Communication Skills

Communication for me as a Speech and Language Pathologist is a way of life. In school we were taught the 7C’s of communication which include being clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete and courteous (Mind Tools). Each of these are important in effectively communicating policy changes but the two most important are being correct and courteous. It is important in being correct in the information that you provide. When being a leader or voice of the people it is imperative to be correct in the facts that are presented. When data is falsified by someone that is attempting to change any policy gives the person presenting the information poor credibility. This can be compared to Brian Williams on NBC. He was a respectable new anchor until it was determined that he falsified information that he was giving to the public. Effective communication is built on trust that had to last.

The next communication skill that is important to embody when leading policy change is being courteous. This can be a difficult one to embody especially when those who you are communicating with are oppositional to the policy that is being changed. This is not the time to lose your cool or be disrespectful in any way. This includes verbal and nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication that is not courteous is poor body language such as folding your arms, your tone of voice, muscle tension and breathing (Helpguide). Maintaining your cool through adversity is what will help to get better results. Being courteous also includes considering the people that the policy will affect.

I would like to improve on being more correct and accurate in the information that I present to others. I am able to do this in the field of Speech and Language Pathology and hope to be as adequate in my delivery of Early Childhood Educational information. I never want to be labeled as someone who gives false and incorrect information. I honestly would like to improve on each of the 7 C’s of communication to be as convincing and factual as I can be when addressing law makers and the people these laws will affect!

Resources

Helpguide.org. (n.d.). Effective communication. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/effective_communication_skills.htm

Mind Tools. (n.d.). The 7 Cs of communication: A checklist for clear communication. Retrieved

             October 15, 2013, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_85.htm

Social Media's Influence on Policies

With the rise of social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, SnapChat, Instagram, Pinterest and more everyone’s thoughts, meals and families are posted within seconds. Videos and messages are going viral quicker than ever before. Everyone is connected to these various applications within seconds on their smart phones. From middle school to politicians social media is a communication outlet that reaches around the world. Social media is strong in today’s society and it makes it easy to share breaking news, societal issues and the exchange of opinions to a live audience (June, Hong & Sung-Min, 2011). The two social media outlets that I would use to promote my policy is Facebook and YouTube. I would use these two outlets because my policy is geared towards teachers participating in professional development. Several teachers use Facebook as a means to communicate with family and old friends. I would use YouTube to upload a video that has the potential to go viral that can be viewed by anyone who comes in contact with English Language Learners and seeks to learn more strategies for effectively working with them.

The audience that I would target specifically is teachers. My policy will require teachers to participate in professional development that targets strategies for English Language Learners. Teachers will be able to share thoughts and ideas with other teachers around the world. Social media even opens the door to speak directly to other educators from other countries. I would use Facebook because it is the most common social media outlet that most educators are already members of. I would use YouTube because teachers often use YouTube to find videos, songs, movies and how to videos.

A great benefit of using social media in relation to policies is crowd sourced policy decision. Social media ideas will influence policy proposal making and decision stages in the near future (June, Hong & Sung-Min, 2011). The closed door process is shifting with the rise of social media to a public policy deliberating stage. Social Media can help bridge the gap between the government and citizens. Putting a simple hashtag on a statement helps it trend among millions. Teachers can also rally together to raise fund on social media for professional development. A challenge is dealing with those online who are trolling or provoking others to argue about the topic and flaming where hostile behavior is exhibited through profanity, obscenity and insults (Lampe, LaRose, Steinfield & DeMaagd, 2011). Cyberbullying is a huge problem with social media since everyone is free to share what they are thinking. This may deter people from participating or supporting a policy.

Resources 

June, P., Hong, C., & Sung-Min, P. (2011). Social media's impact on policy making. SERI  Quarterly,4(4), 125–129. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Lampe, C., LaRose, R., Steinfield, C., & DeMaagd, K. (2011). Inherent barriers to the use of social media for public policy informatics. Innovation Journal, 16(1), 1–17.Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. 

Course Goals

Setting goals is an important part of identifying areas that need improvement. Several goals came to mind in looking over the objectives for this course. As a Speech and Language Pathologist I am only knowledgeable of those laws, policies and systems that affect a child’s speech and language ability. The three goals that I will set for myself this semester in order to be a more effective professional include 1) Become more familiar with the laws and policies for early childhood education in Virginia 2) Understand what professional developments teachers can use in regards to the laws and policies in each state and 3) providing support under the law for families who are English Language Learners (ELL).

1.      .      Becoming more familiar with the laws and policies for early childhood programs in VA is critical as a scholar practitioner. New laws are passed all the time and many teachers do not adjust or account for the different laws. I would especially like to better understand what laws and policies are in place in VA for determining if an ELL student needs special education.
2.       .    Understanding what professional development teachers can use in regards to laws and policies for their home state is a critical factor in becoming a more effective professional. I currently am not as knowledgeable of the various laws and systems that apply to early childhood teachers, students and families. Professional developments can also bring focus groups that offer support to teachers in regards to laws, policies and systems.
3.        During this class I hope to learn more about what policies, laws and systems support ELL students and their families. In my school system there is no set policy to follow when determining if an ELL child should be referred for special education. It is also important to understand what resources are available for Ell families under the law. 

Each factor mentioned above will help me to make a better impact on the lives of young children and their families. Improving on these three goals will help me to identify what laws and policies are not effective or non-existent within my school system. I look forward to learning more on this subject and growing as a scholar practitioner.