Oral discussion is a technique that can be very useful in the classroom but as educators we must not assume that all students understand how to properly participate in oral discussions. We must first teach our students how to actively and positively participate in oral discussion before jumping in. Here is a great website that gives some suggestions on teaching students how to properly participate in oral discussion. These are suggestions so feel free to add what you need and delete what you don't to fit your classroom.
Here is another great way to incorporate oral discussion into your classroom.
When using oral discussion you must consider the lesson being taught. Oral discussion may not be the technique to use when teaching a topic such as division but it would work out great teaching a lesson on tolerance or a novel that the class has read as a whole.
The teaching phases of oral discussion are:
The teacher must identify the focus for discussion.
The teadcher must pose the question for discussion: Use a key question that is an umbrella question that foster dialogue but there is no one correct answer; devil's advocate the teacher purposefully instigates a controversial stand on an issue; or the teacher can let the students ask questions to generate their own questions before the content is covered.
The teacher must foster participation to alleviate students from monopolizing the discussion.
The last phase the teacher summarizes the students' position for closure of the discussion.
-Shronne Williams
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I think this model has possibly the most creative potential of all we have studied during this course.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a huge creative element in communication, which oral discussion demands. It allows students to express opinions, ideas, which requires them to think, which requires creativity. In some instances, an oral discussion may involve all the forms of questioning (factual, interpretive, evaluative), allowing students to think about things they may never have considered or thinking (and I'm starting to hate this now overused metaphor) "outside the box." Teachers can utilize their creativity by crafting questions that prompt this kind of thinking in their classroom.
Another aspect of oral discussion that lends itself to creativity is that teachers can blend it with other forms of communication. A discussion could be prompted by the viewing of a film, looking at a painting, reading a poem or passage of a novel. Questions can be used to prod students to synthesize ideas to make connections or approach problem-solving from different perspectives.
Guest speakers knowledgeable about certain topics can speak to students, adding an entire new dimension to the discussion at hand. The explosion in Internet communications technology can be creatively utilized to supplement class discussion.
This model also is less rigid than others we have studied, and that allows teachers a bit more creative latitude. Teachers can use several strategies to foster participation, and if they know their students as they should, they can use them (buzz group, inner circle, et. al.) to get the maximum value out of class discussions.
-Jacob Clark
I so agree with you Jacob. Many times students are better at oral communication than written communication. It is easier to get thoughts out and across to others when speaking than writing because as you think, you talk. I like this technique the best because in the school that I work, the students are extremely orally involved (trying to be politically correct without saying they talk alot). If the students are given chances to discuss more often instead of being lectured to, then they will learn to discuss appropriate topics during class.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of guest speakers to get involved in oral discussion. This makes the discussion more meaningful by having a real person associated with the topic. If a class is discussing why it is a bad idea to drink and drive then a judge comes and discusses the real consequences of drinking and driving, the discussion takes on a whold new meaning.
Thanks for bringing that to our attention.
-Shronne Williams