Speaking in Class

Managing Classroom Talk
Talking is (ideally!) thinking. Managing whole-class talk with its specific nuance and rhythms is perhaps the greatest of skill of any literature teacher. As whole-class talk can imbue learning with social and emotional significance, expert and responsive management of such talking is fundamental to any teacher.
Here I will demonstrate methods of managing such talk and questioning, linking hopefully to established theory and providing video exemplars.

Example of Analysing Form in Atonement: 4 minute screencast

To Whom Do the Words Belong? Examining the opening of Chapter 9 of Treasure Island through principles of free indirect discourse.
Prerogative or perjorative? Examining the opening of Chapter 9 of Treasure Island through principles of free indirect discourse.

Speaking in Class
Speaking in Class

Reading Speed and Techniques
Reading Speed and Techniques

Applying concepts of Denotation and Connotation to the Matrix Twins Video
I recently watched the Matrix again, and wondered to which extent the video of the Albino twins reflected the tension (and nature) of how connotation/denotation act in the world outside books, and how interpretation affects reality. If the denotation/connotation,...

Barack Obama ‘Yes we can’ video
Watch this video from 9:08 to understand the speech.

Examples of detective styles
For my Year 8s, they are creating a detective for a murder mystery at the end of the year. One of my colleagues has made some excellent progress with this, and suggested the following videos for exemplar detective styles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZiv8vkxMac –...

Half-Term
I spoke recently about how each term has its own distinct rhythm. The last term is the final term in the school year. The finality of Year 11 exams means that the immediate pressure is off, and that lessons invariably wind down somewhat. This doesn't mean, of course,...

Presentation Tips
I love lifehacker - here are some presentation tips my Year 10 class will work on. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/10-tips-for-more-effective-powerpoint-presentations.html
Year 7 Theme Park Assessment
I have looked at the theme park assessments. What impresses me most is how the letters have been written. In the best instances, the students have been able to employ not only sustained paragraphs but an effective writing tone. The most persuasive group for me had the...

Speaking in Class
Speaking in Class

Barack Obama ‘Yes we can’ video
Watch this video from 9:08 to understand the speech.

Half-Term
I spoke recently about how each term has its own distinct rhythm. The last term is the final term in the school year. The finality of Year 11 exams means that the immediate pressure is off, and that lessons invariably wind down somewhat. This doesn't mean, of course,...

Presentation Tips
I love lifehacker - here are some presentation tips my Year 10 class will work on. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/10-tips-for-more-effective-powerpoint-presentations.html
Year 7 Theme Park Assessment
I have looked at the theme park assessments. What impresses me most is how the letters have been written. In the best instances, the students have been able to employ not only sustained paragraphs but an effective writing tone. The most persuasive group for me had the...

Script for Spoken Language
Chair Person - introduces the group. Jim, John, Gill, - says that they will introduce their poems, argue which one should be the flagship one for their anthology, and, finally, what the title should be. Says that all will have their roles in addition to their...

Spoken Language Module – 19th September Onwards
(For the students using this post to catch up on work, see the worksheets included in the links below. These are time-specific and will be removed later.) A new emphasis in the latest English curriculum (although seen by many as a new addition!) is the spoken word...

Animoto – Responding with slideshows
"They're strong VERBALLY." How often have you heard that? Has it become an euphemism? Or is it, perhaps, a truism? Animato - a free digital slideshow maker - can allow pupils to connect with texts, ideas and values in an intuitive and engaging way. Sometimes...