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Stanford University is offering a free and online course this fall, focusing on classroom dialogue among students to improve their interactions, as required by the new Common Core standards. The course asks participants to analyze and share examples of student conversations from their own classrooms.

As part of the Common Core standards, students evaluate and present information, ideas and evidence in one-on-one, small-group and whole-class discussions. Though these types of interactions often appear constructive, the course instructors say they don’t always provide adequate opportunities for all students to engage in academically rich discussions, particularly English Language Learners. The Stanford team is trying to help all students collaborate and build upon each other’s ideas in live time.

The lead instructor is Stanford linguist and psychologist Kenji Hakuta, whose research and publications have focused on the education and development of bilingual children and youth. Most recently, Hakuta has contributed to Stanford’s Understanding Language Initiative, which addresses the educational challenges and opportunities of the new standards for English Language Learners.

 

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