Question

Write a paper in which the benefits of whole-class discussions in the elementary grades are discussed. Explain how whole-class discussions can help students construct knowledge. Also describe how teachers can incorporate the use of effective whole-class discussions in their classrooms.

Answer

Benefits of Whole-Class Discussions at the Elementary School Level

Whole -class discussions are among the most effective methods of achieving better grades in elementary school. Besides lectures, whole-class discussions have frequently used as a method of teaching by a majority of the teachers at the elementary school level. This is mainly because the method helps the student to understand the concepts they have been taught in school (O’Connor et al, 7). They usually involve the students having an interactive session among themselves and interpreting the concepts taught in class in their own words. With the help of their teacher, they can have debates and discussions to help them further digest what they are taught.

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Whole class discussions in elementary grades have several benefits. First, they help students to improve their ability to communicate ideas and interpret their meaning. Also, the students become more intellectually agile. Besides that, they acquire an enhanced ability to explore various perspectives. In other words, this method of teaching helps the student have a deeper connection to the subject.

This method can also help students become more knowledgeable. It uses a one-on-one approach whereby students interact with teachers freely (Zheng et al., 80). The former get the chance to express their thoughts on the topic and listen to others respectfully. This gives them a chance to generate more knowledge. The whole class discussion method also enables students to be keen on what they learn. It encourages students to do research and conduct investigations for their assumptions, and in the process, they generate more knowledge.

For effective use of this method, teachers can encourage students to come up with debates and discussions on the topics they learn in class (Murphy et al., 30). The discussions should be lively to encourage every student to participate. The teachers should also introduce collaborative learning in order to encourage and enhance every student’s ability to be an effective team player in whole-class discussions.

Works cited

Murphy, P. Karen, et al. “What REALLY works: Optimizing classroom discussions to promote comprehension and critical-analytic thinking.” Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences 3.1 (2016): 27-35.

O’Connor, Catherine, et al. “The silent and the vocal: participation and learning in whole-class discussion.” Learning and Instruction 48 (2017): 5-13.

Zheng, Binbin, and Mark Warschauer. “Participation, interaction, and academic achievement in an online discussion environment.” Computers & Education 84 (2015): 78-89.