Communication Skills Resources Catalogue A guide to our FREE resources
Our goal is to help young people use communication to make a better world. Research repeatedly shows that more and more young people lack the basic ability to listen and speak effectively. Without these skills, their personal success and careers are unlikely to reach their full potential. This is why the BT Learning and Skills programme has been developed with the over-arching aim of transforming the communication and collaboration skills of young people. The BT Learning and Skills programme helps equip young people, and the people who teach and care for them, with the skills to get the most out of the world around them. Our educational resources and activities bring people together and help them to become better, more effective communicators, whatever their age.
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Developed by expert educators and teachers, curriculum-linked, and tested extensively in and out of the classroom, our educational resources range from downloadable videos, workbooks, online activities, games and much more. And that is not all because all our resources are completely free. These resources support teachers, parents and carers in developing young people’s full potential as effective communicators. All our resources can be downloaded through our website: www.bt.com/freeresources
AGE 14-19
Recommended for students moving between school and further education
SECONDARY
Recommended for older children
PRIMARY PARENTS AND CARERS
Recommended for younger children Alternative versions of these resources are available for adults to use with children
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Alien Abduction Age: 5+ Format: Online activity
This fun online game illustrates how difficult it is to concentrate on two tasks at once. An online challenge to test the listening and memory skills of students. The activity involves memorising a series of images while listening at the same time to an alien talking about life in outer-space. It’s an entertaining and convincing way to show that listening is a communication skill that requires careful attention.
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AGE 14-19
All Talk Age: 11 - 19 Format: Downloadable resources Teachers notes: Available Curriculum area: English
A multimodal resource for learning about spoken language and interaction in everyday life. A new set of multimedia resources to support English GCSE and A Level students in the study of spoken language, and speaking and listening. It includes interaction with all forms of digital media. A comprehensive downloadable workbook with accompanying online DVDs to support a range of engaging classroom activities. There are 15 topics and over 3 hours of video in 35 short films and teacher’s notes. The resources have been developed in close association with AQA, the National Association of Teachers of English, and individual teachers and students. The resources are FREE to download from: www.bt.com/alltalk “This is a one-stop resource that both teachers and students will find engaging. The topics and resources look fresh, relevant and stimulating” Lorna Smith, PGCE English Course Leader, Bath Spa University
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AGE 14-19
Big Voice Age: 11 - 19 Format: Downloadable resources Teachers notes: Available Curriculum area: English, Media Studies, Citizenship
Young people explore life in the rapidly changing, multicultural society that is Britain today and turn their ideas about diversity and inclusion into short films. BT Big Voice is a competition that was launched in 2010. The finalists have been selected and are currently creating their short films. The 36 winners’ films have a diverse range of topics and will be available to view from the Big Voice website, showing what young people want to change in their community. Even though the competition is now over, students can participate in Big Voice projects as part of their normal school or college studies. For example, there are resources about identifying and resolving issues, this involves group debate and discussion, reaching consensus, creative collaboration and media literacy — all of which have strong curriculum links to a range of subjects, from Citizenship to English to Media studies. To view the resource please visit: www.bt.com/bigvoice
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Coaching for Life Age: 6 - 11 Format: Online video Resource pack Application for smartphones Teachers notes: Available
Help children try different sports, with easy-to-follow coaching tips for parents and carers. Coaching for Life is aimed at 6 to 11 year olds, and includes 12 flexible games. There are downloadable instructions and a video to help you play each game, as well as a Resource Pack instructing ‘coaches’ on tips and coaching principles. The Coaching for Life programme encourages parents, grandparents and carers to help children try different sports, and at the same time introducing them to key coaching principles they can adopt to help children get better at anything. The sports activities in this module are flexible; they can be adapted for use with young people and for those with disabilities. The resource is also available for handheld devices such as smart phones, allowing them to be used easily in and out of the classroom. To view the resources please visit: www.bt.com/coachingforlife
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Communication Cookbook Age: 4+ Format: Downloadable book Online activities Curriculum area: Communication
A resource book and online activities with simple advice and activities to help young children develop language and communication skills. This useful guide for teachers and parents will help children practise and improve the skills they need for clear communication. It focuses on five essential ingredients: – attention and listening – vocabulary – building sentences – story telling – conversations. Twenty activities make up simple ‘recipes’ to aid development in the classroom and at home. The resources has been produced in partnership with the charity I CAN, from which schools can order a free copy of the book. It can also be downloaded from our website which also has related online games. For more information visit: www.ican.org.uk
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Communication Skills for Young Citizens Age: 11+ Format: Online videos Teachers notes: Available Curriculum area: Communication, ICT, PSHE, Working together
Compares the frustration of poor communication with the satisfaction of successful conversation. This series of dramatised conversations involving young people explores effective communication by addressing common problems. Each module asks questions to provoke discussion among students, encouraging them to develop their own set of rules. The online video is current and upbeat, using relevant issues to set the scene and demonstrate the basic skills of face-to-face communication. Tips for success are simple and effective, engaging the audience and inspiring them to listen and make themselves heard.
