Assessment 2.1 The Power of Language in the Classroom

Video Case Studies for Classroom Lesson Discourse Analysis 

Voices in the Conversation, 18 minutes

Responding to Literature, 18 minutes             

 

 

PART 1: Describe Classroom Context. 

What grade level?  ….

·      Voices in the Conversation: 5^th grade

·      Responding to Literature: 4^th grade

Describe the students? ….

·      Voices in the Conversation: Urban community. Working class / blue collar. Parents work multiple jobs. Limited at-home support.  Diverse backgrounds. 

·      Responding to Literature: Big personalities, Wide range of ability. Work together to help each other. Rural community.

Describe the teacher and his/her teaching style. ….

·      Voices in the Conversation: Dialogic instruction. Steps back for the students to drive the conversation and make connections between each other’s ideas. Inserts questions to steer the conversation, but uses tentativeness markers to introduce uncertainty to drive the conversation / inquiry. 

·      Responding to Literature: Two aspects to teaching approach – “being a reader just like the students” and “having a watchful ear” for their progress and need for coaching and teaching. Literature study groups for differentiation and choice (of book to read). Dialogic instruction. Step back to let students make connections between themselves. Don’t want to come up with a teacher question, but share impressions to spark students’ thoughts, ideas, etc. Prediction becomes a part of making meaning. Really explicit feedback from his formative assessment using a checklist/rubric.. 

Describe the classroom climate? ….

·      Voices in the Conversation: At ease. Spaciousness. Respectful. Serious about learning and participating, yet somewhat spirited about having opinions of their own.

·      Responding to Literature: Conversational. Safe to announce a lack of understanding and expect support to clear up their questions or confusion. Students are held responsible for preparing for discussion session by working together to process the pages read and based on that work,  write something in their literature log to be used in generating discussion the following day. 

What do you notice hanging on the walls? ….

·      The walls are not particularly clear in the videos. I could not really distinguish anything in particular except for bookcases. 

What do you notice about the established routines and procedures?  

·      Voices in the Conversation:  The students use journaling to prepare for the discussion session. The students use tentative markers to keep the discussion conversational; that is, to be in dialogue with each other (I agree/disagree….., but want to add…, etc.) 

·      Responding to Literature: …In order to be prepared for discussion session, the students are held accountable to work together in processing the story for something to write in their logs to use during discussion. During discussion group, the routine is to speak up, not always letting classmates finish talking before interrupting, but the teacher manages that deftly. 

 

PART 2: Classroom Lesson Discourse

How is language used to establish norms of interaction and engagement?

Voices in the Conversation: The tentative markers such as, “I agree/disagree…,” “I would like to add…..,” keep a dialogue going that relies heavily on everyone listening closely to what each individual has to say without interruptions. The teacher’s open-ended questions posed to the whole class and her use of “conversation partners” establishes an expectation that everyone is welcomed and encouraged to contribute. She gives students agency to construct knowledge. The teacher’s use of open-ended questions and wait time allows, encourages, and gives permission to the students to think deeply about what they themselves think of and see in the story.

“Let’s think about the strategies [the teacher] uses to build the conversation. Four students respond to each other without [the teacher] breaking the chain of engagement.” (Johnston, 2011, p 55) 

Responding to Literature: These students use tentativeness markers as well. They explore perspectives during discussion. They use journal entries recorded as they read their assigned chapters to generate conversation between the students with only gentle guidance from the teacher. 

What types of language is most common throughout the lesson and for what purposes?

Voices in the Conversation: Primarily, dynamic-learning language is used. For example, the students share and propose multiple perspectives and the teacher uses open-ended questions exclusively. She indicates she is listening to the students by occasionally summarizing and reflecting back what she believes she is hearing from the students. Students use tentativeness markers such as, “I agree/disagree…,” “I would like to add…..,” which sustains a dialogic instruction framework. Finally, by refraining from giving opinions or implying there is a right/wrong answer the teacher ensures a symmetric power dynamic between herself and the students. 

Responding to Literature: Use of tentativeness markers (I think…, I wonder…., etc.) introduces uncertainty that spurs inquiry. 

“Students in dialogic classrooms come to value their conversations because they are engaging and because they learn from them.” (Johnston, 2011, p57)

How is language used as a tool to construct a democratic learning environment? 

