Personal Communication Philosophy

My personal communication philosophy stems from the basic premise that I want to be available to my students if they need something.  I realize that communication has gone beyond face-to-face interaction, as we live in a digital age, and it's important to keep relationships present even if you're not seeing people in a classroom setting every day.  With distance learning, it's difficult perhaps to find the connection between the instructor and students, with students feeling very isolated and alone at times.  I want to ensure that my students know that I am available and present in their online education should the need arise.

Communication should be a combination of ethics, responsibility, respecting the identity of others, and recognizing that communication is a developmental process  (The Shoe Girl, 2012).  It is my responsibility to communicate ethically and responsibly as a student as an instructor.  Words have immense power, so in order to be an effective communicator you have to take responsibility for what you say and write when communicating with anyone.

Natasha Clark (2013) compiled a list of values she wanted to influence her communication.  If I sit here and compile a list about things that are important to me with regards to communication in terms of my professional and personal life, I think of the following:

• Honesty
• Do the very best job I can do
• Assume the best from people and don't settle for less
• Keep an open mind
• Admit mistakes and learn from them

It's important to be honest in any communication.  Words are one of the most powerful weapons we have as learners and instructors, as well as a parent, and being honest is something I try to live by.  I try to build people up as opposed to tearing them down.  I want to strive to do the best I can with who I am, and I believe that to be true with anything I do.  I expect that of my students and of my children, and I believe that with hard work it can be done.  I want to steer clear of bias as much as possible and keep an open mind when dealing with opinions that differ from my own.  I like to try and see both sides of every issue and learn from whatever I can.  Everyone makes mistakes.  The best we can do is learn from them.

All of this translates into being a course instructor because I believe if you set a good example then some people will follow.  Hopefully, this means my students, and in my home life, my children, but I believe that by setting a good example and setting the bar high, people will try to reach it.

I prefer email or texting for instant communication with distance learning.  I like instant communication because it's what I've grown accustomed to.  I do like Discussion Boards because I feel like it's a good way to interact with fellow classmates and my students in the online environment.  I enjoy seeing a different point of view from everyone and figuring out how to work that into an engaging discussion.  I feel like getting different viewpoints and feedback on work that has been done serves a valid purpose in that it makes students and peers better.  Positive feedback builds people up, and constructive criticism helps build confidence.

Good communication should be the rule of thumb in online learning.  Whether an LMS offers a LiveChat feature is a good way to provide synchronous learning.  I like the use of Zoom for group discussions in real time.  I don't feel that using social media such as Twitter or Facebook is the best way to promote student dialog in the online environment because there's a propensity for information to get missed and it's too passive.  I like the idea of Zoom for online meetings that can have many participants and be recorded later for future use.  

I think that by remaining open and available to students in any type of classroom setting is the key to developing trust and supporting interaction and dialog between students and the instructor.  In the online setting, having various forms of communication available such as some kind of group meeting tool like Zoom, or email, phone calls and texts, keep the lines open and offer multiple ways of communication for everyone.  

References:
Clark, N., (2013).  Developing a Philosophy of Communication.  Retrieved from https://projecteve.com/developing-a-philosophy-of-communication-for-your-business-or-organization/

The Shoe Girl, (2012, March 13).  Personal Philosophy of Communication - Working Draft.  Retrieved from https://shoegirlgoesbacktoschool.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/personal-philosophy-of-communication-working-draft/