Embedding Oral Language Course

In Wk 7 I attended a professional learning workshop with Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey called Embedding Oral Language Across The Curriculum.

The workshop covered:
• Speaking and listening skills
• Planning for talk: establishing routines and expectations for student talk
• Vocabulary learning, research and ideas
• Practical ideas that promote student talk, including drama, and speaking and listening activities.

What I got from the course, my focus goals:

• Create a stronger Think, Pair, Share culture (teach good listening, what does it look like? Less hands up, )
• Think, pair, square, 
• Students talking in full sentences, elaborating on ideas
• Introduce Barrier games
• Hi 5 Switch when sharing with a buddy
• Try doughnut sharing 
• Would you rather ....OL and then writing

I have already tried a Barrier game which really got them thinking about their positional language and working with a partner.