Academic Discourse: 4 Key Aspects
With academic discourse, whether it is in response to a teacher’s question, discussion with other students, or generating questions, there are common problems.
Abbigail Armstrong, co-author of the upcoming books Rigor in the K-5 Math and Science Classroom and Rigor in the 6-12 Math and Science Classroom, has seen the challenges of impoverished children; she lived through it. She overcame early challenges to become a veteran public school teacher. She received her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Gardner-Webb University in 2010. Building on her classroom experiences and specializations in math, content literacy, and middle level education, she became a professor at Winthrop University in 2005.
She now teaches undergraduate courses in the Middle Level Education Program, and graduate courses in the Master of Arts in Teaching program, the Middle Level Education master’s program, and in the Curriculum and Instruction specialty program. She supervises elementary and middle school student teachers, and collaborates with area schools on special projects. Dr. Armstrong has worked on several projects involving assessing rigor in schools and program evaluation. She also has a strong background in working with at-risk students, particularly those from a poverty background. She has worked with Dr. Blackburn for ten years, and is a skilled presenter who brings a real-life, down-to-earth perspective to her presentations. Participants are most excited about her practical approach and hands-on learning.
With academic discourse, whether it is in response to a teacher’s question, discussion with other students, or generating questions, there are common problems.
Exit slips are a popular strategy for receiving instant feedback on a student’s level of mastery, explaining what they learned during the lesson
Rigorous Assessments – Incorporating higher levels of thinking in assignments will ultimately lead to increased learning.