Scribd
Upload
35 views2 pages

Chapter 4 Discussion Questions

Uploaded by

ssoto
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
35 views2 pages

Chapter 4 Discussion Questions

Uploaded by

ssoto
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Name: Shioban Soto

Chapter 4: The Value of Exploratory Talk

1. What do Mercer and Dawes mean by saying that most classroom talk is
‘asymmetrical’?

When Mercer and Dawes say that most classroom talk is asymmetrical, they
mean one of the participants (usually the teacher) leads the interaction and has the
privilege, and responsibility, of being in control. Teachers commonly act as the
arbiters of knowledge, using dialogue as a tool for authoritatively demonstrating,
explaining, correcting, etc. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but if learners are to
make the best use of talk as a tool for learning, then they need some chance to use it
amongst themselves, without a teacher (p.56).

2. Can you identify some of the ‘ground rules’ which underpin the usual pattern
of teacher-student interaction in classrooms you have observed?

Some of the ground rules which underpin the usual pattern of teacher-student
interaction in classrooms that I have observed are:

 Only a teacher can nominate who should speak


 Pupils should not speak freely when a teacher asks a question, but should
raise their hands and wait to be nominated
 Pupils should try to provide answers to teachers’ questions which are as
relevant and brief as possible
 Only a teacher can evaluate a comment made by a participant

Ground rules for talk are important, as they reflect the need for social order of a
certain kind to be maintained in classrooms, and the teacher’s responsibility for
ensuring that any talk and other activity follow an appropriate, curriculum-relevant
agenda and trajectory.

3. Does it matter that teachers commonly ask a lot of questions?

It does matter that teachers commonly ask a lot of questions. IRFs can be
adapted to serve some varied, useful, and interesting purposes. Some teachers who
use a lot of questions achieve very good levels of pupil involvement and promote
learning. The important thing to note is that they do not only use the traditional,
closed types of question, which limit children’s involvement with the powerful tool
of talk (p.59).

4. What strategies might a teacher use to modify the ground rules in their
classroom, in order to help pupils use talk more actively in learning?
Some strategies that a teacher might use to modify the ground rules in their
classroom, in order to help pupils use talk more actively in their learning are:

 Set the expectation that some parts of lessons are expressly intended to
be discussion sessions
 Allow a series of responses to be made without making any immediate
evaluations in a whole-class discussion
 Ask pupils for the reasons and justifications for their views
 Elicit several children’s current ideas on a topic before providing a
definitive account or explanation
 Ask pupils to nominate other pupils in whole-class discussions, so that
the teacher doesn’t always get to choose who should speak

The quality of talk in a classroom can be improved by the teacher becoming


aware of how they talk with children, and then reviewing and redesigning their own
use of talk.

5. What ground rules have been shown to help increase the amount of
‘exploratory talk’ in a class?

The ground rules that have been shown to help increase the amount of
exploratory talk in a class are:

 Partners engage critically but constructively with each other’s ideas


 Everyone participates
 Tentative ideas are treated with respect
 Ideas offered for joint consideration may be challenged
 Challenges are justified and alternative ideas or understandings are
offered
 Opinions are sought and considered before decisions are jointly made
 Knowledge is made publicly accountable

There must not only be a sense of trust and common endeavor, but also a
shared understanding of how to engage in a productive discussion. In order for such
educationally effective talk to happen more often, pupils and teachers need to
reexamine the ground rules that they currently use, and if necessary, revise them to
be more like those set out for exploratory talk (p.67).

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy