Water Cooler Talk
Building Communication Skills and Community (Virtual Tour)
Stage of Literacy Development:
Stage 3: Literacy for GrowthAges:
9-12
Grade Range:
4th 5th 6thFood Groups:
Primary: Oral Language
Secondary: Knowledge Building
Transcript
One of my goals for my students is that they see the classroom as a community of learners, and understand that learning happens best when we are learning together. So the water cooler is an area where students can meet, to congregate, to talk about issues in their work, almost as a conference center. It also acts as a mimic of real life in its name as the "water cooler talk" and gives students that sense of freedom to get up and move around the room and take advantage of the space as they see it. Initially when I introduced the water cooler, the students were so enthusiastic about it, they actually polished off the entire jug of water in about a day and a half. This was great to see they were so enthusiastic about it and now they're down to a few cups of water a day.
Activity Objective
The goal of Water Cooler Talk: Building Communication Skills and Community (Virtual Tour) is to promote student collaboration and support and build communication skills and community by providing students with an area in the classroom where they can conference with one another.
Quick Tips
Additional Comments:
- Model "water cooler talk" so that students understand the purpose and expectations.
- Promote oral communication skills, like listening and speaking, in a natural environment.
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