When communicating about science, one main challenge is to respect the intelligence of the audience without overestimating its knowledge of the topic or field. For fear of being insultingly simple, conference speakers often make their presentations too complicated. Many attendees may wish the presentation were aimed at a lower level, although their pride may prevent them from admitting this to the speaker. In contrast, few attendees will complain that a presentation was "too simple" for them. Still, attendees react negatively to speakers who address them as if they are stupid. Perhaps the one thing an audience never forgives is a lack of respect. Respect is about how you say things (your tone) more than about what you say. In general, dare to say things the way they are. If you need something from your supervisor, go ahead and ask for it. If your experiments failed, say so. If you receive an off-topic question, feel free to flag it as such. As you do so, however, strive to help (not offend) your audience. Politely ask your supervisor (state why you need what you need). Present useful lessons from your failures. Finally, offer to discuss the off-topic question in private. Respect and tone are hard to define, but they have more to do with intent than with set rules. For example, if you are a Ph.D. student, it might be appropriate to address your supervisor by his or her first name; it depends on him or her and on the institutional culture (a question of rules). Still, starting an e-mail as Dear Leilah or as Dear Dr. Delmont indicates distance rather than respect per se. You could very well call your supervisor Dr. Delmont and at the same time show disrespect in the way you phrase your e-mail, such as by demanding something instead of asking for it (a question of intent). Given that your intent when communicating about science is to make the audience understand, make it a habit to write and speak in a simple, straightforward way. Instead of striving to imitate the intricate style of many papers, explain things as simply as you would to a colleague, face to face. Show respect to your audience by avoiding undue informality and by crafting and proofreading your text carefully, but do not believe that you have to write or speak in a special way to "sound scientific." Above all, focus on your purpose: Get your message across.
Communication is crucial to belonging, being and becoming. From birth children communicate with others using gestures, sounds, language and assisted communication. They are social beings who are intrinsically motivated to exchange ideas, thoughts, questions and feelings, and to use a range of tools and media, including music, dance and drama, to express themselves, connect with others and extend their learning. Children’s use of their home languages underpins their sense of identity and their conceptual development. Children feel a sense of belonging when their language, interaction styles and ways of communicating are valued. They have the right to be continuing users of their home language as well as to develop competency in Standard Australian English. Literacy and numeracy capabilities are important aspects of communication and are vital for successful learning across the curriculum. Literacy is the capacity, confidence and disposition to use language in all its forms. Literacy incorporates a range of modes of communication including music, movement, dance, story telling, visual arts, media and drama, as well as talking, listening, viewing, reading and writing. Contemporary texts include electronic and print based media. In an increasingly technological world, the ability to critically analyse texts is a key component of literacy. Children benefit from opportunities to explore their world using technologies and to develop confi dence in using digital media. Numeracy is the capacity, confi dence and disposition to use mathematics in daily life. Children bring new mathematical understandings through engaging with problem solving. It is essential that the mathematical ideas with which young children interact are relevant and meaningful in the context of their current lives. Educators require a rich mathematical vocabulary to accurately describe and explain children’s mathematical ideas and to support numeracy development. Spatial sense, structure and pattern, number, measurement, data argumentation, connections and exploring the world mathematically are the powerful mathematical ideas children need to become numerate. Experiences in early childhood settings build on the range of experiences with language, literacy and numeracy that children have within their families and communities. Positive attitudes and competencies in literacy and numeracy are essential for children’s successful learning. The foundations for these competencies are built in early childhood.
This is evident, for example, when children:
Educators promote this learning, for example, when they:
This is evident, for example, when children:
Educators promote this learning, for example, when they:
This is evident, for example, when children:
Educators promote this learning, for example, when they:
This is evident, for example, when children:
Educators promote this learning, for example, when they:
This is evident, for example, when children:
Educators promote this learning, for example, when they:
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