I thought the section on moderating discussions was very important. I thought this section had a lot of good tips and suggestions for teachers. I know when I work with a group of kids I often have a hard time maintaining order. I often end up getting frustrated and the kids talk all over me and each other. Many of the kids who are trying to give their good ideas end up getting frustrated as well because they are not able to speak to the whole group since someone else is always talking. I think the idea of using a prop to signify whose turn it is to speak is a very good idea. This is something that I will try using in my field placement and definitely use in my future classroom.
I also think it is important during discussions for the teacher to ask questions. They gave examples of the types of appropriate questions in this chapter. Some questions are used to ask for more evidence while others are used to gain clarification. Some other examples of appropriate questions for the teacher to ask is linking or extension questions, hypothetical questions, cause-and-effect question, and summary and synthesis questions. I have seen my CT use most of these during literary discussions and they seem to work well. The kids who are usually distracted and not paying attention become engaged and excited about the reading. I plan on using much of what I read in this chapter in my Language Arts whole group lesson.
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I agree that using a prop of some kind is beneficial when having a group discussion. Students know the rules of the discussion(only the person holding the prop can share his/her ideas) so there are less distractions and less time wasted. We saw a good example of this strategy when we visited Rob Ley's elementary class in Haslett. During a discussion, students would raise their hands to talk and Mr. Ley would throw the ball to a different student each time so they could share their ideas. This seemed to be a very effective method for Mr. Ley as well as the students.
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