The Place of Strategic Dialogue in Collaborative Learning
The tutorial interaction in writing centers provides beginning writers with an essential element not found in other types of student-helper interaction. Unlike the usual colloquium that occurs in most classrooms, tutoring offers a one-on-one setting whereby a student can directly consult with, discuss, and turn to an experienced peer for help with as many steps of the writing process as possible. This unique setting offers a chance for tutors to address students’ individual needs using strategic dialogue.
Kenneth A. Bruffee talks about the important facets peer-to-peer dialogue brings to the tutorial setting. In his essay, Peer Tutoring and the ‘Conversation of Mankind,’ he discusses conversation and its place within the context of “collaborative learning.” Bruffee argues that “thought and writing are special artifacts grounded in conversation. As such, both are fostered by teaching that emphasizes conversational exchange among peers” (Intro, 3). He believes that thought originates in conversation. In general, conversation is a social artifact that can be internalized to encourage thought. Bruffee values peer tutoring so much because, as he said, it "provides a social context in which students can experience and practice the kinds of conversation that academics most value” (7). The dialogue that takes place between tutor and student fosters this kind of thought-provoking conversation. The interaction is one of a kind because it provides a unique setting whereby “status equals, or peers” (Bruffee, 8) can discuss matters that are closely at the heart of the writing process.
Emily Meyer and Louise Z. Smith, writers of The Practical Tutor, agree with Bruffee on the special contribution peer-to-peer tutoring grants to the process of writing. In their chapter called ‘Engaging in Dialogue,’ Meyer and Smith support Bruffee when they say, "the tutorial conference is an ideal format for such stimulation because it is truly dialogical” (28). This aspect is unique in two ways in that first, it provides the necessary one-on-one component that beginning writers don’t get when they sit in class among several other inexperienced writers. Second and more important, the dialogue that takes place between tutor and tutee stimulates thought that is originated in conversation. According to Bruffee, “The kind of conversation peer tutors engage in with their tutees can be emotionally involved, intellectually and substantively focused, and personally disinterested" (7). Conversation, in this sense, becomes an ideal way by which inexperienced writers can let out their thoughts, opinions, and feelings on a given topic.
Swales, John. "The Concept of Discourse Community." Wardle, Elizabeth and Doug Downs. Writing about Writing a College Reader. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2011. 466-480. Print.
Mike Rose met many struggling students at UCLA’s Tutorial Center, the Writing Research Project, and the school’s Summer program. He first describes the loneliness students feel upon arriving at college, and that as they try to find themselves, they all to often lose themselves because they are bombarded with ideas that are so foreign to them. He introduces his audiences to Andrea, a bright young girl out of high school who, despite hours of memorizing in her textbook, could not obtain a passing grade on her Chemistry mid-term. How is this possible if she spent so much time studding? Rose explains that she failed because in college, and in this course in particular, it is not enough for a student to know the material, but rather, to be able to apply it in a various amount of problems. Yet the problem Andrea faces is that she was never taught this in high school.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, a tornado is a rotating column of air accompanied by a funnel shaped downward extension of a cumulonimbus cloud and having a vortex several hundred yards in diameter whirling destructively at speeds of up to three hundred miles per hour. There are six classifications of tornadoes, which are measured on what is known as the Fujita Scale. These tornadoes range from an F0 to an F5, which is the most devastating of all. Abnormal warm, humid, and oppressive weather usually precede the formation of a tornado. Records of American tornadoes date back to 1804 and have been known to occur in every state of the United States.
The thesis, or the main idea of the book, is that by using specific communication techniques, we can turn difficult discussions into productive learning conversations.
Throughout my practice, I have found that this mix is essential in order for children to engage with lessons. Alexander (2004) suggests that dialogical teaching includes traditional types of talk such as rote, recitation and instruction/exposition. It should also include discussion and dialogue (Alexander, 2004). These types of talk can occur in different situations: whole class, group discussions and paired talked. Mercer (1996) carried out a research project concerning the quality of talk in the classroom. His findings supported ‘…the conclusion that talk between learners has been shown to be valuable for the construction of knowledge’ (Mercer, 1996: 362). He disputed that not all kinds of exchange are of educational value (Mercer, 1996: 362). This point validates the importance of teachers understanding what type of talk makes their teaching genuinely dialogic.
