This week I've been been thinking a lot about talk and writing in the classroom. This is a result of a few different things. The first is that I recently started reading Ron Ritchhart's ‘Creating Cultures of Thinking‘, and the second is that I've been reading a lot of my physics students' written responses to past exam questions and thinking about how I can support them to improve these.

Perfectly timed, this week I've come across a whole host of articles that fit into this theme!

T1, as I wrote in my original tweet, is the most excited that I've been about a blog post for a while. In this post, Ruth (@Rosalindphys) writes about moving from a science classroom in which supporting students' writing is a side project (often getting in the way of science content), to one in which purposive use of writing instruction facilitates deeper understanding of the content. Ruth's piece is also applicable in any other context in which writing is required, and conceptual understanding is required… which is pretty much all subject areas!

T2, by @kellyoshea, introduces a really powerful activity for getting students talking about their thinking, and learning from each other in the classroom.

T3 introduces the ‘Writing in science symposium' from which T1 is drawn, as well as a great first article by Ben Rogers. I'm looking forward to the next symposium articles coming out over the next few weeks.

T4 gives an fascinating, if troubling, insight into the experiences of teachers and students in relation to school shootings in the U.S. A well crafted story looking at everything from teachers doing shooting drills to support networks that have emerged for parents and families who have lost children.

T5 is a limited time offer!

T6 is a thoughtful piece.

And I'll let the others speak for themselves.

Enjoy : )

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How to simultaneously scaffold student writing, and knowledge acquisition, in science. via @Rosalindphys

The Whiteboarding mistakes game, building a culture of discussion in your classroom, via @kellyoshea

Writing in Science, a Symposium via @Mr_Raichura. First article via @BenRogersEdu

Better understanding school shootings in the U.S. via @ThisAmerLife

Read the whole of ‘Responsive Teaching' online (expires Sunday 22nd), via @HFletcherWood

‘Dealing with a maths conveyor belt curriculum, via @MrJohnRowe

What to do if your child's school isn't teaching reading right?, via @educatepodcast

Good set of questions for practicing order of operations including roots, shared by @mrbartonmaths

Physics teacher joke. Ohm's law

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