Communication Merit Badge

1. CommunicationMerit Badge January 21, 2014

2. Communication: A Key to Opening Doors • Why is communication important in your life? • Good communication includes: • Expressing yourself • Listening carefully to others • Knowing when to speak up • Knowing when to keep your thoughts to yourself

3. Different Forms of Communication • Most forms of communication are symbolic • Language uses symbols (an alphabet) to symbolize sounds in the spoken language. The alphabet is used to create words and words are used to create sentences. • A stop sign uses a word, color, and a shape to communicate an important meaning. Can you give an example of a sign that does not have any words, but communicates a message? • Body Language is communication through body movements or gestures. What do you communicate when you shake someone’s hand? People who are deaf use sign language to communicate. Give some examples of communicating using body language.

4. Different Forms of Communication • Mass Communication and Digital Technologies • This is meant for a large audience and includes radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, films, and theatre. • Digital tools include websites, social networking, instant messaging, and texting.

5. Good Listener, Good Leader • Listening is one of the most important skills you can learn. • Scientists say that we learn 85 percent of what we know by listening. • Tips for better listening • Pay attention • Be responsive (look directly at the speaker’s eyes, nod your head and make short responses like “Yes, I get it”) • Restate what you heard (state what what you think the speaker just said, using your own words, ask questions if necessary. • Remember the Important Things • Write down what you need to remember. If you have a smartphone, iPad, or tablet computer with note or voice memo applications, you can use those to record what you want to remember. Be sure to look at your notes later. Rewrite your remarks more clearly and add detail to help you understand your notes.

6. Formal Letters • We use formal letters to communicate for school or business purposes, or to write recommendations. • Apply for an internship, a camp, a job. • A thank you letter sent to an organization • Letters to the editor of a newspaper or magazine. • All of the above require a formal tone. • Formal letters are always typed, spell-checked, and then proofread.

7. Faxes • A fax is a copy of a document that is transmitted over a telephone line or over the internet. • The recipient can print the document or see it on their computer screen. • A fax is not as personal as making a phone call, but it lets you send detailed information. • The main drawback is that not everyone has a fax machine. Also it can be expensive if you need to do it at an office supply store or when the recipient has a long-distance phone number.

8. Text Messaging • Involves sending short messages, usually by cell phone. • Its good for quick communications, especially when a phone call might be disruptive or impractical. • Your cell phone provider may charge a fee for texting.

9. Email • Email messages travel electronically. • Reaches its destination almost instantly. • You can send an email almost anywhere in the world. • Make sure you review your email before hitting the “send” button. • Make sure the email is easy-to-understand, check your grammar and spelling, and is respectful.

10. Phone Calls • Phone calls are great for hearing the other person’s voice. • Sometimes a phone call is more effective that writing or emailing because the other person can hear your tone of voice. • You can talk on-line using Voice over IP (i.e. Skype). Sound is converted into data and sent over the Internet. • You can also make online video calls by using a webcam. • When making a phone call, it is polite to introduce yourself using your full name and then clearly state why you are calling.

11. Thank-You Notes • If you receive a gift, you should write a thank-you not that mentions the gift you received. • Write it by hand and send it in the mail. • Mail it no more than on week after you receive the gift. Waiting two weeks or longer is not polite. • Using the worksheet, work on requirements 1d, 2a or 2b.

12. The Five-Minute Speech • Consists of an introduction, main body, and closing. • Introduce yourself, hook your listeners, deliver information, then end in a memorable way. • Choose a topic that you are familiar with and know about. • You can start your speech by telling a short, personal story. • Write your outline on index cards. • Practice your speech several times. • Remember to look at your audience and smile. • While practicing, record your speech as a movie so that you check for eye contact and posture.

13. Tips for Interviewing Someone • Have a notebook and pen with you. • Ask the person questions about their profession, current and past jobs, what they like best about their career. • Ask about their education and/or training. • Ask about activities, interests or hobbies they enjoy. • Write a short introduction about the person you interviewed on index cards. • For requirement #4, standup in front of your counselor and introduce the person you interviewed.

14. Attend a public meeting – requirement #5 • Attend a public meeting (i.e. district 26 board of education meeting). • Take a notebook and a pen/pencil to the meeting. • If you can, pick up the agenda for the meeting. • Sit near the front, so you can hear. • Don’t judge what people are saying or form an opinion about the topic of discussion. • Listen and record what each side is saying about the topic. • As soon as you get home, write a report about the meeting. Make the report unbiased and factual. Focus on a topic that was debated.

15. Attend a public meeting – requirement #5 • Report what people on all sides of the issues said and what action the council took. • Record a variety of viewpoints and report the outcome (did they make a decision or postpone? Did the parties compromise?) • Summarize the main issues and points of view covered at the meeting.

