To encourage student participation

Aim

To encourage student participation.

Evidence and reflection

We would suggest:

• Emphasising the value of talk and making it the medium for learning rather than the precursor to the 'real' work of writing
• Rejecting whole class teacher-directed talk in favour of small group student-centred talk
• Identifying the rules of discussion and making them explicit to the students
• Increasing feelings of security by establishing friendship groups or 'talk partners' and using them as the basis for all initial discussions
• Providing activities which encouraged collaboration
• Allow students opportunities to consider what they wanted to say before calling on them to speak in front of large groups
• Working with the students to devise ways of assessing talk and providing opportunities for students to reflect on what makes for effective talk.

More in this chapter

• To identify aspects of the craft, art and science of pedagogy in our teaching
• To reflect from a learner's perspective on aspects of pedagogy
• To explore how principles about pedagogy relate to our own planning and teaching
• To investigate time spent in talking and listening, in a classroom based group activity
• To analyse the dynamics of group interaction
• To examine communicative and interpersonal skills in group work
• To help develop constructive group work and discussion
• To defamiliarise and challenge common discourses used in schools and classrooms