Voices in the Conversation: The dynamic-learning language allows for everyone to consider each other’s perspectives and if swayed, to change their positions based on consideration of multiple perspectives. In this way, it is possible for the group to reach agreement, compromise or consensus, if indeed that is the goal. By using this type of language, they are constructing a world in which diverse perspectives is an advantage, rather than a disadvantage. This is key to democratic learning environments. 

Responding to Literature: The element of uncertainty lent by their dialogue allows for multiple perspectives and making connections between them. 

“These children are fully engaged in discussing a book. They are choosing to discuss it and make connections to their own lives. They each have an interpretation of the text, but they are not wedded to that particular interpretation. They disagree with each other and take each other’s position very seriously, feeling the need to justify their own position using evidence from the text. Each uses the difference in perspective to expand his own understanding.” (Johnston, 2011,  p 5)

“When [the teacher] wants to get an idea considered, she uses tentativeness markers to show a degree of uncertainty and reduce her positional authority. Each of these decisions keeps her out of the controlling position, leaving a more symmetrical power arrangement.” (Johnston, 2011, p 55)

Who speaks and who doesn't speak throughout the lesson?

Voices in the Conversation: Everyone speaks. Even those students who tend not to speak up in group discussions have a chance to weigh in when the teacher utilizes “conversation partner” method. “[The teacher] positions the students as knowledgeable, thinking individuals who can manage their conversational turn taking --- and they do the same to each other.” (Johnston, 2011, p 55) 

Responding to Literature: Everyone speaks. The teacher asks some questions directly to the students who tend to be quieter than the others. 

What is the role of academic language throughout the lesson?

Voices in the Conversation: While individuals have their own perspectives, the commonality between them is the use of academic language such as the tentativeness markers mentioned above.  Prior knowledge and use of words and concepts like “metaphor,” make it possible for the students to make sense of the story and consider themes in the story. 

Responding to Literature: The teacher suggests friendship could be a theme of the story after this emerges from connections students made between each other's ideas. 

How is language fostered by and among all students? 

Voices in the Conversation: Students are very intentional about the language they use in their discussion.  They are nonjudgmental. They take each other’s ideas seriously. In their inquiry, they maintain at least a degree of uncertainty. The students are practicing skills used specifically to maintain dialogue and encourage the full participation of everyone. Everyone is modeling dynamic-learning language, thus reinforcing and fostering the corresponding practice.  

Responding to Literature: The teacher’s lead --- the way he poses questions, involves everyone, and models a reflective or growth attitude --- brings the same out in the students. 

 

Part 3: Personal Response  

As you consider your core values and purpose as a teacher, what are your most important insights or “AHA’s” from this experience?

Core Values:  Authenticity, Curiosity, Mastery

Purpose: In my work with students, I am called to create a learning environment in which students can become joyful learners, create community by being good and kind friends to each other, and grow their self-esteem and self-confidence.

Insights: 

1.    The videos affirmed just how “effortless” (though highly planned) it is to “sit back” and let the students “run the show.”  Everyone is feeling HEARD, respected and included. Such a lot of learning gets done – which in some ways is counterintuitive. 

2.    I noticed just how curious students are about a story’s narrative and what their classmates think about it and each other’s ideas when given the freedom to express themselves and think broadly. 

3.    I noticed just how clearly dialogic instruction puts both students and teachers at ease with themselves and each other --- free of an asymmetric power dynamic.

4.    I noticed how starting the day with dialogic instruction and Read Aloud sets the tone for the rest of the day. 

5.    I noticed how elegantly dialogic instruction seamlessly embeds formative assessment.  

Write 1 paragraph about what you are taking away that you find to be most beneficial to keep in mind as a future educator. 

Dialogic instruction is an engagement strategy because of the degree it gives students agency and freedom to the teacher not to be the center of attention or hold power over the group. Not only does a lot of learning get done about a particular topic during dialogic instruction (dynamic-learning frame), students are simultaneously trained in productive conversation skills that they will use for the rest of their lives, especially in diffusing conflict. These skills and practices contribute to a healthy self-identity and a resilient democracy. 

 

REFERENCE

 

Johnston, Peter H. (2011)  Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives. Portsmouth, NH:Stenhouse Publishers.