Activities

Learning Activity 2-B-1

Teacher Talk Practice/Application

Forum (graded as assignment) - 35 points

Note: This activity is graded as an assignment. It is posted to the Forums so you can share your work with your classmates.

1. Read "PP Strategy Three: Choose, Pick, or Decide", "PP Strategy Four: Freedom Phrases", and "PP Strategy Five: Stretch, Risk, Challenge" in Key Information.

2. Read the following in Teacher Talk by Chick Moorman:

"Thank you for taking a risk" on pages 14-15.
"Choose, decide, act, pick" on pages 26-27.
"You decide" on pages 29-30.

3. Choose any two of the options below:

Option One: Choose, Pick or Decide
Design ten Teacher Talk statements or questions that include the words choose, decide, act, or pick. These statements or questions may be said to an an individual student, group of students, or the entire class. Note: Your statements or questions should not offer a choice. You are commenting on a choice student(s) made or could be making.

Option Two: Freedom Phrase
Write a Freedom Phrase and a condition to go with each of the following student questions. The condition may be positioned before or after the Freedom Phrase in your response.

May I have a pass to go to the computer lab?
May I interview my uncle?
May I have an extra day for my project?
Is it too late to change my mind about which topic I use for my report?
May I bring my iguana to class on Tuesday?
Will Friday be too late to turn in my outline?
May I work alone on this activity?
May I go ask Mr. Brown a question?
May I go to the office and pay back the money I borrowed for lunch yesterday?
May I go to my locker to get my homework?

Option Three: Stretch, Risk, Challenge
List ten examples of ways you could use the words stretch, risk, and challenge in your Teacher Talk to help your students see the choices they have in your classroom.

4. Choose one of the strategies to implement in your classroom. Briefly explain the reason for your choice. Report the results and reflect on the strategy. If you are not currently in the classroom, you may apply the strategy with your own child, a relative's child, or with children in your neighborhood, youth groups, or other situations.

5. Post your responses to Forum 2-B-1. Read your classmates' responses and reply to one or more.