16. Teaching Skills and Using Teaching Aids • Requirement #6 asks that you develop a plan to teach a skill or inform someone about a subject. • Make an outline of your plan. • Pick a skill you know well, something a friend would like to learn, and decide whom you will teach. • Break down the subject in step-by-step instructions. • Use pictures and/or diagrams as aids. • Practice how you will show your friend this skill. • Demonstrate each step slowly.

17. Teaching Skills and Using Teaching Aids • Be cheerful and encouraging while you teach. • If they are having trouble, slow down, start over, or try to make the skill easier. • Be a positive role model – don’t laugh or make fun of the person you are teaching when they make mistakes. Instead, show encouragement. • Examples of teaching aides include diagrams, pictures, maps and props. • Discuss with your counselor how well you were able to teach

18. Letters to the Editor • Your letter should be formal. • State why you are writing this letter to the editor. • If you are stating an opinion, do so in a respectful manner. • Backup your opinion with personal experience and facts • Proofread your letter and ask a parent, teacher or friend to also proofread it. • Sign your name on the letter before sending it. • Make sure the letter has your name and address on it. • Work on requirements #3, #4, #5, #6, and #7

19. Digital Communication Revolution • Communication that uses some kind of computer technology. • In 2011, 30% of the people on Earth were using the Internet. • This number is increasing at an amazing rate. • GPS devices let us share our exact location with friends or family. • GPS can help us reach a destination, no matter where we are. • People are now banking and shopping online. • People even socialize online. • Get your parents permission before socializing online. • Be aware that items you post online are easy to copy, forward, and change. Once you post something, the item can stay online long after you remove it from your site or page.

20. Texting • Be aware that service providers often charge a flat rate for text messaging. • If you text too often, your parents phone bill can go sky-high. • Get your parents permission before texting and make sure you understand the guidelines your parents have set (how often and how much you can text).

21. Mass Communication • This is communication that reaches large groups of people. • People now get news from around the world on their computers, laptops, tablet, smartphones an e-readers. • People can listen to or watch audio and video podcasts or watch live broadcasts streamed in real time. • Cable and satellite technology provide us with many TV channels. Some TVs are even connected to the Internet.

22. User Generated Content • By using the Internet, ordinary people can reach large audiences. • Anyone with a computer and Internet access can publish information that people worldwide can read. • That puts the “power of the press” into everyone’s hands. • Two ways to exercise this “publishing power” are by creating a web page and writing a blog.

23. Planning a Campfire Program • Every part of your campfire program should uphold the highest traditions and ideals of scouting. • Complete the Campfire Program Planner and Campfire Program. • List all participants. • Note the name, description and type of each song, stunt, or story. • Give a copy of the program to all participants. • Open the campfire program with a greeting and introduce the song leader, and the various acts, songs, and yells. • At the end of the evening, close the program with note of quiet inspiration.

24. Planning a Court of Honor • Write out your plan, assign roles, and then have key members rehearse their parts. • Use a checklist to help you with the planning process (p. 66 – 67) • Have a written program for the Scouts and adults who will be presenting the awards. Give a copy of the script to participants well in advance. • Use lighting to create a sense of drama and excitement. • Use decorations such as crepe paper, neckerchiefs, scouting posters, scout skill displays, and knot boards.

25. Planning a Court of Honor • You can borrow videos and slide programs for the COH from the BSA. • You can use sound equipment and carefully selected music. • You can use props: • A log drilled with holes used as a candleholder. • An artificial campfire • A badge holder • A troop scrapbook • Flags from your troop, place of worship, state, U.S. Flag

26. Careers in Communication • Advertising • Copywriter: writes the text for advertisements and commercials. • Account executive, sales manager, advertising specialist, media planner • Communication Education • Communication Educators teach at four-year colleges, community colleges, elementary schools, and secondary schools. • Language arts coordinator, speech teacher, debate coach, drama director • Electronic Media, Radio, and TV Broadcasting • Broadcast station manager, community relations director, news director, transmitter engineer, market research, producer.

27. Careers in Communication • Journalism • Researching and gathering information and communicating it to the public through written, spoken, visual, or electronic means. • Reporter, editor, photographer, newscaster, author, scriptwriter, technical writer. • Converging Media • Print and broadcasting are coming together. • A person with training in journalism and communication can operate a professionally produced blog. • Web editors and producers work at media companies.

28. Careers in Communication • Web-related Careers • Webmaster, web developer, web designer, web producer, graphic designer. • Public Relations • Involves managing the public image of an organization. • Publicity manager, advertising manager, marketing specialist, lobbyist, audience analyst.

29. Conclusion • Now that you have finished learning about communications, you should have a better understanding of how important effective communication is to every aspect of daily life. • The skills you learned for this merit badge will serve you well throug your life. • Work on requirements #8 and #9.