THE PRACTICE: Student-Controlled Classroom Discourse - Students are given the opportunity to control some portion of the lesson, providing teachers with insight into the ways that speech and negotiation are used in the home and community.
Content Presented By:
The Education Alliance at Brown University

Resources related to this practice:

• Enhancing Student Thinking through Collaborative Learning
  http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-2/learning.htm

  This digest discusses the goals that group learning must fulfill and the different phases of small group discussions that include teacher and students' responsibilities.

• Incorporating Student Voice into Teaching Practice
  http://www.soundout.org/features/incorporating.html

  In some classrooms, student voices are barely heard; the teacher monopolizes classroom talk, and knowledge is treated as residing entirely with the teacher. This digest explores different ways in which student voices can be heard in a classroom.

• Instructional Conversations
  http://www.ericdigests.org/1992-2/instructional.htm

  The article presents a model of instructional conversation that is based on student-teacher discussion. Research argues that class-wide discussions, as opposed to a teacher's "recitation script," promote critical thinking and engage students in productive discourse.

• Oral Language Development across the Curriculum, K-12.
  http://www.ericdigests.org/1996-3/oral.htm

  The digest presents the teacher's role as facilitator of students' development of oral communication. It argues against teacher-dominated lessons.

• Profile of an Equitable Mathematics and Science Classroom and Teacher
  http://www.col-ed.org/smcnws/equity/profile.html

  This article by Joy Wallace, includes guidelines and descriptions for equitable mathematics and science teaching. Topics include Physical Environment of the Classroom, Curriculum, Language, Teaching Methodology/Interaction, Behavior Management, Academic Evaluation/Assessment and Classroom Integration.

• Teaching Language Minority Students in Elementary
  http://www.cal.org/crede/pubs/ResBrief1.pdf

  CREDE, the Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence of the University of California, Santa Cruz published this research brief that may be downloaded or read in PDF. It focuses upon CREDE standards and follows Nora, a Grade 1 student and her teacher through a few learning activities. The brief demonstrates how teacher attention to language needs enables students to be involved in grade level content.

General resources related to this spotlight:

• Click here to view other resources related to the spotlight.
  
  

This resource is developed and maintained by The Education Alliance at Brown University. Seed funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Send comments to: loom@alliance.brown.edu