Summer Learning Days 2025

Participants will explore how to enhance student engagement by fostering peer collaboration, communication, and connection. The session introduces research-based practices for setting up effective partner work, group activities, and scaffolding student talk time. Educators will gain a deep understanding of the purpose and application of student “talk-time,” including its connection to elaborative rehearsal—a cognitive process that strengthens memory, comprehension, and social connection.
The workshop emphasizes three types of talk (prescriptive, permissive, and purposeful) and provides tools to shift from traditional teacher-centered questioning to inclusive, student-driven dialogue. Educators will experience these strategies firsthand through simulated partner and team talk, leaving with practical techniques they can apply immediately.
While these approaches benefit all students, these approaches are especially valuable for English Language Learners (ELLs) and students with diverse learning needs, as structured talk creates more equitable and inclusive learning environments.