Techniques for Talk!

Thought
shower

A quick collection of ideas from all members of the

group.
With the minimum amount of structure, students are
invited to call out words or ideas relating to the topic. All
suggestions are recorded, preferably on a board or
flipchart, without any initial judgement.
Subsequently, ideas can be grouped, ordered or
evaluated - without attributing them to any specific
individual.

Hot
seating

After suitable preparation (which may entail individual

research or small group coaching), one student
volunteers or is selected to take the hot seat, either as a
"character" or as an "expert". The rest of the class poses
questions to the hot seat.
This can also be conducted as an activity within a
number of small groups, perhaps allocating each student
within the group a different character (from a story or
play).

Individua
l thinking
time

Students are allowed to think through an issue in silence

and without interruption.
By providing students with thinking time, they are
encouraged to explore issues in more depth than might
be usual.
This can be the first part of "Think - Pair - Share".

Jigsaws

Students start off in "home groups". Using a "numbered

heads" approach, each student in the home group is
given an aspect of a topic to research.
Students (from each of the home groups) working on the
same aspect come together to research their common
question. They become the "expert group" for that
particular aspect of the topic.

Students now return to their home groups to share their

findings and to complete the jigsaw.
5

Role play

Talking
partners

Working together in small groups, each student within

the group is allocated a role (relating to the particular
issue under discussion). As discussion progresses, each
student represents the point of view of the role they
represent.
This can also be conducted as a whole class activity with
roles being allocated to groups of students, who are
allowed to prepare their case beforehand.
Within the class, each student has a partner with whom
they feel comfortable and with whom they share ideas,
opinions and planning.
Some students find it a daunting prospect to speak in
front of a whole class, even to answer brief questions.
Working regularly with a set partner helps students grow
in confidence at expressing themselves. This can lead
on to "Snowballing" - which encourages students to
explain their ideas to a larger group - or to "Think, Pair,
Share" - which encourages students to explain their
ideas to the whole class. This should become less
daunting because students have had opportunity to
think about their answers and to rehearse them.

Snowballi
ng

Students talk in pairs, either to develop initial ideas or to

share what they already know about a topic.
These pairs double up and pool their ideas in the new
group of four.
Fours double up to eights and pool ideas etc.

Listening
triangle

This is a useful activity for finding out what students

already know about a topic, acting as a means of
revising that knowledge.
Students work together in groups of three.
The SPEAKER explains the topic (or expresses their
opinion on an issue) as directed by the teacher.

The QUESTIONER listens carefully and asks for

clarification or further detail.
The NOTE-TAKER observes this process and provides
feedback to both "speaker" and "questioner".
A "numbered heads" approach can be used to allocate
roles - and these roles can be rotated (either now or
subsequently).
9

Rainbow
groups

Students start in "home groups". Groups discuss a topic.

Students are numbered (or allocated colours) and regroup by number (or colour). These new groups should
have a representative from every group, if possible.
All students take a turn at reporting back what their
group discussed and any decisions they may have
arrived at.

Taken from: http://brainboxx.co.uk/A3_ASPECTS/pages/ThinkingTALK.htm