How teachers make talk rules relevant as collective scaffolds in the context of digital technology – support for and from microblogging

Abstract

ABSTRACT Collaboratively established talk rules, combined with teacher scaffolding, can help students talk together in ways that support learning. Most classrooms today utilise digital technology, and talk rules have proven beneficial for learning in this context. However, research on the strategies teachers use to make talk rules relevant in activities that include digital technology is rare. The authors analyse teachers’ strategies in 57 lessons, part of a teacher professional development initiative featuring explicit focus on talk rules and teachers’ use of the microblogging tool Talkwall. Their results contribute to understanding (1) how teachers can use digital technology to make talk rules relevant in activities and (2) how digital technology, when used with a dialogic approach, can promote student talk for learning. Lastly, they consider next steps in creating productive resources for teacher professional development focused on digital technology.