The Language of Teaching Well with Learning Objects Carla Meskill and Natasha Anthony Educational Theory and Practice State University of New York at Albany

Information is a shockingly limited form of knowledge. Andrea diSessa, Changing Minds, 2000 Education happens in conversations where the combined mental resources of teacher and learner are focused on developing the learners understanding. Neil Mercer, Words and Mind. 2000:169

Assumptions: Teaching and learning is about mastering disciplinary discourse and becoming a literate member of that community. Teaching and learning is about mastering disciplinary discourse and becoming a literate member of that community. It is not about students repeating back easily grasped absolutes. It is not about students repeating back easily grasped absolutes. It is about learners grappling with messy and ambiguous realities and learning to critically and articulately make sense from a variety of perspectives. It is about learners grappling with messy and ambiguous realities and learning to critically and articulately make sense from a variety of perspectives. To do so, students master the disciplinary discourse as their primary tool. To do so, students master the disciplinary discourse as their primary tool.

Assumptions As experts, masters of our disciplinary discourse, we initiate learners into disciplinary ways of knowing and communicating. Draw student attention to target terms and concepts Draw student attention to target terms and concepts Guide and mentor students mastery of this language. Guide and mentor students mastery of this language.

Language and Learning Objects How can the attributes of learning objects be linked to the linguistic, be incorporated into instructional conversations, to affect learning?

Instructional Discourse vs Natural Discourse Instructional Natural Roles:Fixed Negotiated Tasks:Teacher-oriented Group- oriented position-centered person- centered Knowledge: Focus on content Focus on process process Accuracy Fluency

Instructional Conversation Strategies Thinking and speaking that is joined in a dialectic way joined in a dialectic way dynamic, generative, process-oriented dynamic, generative, process-oriented cumulative with the goal of shared, mutually generated understanding cumulative with the goal of shared, mutually generated understanding WITH LEARNING OBJECTS AS ANCHORS

Learning Objects Until very recently – in most of our lifetimes - learning object referential talk consisted of things like on page 66 of your textbook and pointing to overhead slides.

Learning Objects Designed to be under student control under student control open to exploration open to exploration not for static referring like work sheets, pages of texts, and overheads. not for static referring like work sheets, pages of texts, and overheads.

Learning Objects Public Public Anarchic Anarchic Malleable Malleable Unstable Unstable Provide Anchored Referents Provide Anchored Referents

Learning Objects Make wonderful anchors for rich instructional conversations.

Learning Objects eighth note nucleus Panama Canalprothorax hydrogen

Learning Objects Learning objects are composed of elements to which we can make reference as part of productive, generative instructional conversations. Draw attention to. Incorporate term/concept in productive conversation.

Some possible sites for visual demo Russian verbs of motion animation Russian verbs of motion animation va/uxodit.html va/uxodit.html Arabic talk show Arabic talk show ng=Arabic&topic=Talk%20Show&id=406 ng=Arabic&topic=Talk%20Show&id=406 Protein Explorer Protein Explorer

Instructional Conversation Strategies Linguistic Tools Linguistic Tools Referring/Anchoring Referring/Anchoring Hyperlinking Hyperlinking Modeling Modeling Saturation Saturation Corralling Corralling Encouraging Synthetic Responses Encouraging Synthetic Responses Implicit Feedback Implicit Feedback

Linguistic Tools

Referring/Anchoring

Hyperlinking

Modeling

Saturation

Corralling

Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning Objects Psychometric studies of learner satisfaction underscore the importance of instructor engagement, caring, and promoting a sense of learning community as essential to successful learning – ICSs can help accomplish these Psychometric studies of learner satisfaction underscore the importance of instructor engagement, caring, and promoting a sense of learning community as essential to successful learning – ICSs can help accomplish these

Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning Objects Anchors for cross-disciplinary dialog about teaching and learning Anchors for cross-disciplinary dialog about teaching and learning

Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning Objects Conceptual aspect of teaching with learning objects that you can throw into the pot as you make informed ID decisions Conceptual aspect of teaching with learning objects that you can throw into the pot as you make informed ID decisions

Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning Objects Metapedagogical awareness Metapedagogical awareness

Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning Objects ID folks can assist faculty in ICS- approach ID folks can assist faculty in ICS- approach

Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning Objects Read more in our forthcoming book Read more in our forthcoming book

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