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Communication Triathlon Age: 4-11 Format: Downloadable resources Teachers notes: Available
Use sports-themes activities to improve young people’s thinking, talking and teamwork. The Communication Triathlon encourages Primary School children to take part in three sports-themed speaking and listening activities around Thinking, Talking and Teamwork. With advice for parents and carers, as well as curriculum-linked classroom resources for teachers, the activities developed as part of the Communication Triathlon help develop the ability in young people to become good communicators which is essential for the rest of their lives.
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Age: 14 - 19 Format: Downloadable resources Teachers notes: Available Curriculum area: Communication, PLTS
Students follow a range of activities to improve their Personal, Learning and Thinking skills. This Resource Manual contains lesson activities and materials that can be used with young people aged 14-19 (Key Stages 4 & 5) to support their learning across the school curriculum, and importantly to encourage and develop work related skills. Through a variety of cross curricular themes, learners will have opportunities to bring a fresh approach to managing themselves, sustaining better relationships with others, engaging their own learning and aspiring to higher performance at work. The National Curriculum personal, learning and thinking skills framework identifies six groups of skills that are key to developing responsible motivated and articulate young people. We have arranged our lessons around these and provided you with four lessons in each of these six areas: – Independent enquirers – Team workers – Creative thinkers – Self managers – Reflective learners – Effective participators www.bt.com/freeresources 11
AGE 14-19
Compelling Questions
Connected Earth Age: 7 - 16 Format: Downloadable resource Teachers notes: Available Curriculum area: Communication, History, Media Studies, Citizenship
Young people of all ages can explore the history of communication through museum site visits, online galleries, learning resources, and fun activities. Connected Earth is the story of our on-going quest to communicate better. From the first, simple messages to today’s sophisticated global communications, Connected Earth tells of a unique human achievement. The ability to communicate effectively, irrespective of distance and the barriers of time and volume, is one of the most significant drivers of mankind’s evolution and will enable unsurpassed progress in the 21st century. Connected Earth is a web based museum of communication, underpinned by a series of major physical collections, distributed among a network of museums around the UK. Free educational resources designed for teachers and parents to explore history with children and young people aged 7-16 years in ways that are interactive, informative and fun. You will also find other general resources for primary and secondary ages to either discover online or use during a visit to Connected Earth museums. www.bt.com/freeresources 12
AGE 14-19
Get IT Together Age: 7+ Format: Downloadable resources Curriculum area: ICT, Citizenship
Free downloadable resources designed to help you help others to get online. Our free downloadable resources are designed to help you, help others to get online. There are helpers guides with hints and tips to help them coach the beginners. And there are handy beginners guides that provide clear, easy to follow information to help people get more out of computers and experience the wonders of the internet. The resource packages are broken into three themes: Basics, Family and Services and Wider Interests. Each theme contains several modules with topics such as using email, shopping, genealogy and looking for jobs online, which are aimed at helping people get the most out of being online. To view the resources please visit: www.bt.com/getittogetherresources
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From Caveman to Spaceman Age: 7+ Format: Online activity Teachers notes: Available
A brief, humorous history of communication. This series of animated online cartoons provides an entertaining gallop through the development of human communication. Sure to cause amusement among a younger audience and demonstrate how speaking face-to-face is sometimes best. Divided into four sections across history with a possible 40 talking points.
