Volunteering in the Classroom: Communication Skills for STEM Volunteers
Learn the most effective communication skills for delivering STEM activities and volunteering with young people.
Duration
2 weeksWeekly study
3 hours
Volunteering in the Classroom: Communication Skills for STEM Volunteers
Improve your communication skills and confidence volunteering with young people
Discover the skills and techniques needed for good communication in the classroom when delivering a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) activity.
Covering both verbal and non-verbal communication, this training will develop your confidence as a volunteer. You’ll learn practical communication skills and strategies to use whether you’re delivering a classroom activity for a STEM subject or volunteering with young people in another setting.
Identify good communication skills when volunteering with children
Improve both your verbal and non-verbal communication with this training which will get you thinking about what you say and how you say it.
We look at the way your communication style impacts the delivery of STEM activities and identify what good communication in the classroom looks like. You’ll consider introductions and how to make a good first impression, and look at techniques such as questioning that will help you make your lesson more engaging.
By the end of the course, you will have a better idea of how you can communicate more effectively with young people to get them interested in STEM subjects.
Become a more effective volunteer when delivering classroom activities.
Put your new-found communication skills into practice when preparing and leading STEM activities.
This course will boost your confidence and encourage you to use the new practical techniques you have learned to engage young people in STEM lessons.
It will also help you consider additional questions, such as the lasting impression you leave and what you want young people to remember from your sessions.
What topics will you cover?
This two-week, self-paced course will cover:
- Active listening and an introduction to questioning for learning.
- Non-verbal communication and running a room.
- Starting, delivering and finishing a practical activity with young people.
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Demonstrate effective verbal and non-verbal communication with young people.
- Demonstrate appropriate use of presentation, collaboration and discussion techniques to inspire young people to continue with STEM subjects or STEM careers.
- Develop their confidence, skills and ability to do practical activities with young people.
Who is the course for?
This course has been created for anyone volunteering with young people in STEM. You may be part of a formal volunteering scheme and be known as a STEM champion or STEM ambassador, or you may be a youth volunteering group organiser, field trip educator, working with scout groups (and similar), outdoor pursuit centres, outreach from NGOs.
You will need knowledge of STEM subjects or experience of working in a STEM environment.
To get the most out of this course, learners should complete the following two courses first:
This course is not designed for teachers. Please see other courses from STEM Learning for teacher professional development in STEM subjects.
Who developed the course?
National STEM Learning Centre
The National STEM Learning Centre provides world-class professional development activities and resources to support the teaching of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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Join the conversation on social media
You can use the hashtag #FLSTEMVolunteering to talk about this course on social media.
