托福写作素材：课堂参与

　　新托福写作素材：课堂参与

　　Participation is one of those workhorse instructional strategies—easy to use, straightforward, expected, and often quite successful ataccomplishing a number of learning goals. It’s good to remind ourselves of its many different uses, especially on those days when getting students to participate feels like pulling hens’ teeth.

　　1 . Participation adds interest—It’s hard to maintain students’ focus and attention when all they hear is the professor talking. It helps to hear another voice as well as an answer or another point of view.

　　2 . Participation engages students—A good question can pique their interest, make them wonder why, get them to think, andmotivate them to make connections with the content. This benefit is magnified when teachers play a bit with the question, when they repeat it, write it on the board, and don’t call on the first hand they see.

　　3 . Participation provides the teacher feedback—When students answer or try to explain, teachers can see the extent of their understanding. They can correct (or help the students correct) what the students haven’t got right or don’t see quite clearly.

　　4 . Participation provides the students feedback—When teachers ask questions or otherwise seek student input over a topic, they are letting students know something about the importance of certain ideas and information.

　　5 . Participation can be used to promote preparation—If an instructor regularly calls on students and asks questions about assigned reading or what’s in their notes from the previous class session, that can get students (at least some of them) coming to class prepared.

　　6 . Participation can be used to control what’s happening in class—If a student is dozing off, texting, quietly chatting, or otherwise not attending to what’s happening, that student can be called on or the student next to the offender can be asked to respond.

　　7 . Participation can be used to balance who’s contributing in class and how much—In the vast majority of cases, it is the teacher who selects the participant. If teachers will wait patiently and not always select the same student, if they look expectantly to others and confirm verbally and nonverbally the value of hearing from different people, they can influence who speaks and how much. Participation even helps teachers control how much they talk.

　　8 . Participation encourages dialogue among and between students—Students can be asked to comment on what another student has said. A question can be asked and students can be invited to discuss possible answers with each other before the public discussion.

　　9 . Participation can be used to develop important speaking skills—In many professional contexts, people need to be able to speak up in a group. They may need to offer information, ask questions, or argue for a different solution. People don’t learn to speak up in a group by reading about how to do it—it’s one of those skills best developed with practice. And it’s one of those skills that develops better with feedback. If participation is being used to teach students this public communication skill, they will need feedback.

　　10. Participation gives students the opportunity to practice using the language of the discipline—Most faculty have spoken astronomy, accounting, psychology, gerontology, political science, whatever the field for years, and they’ve forgotten how much of the language is new, different, and difficult for students. Participation gives students the chance to practice using a different vocabulary.

　　Citation：

　　http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/10-benefits-of-getting-students-to-participate-in-classroom-discussions/

　　托福写作素材摘抄：

　　workhorse instructional strategies：主力教学策略

　　easy to use, straightforward：使用简单、直接明了

　　accomplishing a number of learning goals：完成学习目标

　　pulling hens’ teeth：把母鸡的牙齿

　　maintain students’ focus and attention：保持学生的注意力

　　pique their interest, make them wonder why, get them to think：

　　激发他们的兴趣,使他们想知道为什么,让他们思考

　　motivate them to make connections with the content：激励他们联系内容

　　see the extent of their understanding：看到他们理解的程度

　　know something about the importance of certain ideas and information：

　　知道一些关于某些想法和信息的重要性

　　dozing off, texting, quietly chatting：打瞌睡,悄悄发短信,聊天

　　can be called on：被点名

　　confirm verbally and nonverbally the value of hearing from different people：

　　用语言和非语言的方式来确认听取不同人意见的价值

　　be asked to comment on what another student has said：被要求评论另一个学生说的内容

　　discuss possible answers with each other ：互相讨论可能的答案

　　speak up in a group：在一群发言

　　offer information, ask questions, or argue for a different solution：提供信息、提问或提出不同的解决方案

　　And it’s one of those skills that develops better with feedback.

　　这是其中的一个有反馈就会有更好发展的技能。

　　Participation gives students the chance to practice using a different vocabulary. 参与给学生练习使用不同词汇的机会。

　　托福写作适用题目：

　　Some believe that teachers (for students from age 14-18) should focus on lecturing and asking students to take notes during lectures. Others believe that teachers should get students involved in discussion and encourage them to exchange ideas in class. Which way of teaching do you think is more effective for students’ learning?