It's About Talk: Using Electronic Discussion in a Graduate Literacy Course
Abstract: It’s important for my graduate students to leave class understanding that talk is an important part of reading and literacy instruction (NCTE & IRA, 1996). Thought-provoking and relevant conversations expose us to different ways of organizing and interpreting information. They also provide us with opportunities to try out our ideas, sort out what we’ve learned, develop deeper understandings, and formulate new questions. This session will begin with an overview of what I found when I introduced asynchronous e-lit discussions in a literacy methods course. The on-line conversations fostered “grand conversations” (Pearson & Eeds, 1990) that helped students refine their understandings and construct new knowledge. The rest of the time will be used to discuss the benefits and challenges that come with using a form of communication that may be more comfortable for students than for their teachers.
Presider: Karyn Holt, Drexel University