GOV-WORLD BUYERS GUIDE 2012

Spoken interactions between teachers and students and among students is the heart of learning. In this seminar we will explore ways in which we can make relatively minor modifications in our oral language patterns that will lead to significant changes in the sophistication of students' discourse.

The seminar will investigate ways in which we can encourage students to talk in a way that reflects their understanding of texts and concepts more accurately. Participants will begin by discussing the Outcomes of Understanding, a set of markers that indicate whether students truly and deeply understand content. Participants will also learn about an observation tool they can use with colleagues to analyze classroom discourse and will receive several tools students can use to reflect on their oral language interactions with other students.