Talking is the primary mode of sense-making in
humans.
When teachers hear students talk, they can access student thinking
and adapt instruction to current level of student understanding.
Areas for improvement in
my classroom
Ask higher cognitive-demand questions that focus on
sense-making and are authentic.
Use meta-cognitive questions to help
make students more independent.
Scaffold academic language
End of year goal: Students should be asking the
questions that I was asking at the beginning of the year.
Continue doing these things
Avoid IRE patterns of talk!
"Pre-think" the end goal of
each discussion!
Using re-voicing techniques
(amplifying, connecting student
language with academic language)
"What is your evidence?"
Constructivism
Students must construct their own meanings of what they see.
Paramount in designing curriculum: Student interests, previous
experiences & knowledge
Small group work stimulates higher levels of cognitive activity!
We know something only when we can explain it.
Misconceptions can be stubborn and need hands-on and mind-on
strategies to disprove them!
Inquiry-Based Teaching
Instructional pie
Increase: Inquiry and Demonstrations
Decrease: Student Activities and Discussion
S&E PRACTICES
Asking Questions & Defining Problems: When students have
an opportunity to ask their own questions, we can assess their
current understanding and misconceptions.
Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Students
need to practice metacognition through
collaboration and discussion with their peers.
DISCUSSION
Rating: 5
Interesting/ Useful Conversations
Contributed: Research template
to help students avoid
plagerism
Take-away: Using primary sources to
access prior knowledge