Enhancing Oral Communication

1. 1
Welcome to
Module 5
Communication

2. 2
Getting Started
Create a mind map.
Record Co m m unic a tio n a nd
Ma the m a tic s in the centre of the
map. Use graphics, diagrams,
words, pictures, etc., to show
your ideas on this topic.
Communication
and
Mathematics

3. 3
Getting Started
your mind map.

4. 4
Key Messages
At the heart of mathematics
is the process of identifying
relationships and trying to
present these relationships
mathematically in order to
communicate them to others.

5. 5
Key Messages
The secret to successful
teaching is being able to
determine what students are
thinking, and then use that
information as the basis for
instruction.

6. 6
Key Messages
Through skillfully led
discussion, teachers will gain
insight into student
understanding and students
will build understanding and
consolidate learning.

7. 7
Key Messages
Students’ writing will also
reveal and consolidate
understanding but must be
prefaced by many oral
opportunities.

8. 8
Key Messages
Whether students are talking
or writing about their
mathematical learning, the
most valuable question that
a teacher can ask of them is
“How do you know?”
How do
you
know? There
are 6.

9. 9
Working on It
Promoting
Opportunities for
Communication

10. Promoting Opportunities for Communication
Fostering students’
communication skills is an
important part of the teacher’s
role in the mathematics
classroom. Teachers need to be
aware of the many kinds of
opportunities that exist in the
classroom for helping students
to communicate.
10

11. 11
Promoting Opportunities for Communication
Read the list of opportunities for
communication on p. 6.4.
In groups of four to six, create a graphic
organizer on chart paper and organize into
categories the ideas from the list.
- What kind of graphic organizer will you use?
- What categories will you use?
In each of your categories, add another
example of an opportunity for communication.

12. 12
Promoting Opportunities for Communication
with the large group.
Discuss similarities and differences.
Similarities Differences

13. 13
Working on It
Oral Communication
Teachers can promote
students’ communication skills
by providing models of good
communication.

14. 14
Oral Communication
Help students to develop
skills in problem solving
by demonstrating the
thinking process for
solving a problem and
modeling this process in
oral dialogue.

15. 15
Oral Communication
Have student
volunteers explicitly
demonstrate what
good communication
would, and would not,
sound like.

16. 16
Oral Communication
Can you think
of another way
to show that?
Use prompts and
questions that help
students expand
on their oral
responses.

17. 17
Oral Communication
Here’s my strategy
for getting more
Model prompts and
questions that
students can use as
they work together.
points…

18. 18
Oral Communication
If I go there, then she will
be able to jump me.
Hmmm…
I’m going to move
to H,8
Encourage students
to use ‘think time’
before they
communicate.

19. 19
Oral Communication
Encourage concrete
representation as a
basis for
communicating
mathematical
understanding.

20. 20
Oral Communication
Form six expert groups.
In your expert group:
Read about a strategy for fostering
oral communication (pp. 6.6 - 6.7).
Record your ideas on BLM 5.1:
- What is the strategy? Give an
example of what it might sound like.
- When could the strategy be used
appropriately?

21. 21
Oral Communication
Return to your home
group.

22. 22
and
record
them on
BLM 5.1

23. 23
Questions and Prompts for
Promoting Communication
The questions and prompts that
teachers use will vary to reflect the
purpose of the communication they
wish to elicit from students. At different
times teachers ask students to:

24. 24
Questions and Prompts for
Promoting Communication
Retell;
Make connections;
Reflect on their work;

25. 25
Questions and Prompts for
Promoting Communication
 Predict, invent, or problem
solve;
 Share their representations of
mathematical situations;
 Share their feelings, attitudes,
or beliefs about mathematics.

26. 26
A Problem to Solve…
Form groups of four consisting of
two ‘students’ and two ‘teachers’.
The ‘students’ solve the problem.
The ‘teachers’ use the Question
and Prompt cards to help support
their ‘students’ as they solve the
problem.

27. 27
A Problem to Solve…
Two MMaacchhiinneess,, OOnnee JJoobb
Ron’s Recycle Shop opened when Ron bought a
used paper-shredding machine. Business was
good, so he added a new shredding machine.
The old machine could shred a truckload of
paper in 4 hours. The new machine could shred
the same truckload in only 2 hours. How long
would it take to shred a truckload of paper if Ron
ran both shredders at the same time?
- Van de Walle, Ele m e nta ry a nd Mid d le Scho o l Ma the m a tic s :
Te a ching De ve lo pm e nta lly , Fourth Edition, 2001, Pearson Longman, p. 18

28. 28
Promoting Written
Communication
Talk, then write
Model
the
writing
process
Use strategies that
promote written
communication
Provide
authentic
writing
tasks

29. 29
Promoting Written
Communication
Number yourselves from 1 to 5, and
reorganize into your number groups.
Each group is responsible for explaining
three strategies for promoting written
communication to the large group.
Record your group’s ideas on chart paper
for sharing.

30. 30
Promoting Written
Communication
1. Mind Mapping, Model Writing,
Shared Student Writing,
2. Think-Talk-Write, Thinking
Windows, Place Mat,
3. Procedural Writing, Graphic
Organizers, Math Word Wall
4. Math Strategy Wall, Class
Journals/Logs, Math Picture Books
5. Poster Projects, Problem Posing,
Creative Writing

31. 31
Reflecting and Connecting
In your classroom…
Think about communication as you
plan your math lessons.
What prompts and questions will you
use to help students communicate?
Be prepared to share your
discoveries at the next session.