Monday, September 20, 2010
Talk Moves - Question 1
While reading these chapters and the case study, I noticed a few things about talk moves. As I was reading, I realized that these talk moves can be used in more than one subject. You can use talk moves within literacy, math, social studies and science. To clarify understanding and look at what students are truly understanding is very important. The 5th talk move about waiting is one that stands out to me in more ways than one. In many instances, teachers and others have a hard time being silent and truly waiting for students to form their ideas. In my own learning, when my teachers would become silent, I never wanted to talk because I never thought I was ready to give an answer. I also hated being called on because I did not have my answer formulated in my head. As a teacher now, I realize that giving students an opportunity to think about their answers are very important. There are many children especially in a younger classroom that raise their hand automatically without knowing what they are answering. By giving students more wait time, you are able to give students who do not automatically raise their a hands a chance to think about what you are asking them. This is also beneficial to students who may speak another language. Students who speak English as a second language, it is important to give wait time so they can translate what you are saying and then actually do the problem you are asking them to do. This will be a challenge for me in my own classroom as I start to teach not only math but other subjects where asking questions and encouraging conversation will be very beneficial.
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I feel that after reading about the talk moves, I have more entail and knowledge on how to form my lessons, and as you stated, they can be used in all subjects. We can make use of each talk move in one lesson and I feel that they can form the backbones to the lesson. When I first read the talk moves, the first one – revoicing – stood out to me the most, but after reading your response on the subject, I really like how you thought the fifth talk move – wait time – is so beneficial. Being in a first grade classroom, we definitely have those students who raise their hand automatically and are not necessarily ready to give an answer/comment (I smiled and laughed to myself when you mentioned this because I picture my own students!). Knowing that this happens, my mentor teacher and I actually make use of wait time, and we have them think about their answers and then turn to a partner to talk about it with one other person prior to sharing aloud to the whole-group. With that being said, I very much agree with your statement about how giving students more wait time, you are providing those who are more cautious before raising their hands to think about what is being asked. Also, although I do not have any English language learners in my class, but having this strategy of wait time I also feel is helpful so that these children are able to translate and think about what is being asked and what is expected of them. Wait time should prove to be very beneficial especially in your kindergarten classroom! The challenge now is to keep their thinking on topic, and straying away from all the story-telling!
ReplyDeleteKristen,
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to your experiences with wait time! I know how important it is, but honestly feel like it is going to be one of the most difficult things for me this year! I chuckled to myself when you wrote, “There are many children especially in a younger classroom that raise their hand automatically without knowing what they are answering.” The other day in my first grade classroom I was doing the morning message with my students and asked the group a question. Immediately, 20 hands shot up and were waving enthusiastically at me. The first student I called on gave me a timid smile and quietly said “ummm” as she looked up the ceiling, thinking. I probably gave her 5 seconds to respond before I said “I’ll come back to you” and moved on to another person. I should have given her a reasonable amount of time to organize her thoughts! This will be especially important for me to remember because the overwhelming majority of my students are English language learners. I need to recognize that it is going to take my students a little longer to respond because, for the most part, they are thinking in a different language and responding in English. This year I will have to remind myself: patience, patience, patience!!