Self-awareness: First step to becoming a better communicator, by Ruth Oji
A senior executive once walked into a meeting determined to “set everyone straight.” Sales had declined, deadlines had been missed, and frustration had been building for weeks. He spoke forcefully, convinced that he was being firm and decisive. When he finished, the room fell silent. No one challenged him. No one asked questions. Everyone simply nodded […]
Questioning tools for effective communication in the classroom (3)
By Ruth Oji THIS week’s article is a guide on how teachers can apply in their classrooms the concepts discussed in the last two articles on questioning. As noted last week, the practicality of Bloom’s taxonomy in line with critical thinking is seen in the array of questions that have been suggested for teachers’ use. […]
Questioning tools for effective communication in the classroom (2)
By Ruth Oji TEACHERS’ questions are instructional cues or stimuli that convey to students the content elements to be learned and directions for what they are to do and how they are to do it. Teachers ask questions to develop interest and motivate students to become actively involved in the lessons; to evaluate students’ preparation […]
Questioning tools for effective communication in the classroom (1)
By Ruth Oji QUESTIONING is a tool that has long been in use by teachers. A quote credited to Albert Einstein says, “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know […]
Revising and editing your writeup
By Ruth Oji DO the terms ‘revise’ and ‘edit’ mean the same? What do you think? Well, they are sometimes used interchangeably even though they are really two distinct activities writers engage in to improve their writing. What do the terms mean? On one hand, revising is rewriting, that is, changing words, phrases, sentences, even […]
Promote continuity in your writing
By Ruth Oji EVEN though your paragraph may be well organized and fully developed, it can fail to communicate unless you lead your readers from one detail to the next with proper linking expressions or transitions – words that indicate how the ideas in one sentence are related to the ideas in the next. Linking […]