Thinking about a topic to write about is not always easy, and sometimes the process of writing can end up being difficult. Jennifer Jacobson discusses strategies to overcome the struggles that young writers can encounter while writing. I was interested in her book No More “I’m Done!” Fostering Independent Writers in the Primary Grades because I feel like as a future teacher this could be a frequent problem among students. From reading this book, I hoped that I would learn useful strategies that I could use to help students overcome their problems with writing. After reading this book, I do believe that Jacobson has provided me with plenty of methods to use. I was surprised at the depth that she goes into in her text. There is a vast amount
Tornadoes can form anywhere given the right weather conditions. There have been some tornadoes spotted going up and down a mountain. Most tornadoes form in Tornado Alley, which is the Great Plains of America, which includes: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, holds the record for being hit by the most tornadoes in the world. In Greensburg, Kansas, there was a massive tornado that hit. It was said to be two miles wide, but here’s the words of a man, Dan Barry, who lived to tell his story. “Yes, a tornado nearly two miles wide really did mow through here one night last month. It really did kill ten of the 1,450 residents. It really did destroy just about every house, business, and church, as though determined to erase Gr...
Every animal on the planet is capable of communicating, be it verbally, physically, or possibly by some means yet discovered. Writing on the other hand is a form of communication exclusive to human beings (and maybe the occasional ape). Children are taught to read and write almost as soon as they can speak. Writing becomes a part of everyday life, and because of this it is easy to forget that writing "is a means of "communication [one] must consciously learn" (Heffernan and Lincoln 3). For this reason writing in college can be a challenge for even the most skilled of writers. While the basics of academic writing may seem like common knowledge, knowing them and understanding them can prove to be quite different. In the writing center it is our job to help writers take what they know about writing, and begin to understand it. Understanding is the basis for ...
A tornado is something that rarely occurs, usually only occurring in 1% of thunder storms. A tornado is classified as a small swinging column of air in the shape of a funnel. A funnel cloud will eventually become a tornado when it touches the ground. For a tornado to occur there has to be a large amount of strange environmental conditions. There will have to be a trigger such as a cold front as well as a low level of moisture in the atmosphere. Tornadoes are very powerful so you wouldn’t want to be stuck in the middle of one. The winds are very strong, reaching between 40 to over 300 miles per hour, according to the Fujita scale. The winds turn in height and will always turn in a clockwise form. Tornadoes can also reach a maximum of one mile high and can stretch out to a length of 50 feet long.
According to Liu (1998), peer correction is a process in which learners read each other’s writings and provide comments on grammar, usage, content, word choice, and the structure of the essay. Hansen and Liu (2002) defined peer response as “the use of information and interaction between each other” (p 1). They found that peer comments could lead to meaningful revision. Revision based on peer comments can be better in vocabulary, organization, and content. Also, Nelson and Murphy (1993) described peer review as a process-based technique in which students evaluate each other’s' working drafts for the purposes of exchanging feedback. Hyland (2003) explained that peer review is a process in which students exchange their papers with one another and provide comments in oral or in written form during class
Such frustrating scenarios are not uncommon in the learning center. Developing and practicing effective personal writing skills is crucial for recording individual expression and communication, logging personal experiences and preserving a culture’s civilization (Powell, Harms and Barry, 2006). Successful Americans in all walks of life depend on producing clear oral and written communication. A survey of one hundred and twenty major American corporations (Powell, Harms and Barry, 2006) finds that approximately eight million employees must demonstrate strong writing skills for employee retention and promotion. Two-thirds of salaried employees in large American companies have some writing responsibility; effective communications via e-mail and PowerPoint are often job requirements (Needles & Knapp, 2004).
Together with the teacher and classmates, students are given the opportunity to speculate and question the world around them and the world awaiting them. Within small peer groups, for instance, students are encouraged to discuss, share, and compromise. The teacher is there to encourage this process, rather than to provide prescribed solutions. Similarly, the learning environment is collaborative and democratic, giving opportunities for all to speak their minds and receive feedback from peers as well as the teacher. This continuous loop of feedback, potentially positive or negative, serves as the means of assessment for problem-solving based instruction.
Crank, V. (2012). From high school to college: Developing writing skills in the disciplines. WAC
These are all important tornado facts and reasons of why this phenomenon occurs. Tornadoes are natural disasters that we can not do anything about, we just have to learn to live with them and be smart about how we approach them. There is no preventing a tornado from occurring so we must merely take all the precautions so we will be safe.
Appiah, Kwame Anthony. “Making Conversation.” “The Primacy of Practice.” Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 56-75. Print.