double-check the
words you choose, spelling, amount of detail necessary, the proper key concepts, your handwriting, and the size of the font
where appropriate.

3. Nonverbal Communication – refers to communicating without words; instead, it refers to communication through body
language, gestures, facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice, posture, proximity to students, time, and grooming and
dressing of the teacher. For instance, when teachers nod, it may mean “yes” or “I agree with what you are saying,” a smile
means “I am pleased,” and a frown means “behave yourself.”

Prinsloo (2003:171-2) pointed out that effective communication can be achieved when the teacher:

1. earns the trust of learners, parents, and fellow teachers;

2. empathizes with problems experienced by learners, parents, and other teachers;

3. displays good listening skills; and

4. communicates openly and honestly.

Characteristics of an Effective Teacher

According to the result of the survey conducted by Pearson across the United States, the top five qualities of an effective
teacher according to students are as follows:

1. Can develop relationships with their students – The teacher builds trust with students to create a safe, liberal, and
productive learning environment.

2. Has a patient, caring, and kind personality – The teacher is a compassionate person and sensitive to student
differences and learning modifications.

3. Knowledgeable about students – The teacher integrates the knowledge of learners' cognitive, social, and emotional
development and understands the learning pace and capacity of the learners.

4. Dedicated to teaching – The teacher keeps his/her passion for teaching to help students become successful and is
willing to help and give time to students even outside the school premises.

5. Can engage students in learning – The teacher engages and motivates students to learn in terms of cognitive,
emotional, and behavioral topics, and succeed in and out of the school.

Excerpt

Below is an excerpt (part) from the article, More Than Just A Job: Stories of Teachers Who
Deserve An A+ by Clare Lombardo on npr.org.

Nita Nicholie
Science teacher, St. Joseph High School, St. Joseph, Mich.
Nita Nicholie — or Mrs. Nic, as her students call her — thought she'd teach science for only a
few years when she started at St. Joseph. That was 32 years ago.

"I went into teaching because I love science, but I stayed in teaching because I love the kids," she
says now.

Multiple students who have or have had Nicholie as a teacher wrote to NPR about her. Autumn
Roth, who took honors physics with Nicholie before heading to college, told us: "On the first day
of class she burst into the room singing show-tunes at the top of her lungs. I knew right then that
this was going to be a good class."

Students mentioned that Mrs. Nic was known to open her home to students. When we got Nicholie
on the phone, she told us that she and her family have taken in over 20 students to live with them
over the years. "A lot of times they just needed a safe place to sleep, to have a warm shower in
the morning and food before they go to sleep at night," she says.

Nicholie even has an alarm set on her phone to remind her to text some students to make sure
they're awake and heading to school. It's all part of connecting with her students — asking them
how they're really doing each day when they show up in class.

One project she can't stop talking about: a tutoring class, pairing up upperclassmen with students
who need extra academic help. It's one of the most rewarding parts of her job.

"There's no formula about how to be a great teacher," Nicholie says. "If I really truly love what I
do, the kids know it."
(Lombardo, 2018)

Source: npr.org