Conversation is Key

I agree with the information presented in these articles about the place for conversational learning in the classroom, as well as the general importance for conversation in language development. I agreed with basically all of what I read in these articles. I was particularly interested in the Goldenberg article, because I enjoyed the research and graphs that went along with it.

I agreed with the statement that "school curricula tend to emphasize lower-level skills and knowledge, thereby rendering classroom discussions largely irrelevant from the standpoint of most teachers." In my first practicum class, my mentor teacher and I actually spent quite a bit of time that first week with her explaining to me her reasons for encouraging so much classroom discussion. She said that it often looks like the class is getting off task or something, but really, she's trying to allow them time to discuss what interests them. If they're interested in, or at least invested in having conversations about, the material, it is more likely to stick.

"For these students, school is often the venue in which they are not only using language to learn but also learning the language itself." This is a quote from the Mayer article, but is something I have learned from almost every deaf education class I've ever had (if not all of them), which is why I think conversations have a place in the classroom. Just because it might not "look" or "sound" like educational instruction doesn't mean it isn't. I think it fosters better incidental learning, for one thing, which has been shown to help students retain information better.

I guess what I gained from these articles is also what I have already sort of decided -- that I need to be letting my students guide my classroom goings-on at least a little. When it comes down to overall material that I need to cover, obviously, I'll have to guide them some, but I think it is important to let them explore what interests them most about what we're learning about. (I hope that sentence made sense.) When students get to have conversations, it also helps them explore their own ideas about things with their peers, and since it is more informal, the pressure to "sound smart" or be correct is kind of taken away. This is a better way to check their understanding, albeit a more informal way.

Just my opinion, anyway.