The momentum of our Oracy Masterclass series continued with another successful session hosted at Liceo Leopardi in Recanati! The second session built upon what we learned in the first workshop, diving deeper into oracy teaching methods to help educators improve their teaching and students’ results.
This session’s focus was on exploratory talk, a collaborative dialogue strategy that encourages students to inquire, hypothesise, and critically evaluate ideas through meaningful discourse. By facilitating exploratory talk activities, teachers can create dynamic learning experiences that promote problem-solving and active engagement among students.
In addition to the exploratory talk, we introduced discussion guidelines to facilitate productive classroom conversations. Discussion guidelines are established rules created to foster productive and respectful conversations in the classroom. These guidelines served as a framework for encouraging respectful dialogue and ensuring that all students felt heard and valued during discussions. They can be made together with students to encourage everyone’s involvement and agreement. They typically include expectations around listening attentively, speaking respectfully, taking turns, and valuing different perspectives. Furthermore, we provided teachers with Talk Tactics to reinforce their understanding of the concepts covered. These cards typically contain prompts or strategies, like role-playing or debates, aimed at improving students’ speaking and listening abilities. They were used to consolidate learning through interactive exercises, enabling educators to apply newly acquired knowledge in practical scenarios.
As we conclude another successful session of the Oracy Masterclass series, let’s take a moment to reflect on the impact we’ve made and the journey that lies ahead. Together, we’ve laid the groundwork for transformative change through the introduction of oracy in the classroom but our work is far from over.
In the coming sessions, we’ll explore innovative oracy strategies and refine our approaches to best serve our students. Let’s continue to create a culture of collaboration and excellence among educators, empowering each other to reach new heights in teaching and learning.
Stay tuned! We’re excited to share more insights and strategies in the upcoming third session of the Oracy Masterclass series.