promoting literacy through conversation
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Promoting Literacy through
Classroom Conversation
Workshop I: Accountable Talk
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
Presented by: Sarah De Bruin REED 745 Fall 2010
Sarah De Bruin REED 745 Fall 2010
A Note about the Workshops
• As you proceed through the presentations, you will be periodically invited to respond to reflection questions.
• If you go to the top of the wiki page and click on “Discussion,” you will see a series of postings having to do with these questions.
• To post your responses, click on the appropriate post (they are labeled according to workshop and question) and type your comments. Feel free to respond to other participants’ comments and questions as well.
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
“Talking with others about ideas and work is fundamental to learning.”
-Institute for Learning (2001)
1. What are your thoughts about this statement? Do you agree? Why or why not? Name one or two examples from your own personal or teaching experience that support your opinion.
2. Think back to your undergraduate courses. Did you have professors who lectured while everyone took notes or did they hold class discussions as well? Which teaching style made it easiest for you to retain information and use it later on?
Minute Reflection
Sarah De Bruin REED 745 Fall 2010
What is Accountable Talk?
Accountable Talk is a term coined by the Institute of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh.
It is one of the nine Principles of Learning developed by the Institute.
So What is Accountable
Talk?•Accountable Talk refers to a teaching method involving student-centered rather than teacher-centered discussions.
•Through discussing and justifying their ideas and responding to each other’s opinions, students are more likely to retain and be able to use the material being taught in the future.
•Research has shown that:o Allowing students to talk with each other is critical to both
their literacy development and their level of engagement.
o Teacher-centered lessons are not the most effective means of ensuring that students develop effective speaking, writing, reading and listening skills.
-Pitcher & Mackey, (2004), p. 81-82.
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
The University of Pittsburgh and the
Institute for Learning
http://ifl.lrdc.pitt.edu/ifl/index.php/resources/ask_the_educator/lauren_resnick
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
•The term “Accountable Talk” was coined by the founder of the Institute for Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Lauren Resnick. She is also a professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at the University.
•In the following video, Dr. Resnick explains her philosophy. The link will take you to the correct website, but you will need to click on Dr. Resnick’s picture to start the video.
Video Reflection
Please go to the blog labeled “Workshop I Video Reflection” and respond to the following questions:
1. According to Dr. Resnick, what is wrong with the way students are taught in many schools in America?2. Why would a “high-level” education that engages students in “disciplined forms of interaction” be more important than ever? Do you agree with Dr. Resnick that the thinking skills fostered by Accountable Talk are critical to living in the 21st century? Explain your answer.
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
Promoting Literacy through Conversation
Accountable Talk conversations…• teach students to process information more deeply. Students
think about what they are learning and are able to explain and justify their ideas, reactions and opinions rather than simply repeating what the teacher or a book has said.
• create effective readers, writers, listeners and speakers.
• teach respect for others’ opinions and promote successful social interaction.
• prepare students for the demands of college coursework and the adult world.
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
Traditional Talk v. Accountable Talk
Teacher-centered questioning
• Who is ……?• What is the answer to….?• What are the facts?• What details do we know
about….?• True or False?• Yes or no?• What happened to…in this
story?• Where does/is/was….? • When does/is/was……?• Which answer is correct?
Student-centered questioning*
• How can you tell ? • How do you know….?• Tell me more about what
you were thinking.• Do you agree or disagree
with____ ? Why or why not?• Can you repeat what _____
said?• Who can add on to what
was said?• Why do you think that?• Say more about what you
mean• How does that connect
to…?*Adapted from Accountable_Talk_ and _Thinking_
Questions.pdf, Retrieved October 20, 2010 from www.teacherparentresources.com
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
Take a moment to reflect….
Please respond to the following questions on the discussion post labeled
“Workshop I Slide 8 Reflection.’
What is the difference between the question examples listed under “teacher-centered” and those listed under “student-centered?”
What kinds of answers to you think each type of question would elicit?
Why would it be important to have both types of questioning occur on a daily basis in every classroom?
Why Accountable Talk? Because…
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
Students engaging in Accountable Talk …
…are accountable to each other.
– They listen attentively to each other.– Their body language shows their attentiveness.– They refer to others’ statements & build upon them.– They challenge each other respectfully through requests for
clarification or evidence.– They stay on topic.– They ask each other for clarification or definition of
terms/topics discussed.– They restate/summarize each other’s arguments to ensure
everyone’s understanding. -Institute for Learning, p. 1-3
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
Students engaging in Accountable Talk…
,,,hold each other accountable for accurate, supportable, rational conclusions and arguments.
– They support their claims with textual examples.– They use “what if” statements to make arguments and
challenge/clarify/support claims.– They respond to challenges with counter-examples that
defend their arguments .– They question & investigate unsupported claims.– When necessary, they request factual information,
elaboration, rephrasing, and examples.– They challenge whether knowledge being used to address
their topic is appropriate for their discussion. -Institute for Learning, p. 1-3
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
•As an opportunity to reflect on your experience, please take a few minutes to go to the discussion page and respond to the post labeled as “After Workshop I Discussion Prompt.”
•Workshops II-IV will delve into exactly how to go about using Accountable Talk to meet the educational needs of both primary & secondary students, including ESL students. Feel free to participate in those that interest you.
For Further Information…
A Message from the Presenter…
Thank you for participating and for enriching the discussion of Accountable Talk through your personal input! I hope this has been a valuable experience for you. Any questions,
concerns or requests for further explanation or support can be left on the discussion page. I will be checking it regularly
and will get back to you asap.
Sarah De Bruin c. 2010
Sarah De Bruin REED 745 Fall 2010
References
Pitcher, M. & Mackey, B. (2004). Collaborating for real literacy: Librarian, teacher & principal. Washington, Ohio: Linworth Publishing, Inc.
Institute for Learning (2001). Accountable talk: Classroom conversation that works. Pittsburgh, Pa.: Learning Research & Development Center, University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved October 20, 2010 from http://www.instituteforlearning.org.Accountable_Talk_ and _Thinking_ Questions.pdf. Retrieved October 20, 2010 from http://www.teacherparentresources.com.