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Good Coach, Bad Coach Age: 7+ Format: Online videos Teachers notes: Available Curriculum area: Communication, ICT, PSHE, Working together
Use football coaching as a way to explore and improve communication skills in young people. By discussing the differences between two different coaching techniques, “Good coach, bad coach” allows pupils to discover some key principles of effective communication, particularly those used in giving feedback. They also discover how the communication skills required by an effective coach are relevant to everyday life. The online video leads the young people to consider their own communication skills and how they can develop and improve them. The resource is accompanied by extensive teaching notes which support speaking and listening, PSHE and pupils’ communication skills.
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Internet Green X Code Age: 5 - 11 Format: Downloadable resource Curriculum area: ICT
An easy-to-follow guide to help young people to stay safe online. To help children enjoy the internet safely, a simple set of rules to follow: Stop, Think, Stay Safe. These tips can be shared with young people to help them recognise and reduce the risks they might face online. Mobile phones, handheld devices and the internet now play a huge role in the everyday lives of young people. It is therefore important to make sure that they’re doing the right things to keep themselves safe. The internet is a wonderful tool to support young people’s learning, but the Internet Green X Code helps all users to be as aware of the dangers online as they are of dangers in other areas of life.
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Internet Rangers Age: 7+ Format: Online activity Downloadable resources Teachers notes: Available Curriculum area: ICT, Citizenship, PSHE
Young people helping older generations to improve their digital skills, with a range of resources and activity ideas. When it comes to surfing the web, it’s often young people who are the experts. The BT Internet Rangers website and awards programme is dedicated to all of the young people out there who are helping bridge the ‘digital divide’ by using their skills to teach the older generation how to confidently go on-line. The resources are designed to provide teachers and pupils with lesson plans and suggestions for activities. There are curriculum linked tips to help young people pass on their digital skills to the wider community, this can be of part of your entry to the award, or just part of your schools ongoing support for local activities. To view the resources please visit: www.bt.com/internetrangers
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AGE 14-19
IT Ambassadors Age: 14 - 19 Format: Online activity Downloadable resources Curriculum area: ICT, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics),
IT ambassadors connects young people and their teachers with those working in the communications and IT sector. Operating as part of the STEM Ambassador programme and aimed primarily at supporting teachers and their students in secondary schools and colleges, the IT Ambassador scheme offers teachers three ways to get high-quality support from industry experts. On-line mentor support for teachers and students allow educators to send questions directly to those working in the telecommunications and IT industry, supported by curriculum-related resources. In addition volunteer resource developers, amongst IT Ambassadors, can be challenged by students and teachers to produce resources to help bring STEM-related industry topics to life. The scheme is supported by a dedicated website at: www.itambassadors.org.uk
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Making Faces Age: 5+ Format: Online activity Curriculum area: Communication, ICT, PSHE, Working together
Create and interpret facial expressions with this simple online activity. This interactive online exercise will amuse younger students and illustrate how communication is about more than speaking and listening. A blank cartoon face is accompanied by a choice of expressive eyes and mouths, which can be combined to reveal 20 emotions, helping students recognise and interpret facial expressions.
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Making Friends with Bo Solo Age: 7+ Format: Downloadable resources Curriculum area: Communication, ICT, PSHE, Working together
Cartoon character Bo Solo features in this comic about how good communication influences friendship. Follow Bo Solo’s journey from remote island to new school, and see why his attempts to make friends are unsuccessful. Readers can follow Bo’s journey of self-discovery through seven individual stories, and decide for themselves how less talking and more listening might have allowed him to make friends sooner. The comic is divided into seven sections, each a self-contained adventure with a practical moral at its heart.
