For example, lectures and presentations may be appropriate for learning introductory information about a new topic. Student selected topics of inquiry may be suitable for teachers in an inservice course who want to develop particular units to go with some aspect of their school's curriculum. It is difficult to develop an understanding of how these variables interact to form optimum teaching and learning by being told in a lecture how to do it. Likewise, it is difficult to understand teaching by watching videos of teaching. And that is why discussion is critical and why a community-centered model is most appropriate for guiding teacher learning.
Teachers use talk to account for the opinions they hold and the information they share.
Through this talking process, with guidance, nudging, and support from the teacher leader, they discover principled rationales for interpretations of children's behavior and for teaching moves they make. An inservice program for Reading Recovery teachers. Columbia University, Teacher's College Press. Educational Researcher , February 1986, 4-14. Teachers thinking, teachers knowing .