3/1/2017 1 Comment Case Studies part II
Having watched different examples of teachers demonstrating good practice, there was one video in particular that had ideas that I thought can be used in any classroom for any subject k-12 (https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-participation- strategy). The video "Improving Participation With Talk Moves”, focuses on how to improve and expand classroom discussions. Often students feel uncomfortable sharing out because maybe they are shy, or don’t want to be wrong. This teacher gives strategies for creating a space where conversation and discussion is important. This practice however is not only through verbal communication as one would imagine. There are what the teacher explains as talk moves. Talk moves create that positive environment within the classroom. So, for example when a student is speaking and their peers agree, they make a hand symbol to indicate that they agree. This boosts the confidence of the speaker and engages all of the students. In this video you see the students in the classroom using the signals and interaction and participation within the children is very positive and abundant.
This learning environment is an example of what a modern day classroom can look like. One that promotes classroom relationships, a voice for each child, and the ability to think critically. This is very different from some traditional classrooms that still exist and mirror the 1900's when our educational system was first formed (62 Darling-Hammond). "In the factory conception of the school, in which practice is made routine... [and] their is little need...[to] solve problems of practice", this classroom however is about how to solve problems, not just answering the question (63 Darling-Hammond). "Students... work alone and passively, listening to lectures and memorizing facts and algorithms", is the opposite of this classroom and the goal of the teacher, as it should be in all classrooms. This video was very engaging. Some of the things I learned from it included the importance of repetition of content, encouraging the addition of two ideas already mentioned by students to create and elaborate, well explained answers, as well as encouraging students to revise their thinking. Of these concepts the one that stuck out the most was that children need to practice revising their thinking, and learning how it’s okay and in fact encouraged, for them to change their minds when better ideas are added to their idea or replace their idea. This kind of practice and support makes being wrong easier for the student as they they are used to discussing how their idea could be better, instead of just being wrong. Students will then not fixate on being right but in fact try to find the best answer, which is a great tool for life. Although the video was not useful for the level I teach at, it was still very well done and very interesting.
1 Comment
Nancy Jaminet
3/5/2017 03:45:41 pm
I liked your summary of Improving Classroom Participation with Talk Moves. I've had the chance to use some of those "moves" in a full classroom setting in elementary grades and found that they truly improved student engagement. I appreciated as a teacher that I could get immediate feedback from kids with a simple thumbs up/thumbs down over the heart and they could feel safe giving it because nobody else could really see their response. Also, encouraging students to revise their thinking was valuable. Often students would change their minds after a discussion. I observed that the kids liked to be able to do this, because as you said, it wasn't a matter of being right or wrong, but of applying critical thinking and sharing ideas.
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