Teacher talk and group-work
18
description
Teacher talk could be boring and handling a group-work discussion is not easy.
Transcript of Teacher talk and group-work
Teacher talk is a teacher-centred or ‘didactic’ teaching
method.
What are its main advantages and disadvantages?
Teacher Talk
Teacher talk is the most commonly used teaching method, on
average occupy- ing at least 60% of most lessons.
Good teachers know when to shut up!
Advantages • It is a convenient method for delivering an explanation.
• Unlike a book, it can be adapted to the correct ‘level’ for the class, and the
content can be tailored to the needs of the class.
• It can be inspiring.
• Little preparation or resourcing is required for the experienced teacher.
• It is a rapid method of presenting material.
• It is a more personal method of communicating than written methods.
Disadvantages • The student is not required to form an understanding or ‘construct’.
• There is no feedback on whether understanding has taken place.
• Retention is very low, so backup is required to ensure that
information is understood and remembered.
• The teacher must go at the same pace with the whole class.
• Inexperienced teachers tend to deliver material too quickly.
• It can be boring.
• There is no active student involvement.
• Students’ concentration span is shorter than for other learning
methods.
• It assumes consenting students.
• Students are not given the opportunity to use the ideas being
taught.
Talk Trap – Concentration span
Most people talk at about 100 to 200 words per minute. At that
rate, a one-hour lecture could contain up to 12,000 words – a
short book!
The concentration span of some students while they listen to
teacher talk is less than 5 minutes; that of undergraduates and
sixth-formers is perhaps 15 to 20 minutes.
Teacher-talk Technique
Body language plays very important role
Direct eye contact with students
Intonation, pitch and facial expression
New teachers tend to have flat tone without
expression
Do not use the tone news reader in TV or Radio
Do not use too much “O.K?”, “isn’t it”, “Errr”
Don’t stare at the floor, look at student’s faces.
Maitain the eye contact, so that the students feel to be
involved
Teacher talk could be boring
Try stimulating questions, jokes and funny comments,
etc.
Let the real you come out!
Video
Gallery Walk
What can we learn from this video?
What are the disadvantages of this video?
Making the material easy to understand
Enhancement
•Teacher talk can be more effective with the
help of white board, LCD, picture, video clips.
How do you know that your teacher talk effective?
How about the students’ body language?
Can the students answer your questions?
Are their work reflecting their understanding?
Video two extreme classes
Comments?
Group work and student talk
Why use group work?
Group work and student talk
Why use groups?
Group work is active. • It gives the students a chance to use the methods, principles and vocabulary
that they are being taught.
Group work involves learners in task-centred talking. • As well as being an enjoyable activity in itself, this provides huge opportunities
for learning. It requires that learners process the new material, and make
personal sense of it
Students get a chance to practise high-order mental skills such
as creativity, evaluation, synthesis and analysis.
They also practise ‘common skills’ such as the ability to work
with and communicate with others.
Limitations of group work
Groups can go off in the wrong direction, and they can be
hijacked by a determined individual.
Some group members may become passengers, letting others
take the lead.
Whole groups or even whole classes can become ‘free riders’ if
the teacher does not ensure that they take responsibility for their
work – for example, by effective monitoring and by demanding
feedback.
Group work becomes ineffective when used indiscriminately, or
when used too often or for too long.
Be clear what you are trying to do, and make sure that group
work is the best way of achieving this.
Group work activities
The task needs to be very clearly stated, and broken down if
necessary.
If possible, set individual tasks as well as group tasks
Challenges motivate more students than competitions because
everyone can meet a challenge, but only one can win a
competition.
Classroom trials have found that challenges, at least those
tackled cooperatively, create a better social climate and more
self-esteem, as well as better achievement
Task is set Task is clear
and in writing.
Specific roles
may
be set for
students.
Students
work on
task Working in
groups or
individually
Student
feedback Teacher gets
feedback from
students on their
findings.
Check and
correct Teacher checks
attention to task
and work in
progress.
Review
Key points are
emphasised.
Notes are
taken or kept.
Checklist for the use of group work
❏ Do you define the task very clearly, and leave a summary of
the task on the board?
❏ Do you visit each group as it is working, to check on progress
and to help where necessary?
❏ After the activity, do you nominate individuals to summarise
their group’s ideas to the class?
❏ Do you acknowledge the ideas of each group – for example,
by thanking them and/or by putting them on the board?
❏ Do you hold a plenary to summarise what students should
have learned from the activity?
❏ Do you use group work as often as you could?
