England's The Daily Telegraph recently reported on a study which found that 10% of the words we Brits
use in conversation are so-called “filler” words. In other words, all the “ums”
and “ahs” that do not add anything to the information being imparted.
So that got me thinking:
Are we good at teaching kids how to communicate effectively, as opposed to
using the tools of information and communications technology effectively?
The reason I ask is that teachers and schools tend to pride themselves over
the fact that their students can use PowerPoint, VoiceThread, digital video and
other tools of the trade. However, in my experience of going to schools, and to
conferences where students are speaking, presentations by students are almost
invariably awful. The reason is that they are usually guilty of one or more of
the following:
Gabbling through their talk so quickly that you can't actually understand
what they're saying. I'm sympathetic about the possibility that they are
probably nervous, but that simply tells me that they haven't had enough
practice, or the right kind of practice, or that they are too focused on
themselves instead of the audience.
Mumbling. Part of the art of communication is being able to project your
voice or to use a microphone.
Hands in pockets. This isn't confined to kids, of course: many adults do it
too. I think it's quite rude. If you think I'm being unreasonable, then I invite
you to try my litmus test. If HM The Queen or the US President were to visit
your school, would you allow a student to address her or him with their hands in
their pockets? Of course you wouldn't! So why let them do it when addressing the
rest of us?
I've visited a lot of schools over the years, and seen a lot of ICT lessons.
In all that time I have never seen a teacher assess a student's presentation in
its entirety, only in terms of its content (ie subject knowledge) and in terms
of the use of the technology. I think this is a mistake: a good speaker can
captivate an audience even without PowerPoint or whatever, but a good PowerPoint
will not always “rescue” a poor speaker.
It seems to me that the teaching of Information and Communications Technology
ought really to include, or be supplemented by, the teaching of communicating
with technology. This is not the same as ICT, and is not the same as
Communication Skills. It should include talking when showing a PowerPoint, when
to use a graph or a spreadsheet table, and when to use nothing at all.
For more information about the study referred to by the Daily Telegraph,
including research which suggests that filler words are good things, read this blog post.
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