Teacher Talk, 1996

School Science and Mathematics, Feb 1998 by McDonald, Jacqueline

Teacher Talk, 1996 Length: 15 minutes each

The Teacher Talk series is a staff development program, which can also be used for inservice and preservice mathematics education. "Hands-On Math," "Math and Communication," "The Math Trail," and "Oobleck" are each 15-minute video tapes, consisting of a montage of segments showing the class in action, interviews with Toliver, and interviews with her students. The guide book for the series has a section devoted to each of the four video tapes.

Each section of the guide book has an introduction to the topics to be addressed and a detailed outline for a workshop on the topic. The workshop outline consists of "Preparing for the Workshop," which uses a timeline to indicate the tasks required to execute the workshops. "Delivering the Workshop" provides a step-by-step outline of a workshop, integrating the related video tape. Included are directions for all activities, handouts, samples of invitations, and evaluation surveys. The guide book provides a great tool for staff development and preservice/inservice educators. For those beginning staff development work, this series provides a useful outline of the general preparation process, as well as details for four workshops. Experienced presenters can find new ideas, activities, and vitality in these materials.

Two of the tapes were reviewed in detail. "Oobleck" begins as Toliver arrives in class with her magician's hat and robes, reading the first pages of the Dr. Seuss classic, Bartholomew and the Oobleck. She pauses at a point of the story before the Oobleck begins to fall and has students record in their jourals their description of what Oobleck might be like. She then presents each small group with a sample of Oobleck (a well mixed combination of 1 part water, 1 part cornstarch, and a few drops of green food coloring). Each group is encouraged to explore and examine the Oobleck and, finally, to create a list of its properties. They then create a tally chart of these properties and discuss the frequency and relative frequency of each property.

"Math and Communication" emphasizes four aspects of mathematical communication. First, in a segment on math communication, students compare Arr and A=phi[r.]^sup 2^ They discuss whether the two equations mean the same thing and which "makes it look better." While discussing classroom communication, Toliver says, "When you get kids to start speaking, you start getting into the way they're thinking." The seemingly daily use of small groups encourages discussions and allows Toliver to observe and converse with many students on a regular basis. The segment on vocabulary emphasizes the need to develop correct terminology and comfort in using the terminology in appropriate contexts. Finally, she discusses the many uses of journals in her classroom. Each lesson involves some written language tasks. These journals are reviewed on a weekly basis and serve a number of purposes. "In their journals," Toliver says, "I can find confusions, what needs reviewed, and what their thought processes are. I'm assessing myself when I read their journals."

Teacher Talk is a promising series with a variety of useful applications. It can be used as a staff development program for middle school, junior high, and upper elementary programs. It has valuable applications at the university level for preservice and in-service mathematics education. It can also serve as an excellent model for professionals who are learning to present workshops.