I like the ideas McGree presented in this article. I think it is important to have students talk amongst each other with little contribution from the teacher because they can learn so much more from each other. The students will learn social skills and how to use details from the story to support their opinions. If the teacher keeps conversation going, then the students will not learn how to do this on their own. Teachers should want students to know how to discuss books without a teacher or adult facilitating discussion so they will do it outside of class.
I have watched some of these methods in the preschool class I work in. They have a hard time listening to what others are saying and only want to get their opinions out. I think it would be beneficial to the students if we started working with students in small groups. In a whole group, they want to talk about anything and everything about the book. They like to talk. I think once the students are in a small group they will be able to listen more and not feel like they have to compete for a turn to talk. I plan to try this in preschool and see what happens.
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I agree that this type of conversation would be so beneficial in classrooms. It is surprising that more teachers do not use it. In my class at my placement, 2/3grade split, the CT does not use this. These children like yours, talk all over each other and are not respectful at all of other students speaking. When I work with them in small groups they talk all over me too as well. I agree that using this technique in the classroom would be beneficial as far as learning and sharing as well as learning basic social skills and manners.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you that teachers should allow their students to talk and discuss with each other with little participation from the teacher. However, I think many teachers are afraid of doing this because it gives the students too much freedom to be off-task and go on unecessary tangents. I think it is important as a teacher to be familiar with these types of discussions so that they can be effective in classrooms because students can really benefit from them.
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