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Mathematical discussion and communication (in the classroom)#

See also: teaching-mathematics

Techniques#

Adapted from observation checklist

  • elicit knowledge from learners
  • Direct elicitation
  • Cued elicitations (hints)
  • respond to what learners say
  • Confirmations
  • Rejections
  • Repetitions
  • Reformulations
  • describe significant aspects of shared experience
  • 'we' statements (we are going)
  • recaps

Class norms/enculturation#

Talking rules

  • we share our ideas and listen to each other
  • we talk one at a time
  • we respect each other's opinions
  • we give reasons to explain our ideas
  • if we disagree we ask "why"
  • we try to agree at the end

Student difficulty describing#

Tactics, ask them to share an example. Write it won or find it in their book, and another example, and another. Connecting with the idea of learner-generated-examples

questioning#

Resources#

Thinking Together Project - "a dialogue-based approach to the development of children's thinking and learning"

References#

Ingram, J. (2019). Discussion and communication. In A Practical Guide to Teaching Mathematics in the Secondary School (pp. 58--66). Taylor & Francis Group.