Tannis is currently supporting Alberta teachers as a Professional Learning Facilitator with the Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium. She recently served as a curriculum consultant for the Edmonton Catholic School Division. Throughout her 30-year career as an educator, in both Edmonton and Winnipeg, Tannis remains passionate about teaching and learning, and the need for explicit literacy apprenticeship at all levels in all subject areas. Tannis is a voracious reader who believes all students deserve access to rich, diverse reading experiences and to a safe equitable space to talk about what they see, hear, think and feel. She is on a journey to disrupt and bring clarity to the conversations that drive our planning and assessment practice.
Learning Opportunities
This session has been completed.
All I Hear is Crickets! Talking to Learn in the Secondary Classroom
Presented By
Tannis NiziolSeries Sessions
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Oct 06, 2021 | 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm |
| Oct 13, 2021 | 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm |
Location
Virtual
Grade Levels
7-9, 10-12Teachers know it is more important to enable students to think for themselves and to actively build their conceptual understanding than to merely fill their heads with "right" answers. In fact, we dream about having a less teacher-centered class where students are having rich conversations with each other about texts, headlines and content, academic conversations that work to deepen what they know, understand and are able to do.
Session #1: Scaffolding Discussions: Building Student Engagement and Equity
If the same students are still doing all of the talking:
- how might we build a classroom environment where ALL students are learning to talk, and talking to learn, with greater confidence and skill?
- how might we best teach structured and engaging talk techniques that move learning forward?
- how might we see our Programs of Study outcomes as actually providing opportunities for more intentional academic conversation?
Session #2: Amplifying Student Voice: Creating Agency and Challenge
Once students are talking more skillfully and equitably:
- how might we provide them with authentic, meaningful feedback so that they can engage in more challenging discourse?
- how might we teach our students to give and receive effective peer feedback?
- how might we increase complexity using open-ended questions, critical analysis, and socratic dialogue?
Target Audience
Grades 7-12 Teachers of: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies
Also Recommended For
Learning Coaches