Reading+-+Week+2+Brady+Chapter+2

//Indirectly by:// Directly by: Whole class discussions promote analysis and interpretation and develop skills of positive interaction. Five categories for verbal interaction relating to healthy discussion: Following are guidelines for conducting full class discussions: Following are suggestions for conducting small group discussions: Discussion can be a highly engaging strategy. It provides students with autonomy in structuring the direction of their learning; involves dynamic interaction with other students; and promotes cognitive exploration. Discussion requires more student language than simply responding to certain types of questions. Students can be proactive in introducing new issues, or providing fresh perspectives on old issues. Discussions involve participation because their effectiveness relies on the generation of different views; and they are collaborative in that consensus is only achieved through a consideration of different perspectives. Teachers can also scaffold student learning by judicious questioning throughout the discussion.
 * Collaborative Learning in Action**
 * Expressing**
 * //Promoting listening skills//**
 * Modelling effective listening skills through eye contact, body language and apparent interest, both in individual conferencing and in the discussion itself
 * Delivering simple and brief instructions, and breaking down extended instructions, rather than focusing students with long0winded and repetitive talk
 * Avoiding repeating directions and questions as students are unlikely to focus their listening if they know a direction will be repeated
 * Requiring students to paraphrase a previous response as this requires both careful listening and the ability to reformulate
 * Providing other communication modes, like written instructions
 * Displaying listening skills on the board as a basis for teaching
 * Conducting frequent oral quizzes of teacher explanations
 * Requiring students to take turns as the class recorder (to provide a summary of class activities)
 * Setting specific listening tasks (for instance, critiquing a television program)
 * Rewards – used in discussion to indicate that an answer is acceptable and to encourage further student talk
 * Waits – deliberate teacher silences for up to 4 seconds designed to elicit an answer
 * Sustains – teacher responses that encourage the same student to continue
 * Open questions –require a response that is relatively unrestricted in the use of ideas and language.
 * Student-student interaction – refers to the promotion of verbal interaction between the students, rather than the insistence that all responses are directed through the teacher.
 * Ensure that the students have both interest in and knowledge of the selected topic so that the discussion is not a ‘pooling of ignorances’.
 * Involve all students, understanding that this may mean diminishing the dominant contributions of some students.
 * Train the students in listening, taking turns and speaking clearly.
 * Refocus the discussion where necessary, but be careful not to hold the reins too tightly.
 * Welcome different views, probing to discover reasons for opinions and encouraging creative solutions.
 * Encourage the expression of feelings.
 * Practise rewarding, waiting, sustaining, asking open questions and promoting student-student interaction.
 * Ensure that students have the appropriate small group skills of sharing (helping others for the greater good of the group), listening (attending to other speakers and demonstrating that engagement), group participation (maximising the contributions of individuals and other resources), goal setting (establishing a collective commitment ot group tasks) and decision making (agreeing on a procedure for making decisions) before the groups are performed.
 * Consider using some or all of the following roles:
 * Initiator (starts discussion and keeps it going)
 * Clarifier (ensures that the group understands the task)
 * Summariser (provides an overview of what has been discussed)
 * Recorder (notes the conclusions or recommendations)
 * Encourager 9fosters participation)
 * Evaluator (monitors the group’s progress).
 * Ascertain the ideal group size for the discussion. Optimal 6 to 8
 * Arrange the room for optimal group functioning. Circular or horseshoe
 * Determine a focus for each group and an appropriate structure if necessary.