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Molly and the Pirate Age: 7+ Format: Online activity Downloadable comic Curriculum area: Communication, ICT, PSHE, Working together
A comic about Molly’s adventures at sea, in which good communication plays a vital role in ensuring effective teamwork. On board an old pirate ship in a race to save her grandpa’s house, Molly and her crew discover the significance of clear speech and careful listening for team cooperation. This entertaining read with a moral message is an easy way to encourage students to discuss and understand the key elements of conversation.
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AGE 14-19
Moving On Age: 14 - 19 Format: DVD Student worksheets Online videos Teachers notes: Available
However good a person’s skills or qualifications, communicating these achievements is key to moving on to a successful future. Students can discover the recipe for expressing themselves clearly and maximise their chances of getting the job they want. Moving On helps young adults aged 14-19 and beyond to learn more about themselves, the skills they need in life and work, and how best to develop and demonstrate these as they identify and apply for jobs that are a good fit for their personality, interests and skills. The activities are structured into three modules: Who do you think you are? Brand YOU and Putting it all together. Each module includes online videos, graphical sequences, and one or two lesson plans with differentiation, a short activity and extension ideas. To view the resources please visit: www.bt.com/movingon
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Muddles & Crystals Age: 7+ Format: Online video and activity Teachers notes: Available
Online videos and activities featuring Muddles and Crystals allow younger students to significantly improve their talking and listening skills. By comparing neighbouring families, the Muddles and the Crystals, it’s easy to see how listening and expressing yourself clearly can help make life harmonious. These humorous online videos and activities give an entertaining slant on familiar topics of conflict in family life and suggests ways to resolve confusion. Each scene is followed by points for discussion among the class – and it’s a lesson for the whole family, not just the kids! There are talking points and ideas for lesson plans, exploring why listening effectively and expressing yourself clearly can make life easier and more enjoyable.
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Age: 14 - 19 Format: Downloadable resources Teachers notes: Available Curriculum area: Communication, PSHE, Working together
A series of guides to help students bridge the gap between education and work. Designed to provoke students to think about the ways in which they communicate, from personal image to verbal collaboration with groups of people. The complete set of resources aims to equip participants with key communication skills for a smooth entry into the workplace. The twelve resources focus on: 1. Effective communication 2. Collaboration 3. Knowing yourself 4. Appreciating difference 5. Personal brand 6. Personal impact and image
7. Team working 8. Leadership 9. Time management 10. Being unstoppable 11. Ethics and integrity 12. Keeping your learning effective
To view the resources please visit: www.bt.com/personalskillsjourney
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AGE 14-19
Personal Skills Journey
AGE 14-19
Talk Gym Age: 14 - 19 Parents and carers Format: Online activity Downloadable resources Facebook application
A guide and resources for young people outlining how effective communication can change life for the better. Everything in life goes better with a good set of communication skills. And Talk Gym is the place to develop them. A unique Facebook application allows users to assess their current level of communication fitness. Online video and activities then tells users what skills they need to do well in different aspects of life, from getting on with people to getting the job they want. Finally, online activities build communication strengths by doing exercises to sharpen skills at being clear, listening well, being interviewed and participating in group discussions. Talk Gym is a unique resource that enables young people to build their communication skills in readiness for life after school. Including online activities, videos, useful links, classroom ideas and curriculum references, Talk Gym helps young people of all abilities and learning styles to make sure their communication skills are fully fit for the future. To view the resources please visit: www.bt.com/talkgym www.bt.com/freeresources 25
Age: 14 - 19 Format: Downloadable resources Curriculum area: Business Studies GCSEs, AS or A Levels
Business studies revision theory: A case study to help business students get more out of revision. The Times 100 provides resources for teachers and students of Business Studies at all levels. Each of the business case studies are constructed around a key element of the business studies curriculum. By using real information from the sponsoring companies, the online case studies bring to life the complexities of business and help students engage and learn. The BT case study focuses on our engagement with Stakeholders and explores how we work with different stakeholder groups to reduce the environmental impact of our operations.
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AGE 14-19
Times 100 BT Stakeholder Case Study
Notes
For more information and to order your FREE resources visit: www.bt.com/freeresources © British Telecommunications plc 2011 Registered office: 81 Newgate Street, London EC1A 7AJ Registered in England no 1800000
