Opening Up the Conversation leads practicing and preservice K-12 teachers through the process of creating more open, student-centered discourse in their classrooms. Readers are first introduced to types of teacher questions, student responses, and teacher follow-up moves that are associated with both open and closed discourse. Author John Henning then helps readers identify the most likely places for open and closed classroom discourse by examining an entire unit of instruction and by looking closely at three distinct types of discussionsa "framing, conceptual, and application. Readers are introduced to specific discourse moves, the patterns of discussion, the amount of preparation, and the types of accountability strategies needed to construct each of these discussions. The final chapter of the book shows readers how to videotape and analyze their classroom interactions in a teacher study group.

John E. Henning is Associate Professsor of Educational Psychology and Foundations at the University of Northern Iowa.

@contents:Selected Contents:

Part I Classroom Discourse Moves

Chapter 1 Asking Questions

Chapter 2 Student Responses

Chapter 3 Teacher Follow Up Moves

Part II Guiding and Creating Discussions

Chapter 4 Guiding Discussions

Chapter 5 Creating Discussions

Part III Keeping Students Involved

Chapter 6 Building a Climate for Discussion

Chapter 7 Supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

Part IV The "Bowtie"

Chapter 8 The Bow Tie

Chapter 9 Creating the Framing Discussion

Chapter 10 Creating the Conceptual Discussion

Chapter 11 Creating the Application Discussion

Part V Analyzing Discussions

Chapter 12 Collaborating in a Teacher Study Group