7. Classroom Conversations

Communicating Science students in Classroom Conversations session

Overview

This session introduces participants to more pedagogical information and experiences highlighting the importance of classroom discussions, while also modeling strategies that participants can use with their own students.

Participants explore the role of dialogue in learning by: reading and sharing short excerpts from research; observing a video of a classroom lesson and analyzing coded transcripts; and taking part in a dry ice investigation and discussion. They examine common patterns of teacher student exchanges during discussion, the benefits of teacher guidance in learning science, and the importance of peer-to-peer discourse. 

During the dry ice investigations, individual participants have the opportunity to take on the role of teacher, and to practice asking questions that encourage observations, investigations, and explanations. At the end of the session, they review all the strategies used in the session that they can also use in classrooms with children.

Downloads

Session 7: Classroom Conversations (as a PDF)

Session 7: Classroom Conversations (PowerPoint, supplemental)