What is talk?

Talk is another topic we take for granted in classes just like listening. Talk isn't just verbal it can be anything that is considered a conversation.

In class we found a new way of talking like "magic talk". "Magic talk" is when the teacher or anyone writes a word, phrase, or sentence on the board and then people participating stem from that word, phrase, or sentence. I never knew about this form of talk; I cannot believe I went through 15 years of school without this. It was an awesome form of talk that can be seen and more than one person can "talk" at a time. This will be implemented at least once a week in my future classroom.

Another form of talk I like is virtual talk. Virtual talk can be blogs like this, emails, social networking sites, or even discussion boards. It is a good way to keep in touch with friends, family, and have educational conversations from a distance. It is a good way to get input for writing papers, researching, and answering questions without ever having to verbally talk to someone.

After viewing the clip from Freedom Writers in class on Monday I was reminded how powerful the words and discussion a teacher has with her students. Talk is a powerful tool whether it's through verbal talk like Freedom Writers, magic talk like our class discussion, virtual talk like this web journal or written talk. Talk one of the most valuable tools in the classroom, and one of the most looked over tools too.