Teacher talk and group-work

Teacher as the Centre of Class Activity

Bandung 090913, Gumawang Jati

gumawang.jati@gmail.com

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

Check and correct Teacher checks attention to task and work in progress.

Student feedback Teacher gets feedback from students on their findings.

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?