Using Accountable Talk

Who's doing most of the talking in your classroom?  Accountable talk is a powerful tool to promote deeper thinking and educational dialogue.

So what is accountable talk?  Pam Goldman, from the Institute for Learning, describes the three dimensions:

Accountability to the Learning Community is about how students talk to and with each other. When they speak, they speak loudly and clearly so everyone can hear. If not, chances are they'll be asked politely to repeat or explain. When students listen, they do not simply think about what they will say next. They focus on classmates' contributions so they can understand, challenge, build upon, and refine each other’s ideas. In an Accountable Talk classroom you will hear students respectfully agree or disagree. You will hear teachers ask questions like, "Did everyone hear what Juan said?" "Could anyone repeat what Susan said so everyone can hear?" "Does anyone agree or disagree?" "Does anyone want to add on?"

Accountability to Accurate Knowledge is about what students discuss. They make claims and try to be as specific and accurate as possible. Students ask each other challenging questions such as: "Are those statistics accurate?" "What is your basis for that conclusion?" "Where did you see that in the text?" So, Accountability to Accurate Knowledge is about getting the facts straight—individually and as a community.

Accountability to Rigorous Thinking is also about what students discuss and is closely related to Accountability to Accurate Knowledge. It's about using that accurate knowledge to build a logical and coherent line of argument. Students use sound reasoning, as well as evidence, to back up their claims. You might hear questions like, "Why do you think that?" Or, "What's your reasoning behind that explanation?"