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 discussions-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.

The teacher work sample (TWS) has become increasingly widely adopted as an end-of-program, performance-based assessment for student teachers. Improving Teacher Quality offers a comprehensive introduction to teacher work sample methodology for teacher educators, student teachers, student teacher supervisors, cooperating teachers, program coordinators, and school administrators. This well-organized and clearly written guide shows how implementation of the TWS can catalyze a series of widespread changes in assessment, teaching, and program improvement. The authors use their extensive experience to describe how to implement the TWS in a carefully sequenced progression that includes creating a valid and reliable system of scoring, teaching reflective thinking skills, making program improvements, and conducting research with TWS data. Helpful suggestions are provided throughout for those interested in adopting the TWS as a performance-based assessment in their teacher education program, those interested in how the TWS can provide evidence of minimal competency, and those interested in how the TWS can provide data for making program improvements.

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 generally 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 discussions - 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.