Toolkit

W        

What do you mean?

• What do you/they mean by ____?
• What is missing here?
• What have I forgotten to ask?
• What is going on here? What is the problem?
• What does this have to do with me?

R

Reasons

• What reasons are there that support what he/she said?
• Why do you say that?
• Can you give a reason? Is it a good reason?
• What makes a reason a good reason?

A

Assumptions

• What are we assuming (taking for granted as true)?
• What other assumptions might we make?
• How are our assumptions influencing what we are seeing / judging / thinking / saying?

I

Inferences; If...Then; Implications

• What inferences have we made from what was said?
• If what was said is true, then what?
• What are the implications of what is proposed?

T

Truth

• Is what is being said true?
• How do we know?
• How could we find out?

E

Examples; Evidence

• Can you think of an example to illustrate what you mean?
• What evidence can we find to support the claim being made?

C

Counter-examples

• Can you think of a counter-example to the claim being made?
• For example, suppose someone claims, "You have to be able  to read to be successful."  Is this true?  Can we think of a counter-example, i.e., someone who cannot read yet is successful?

POPAT      

Please one person at a time

• When too many people are talking at the same time.

LMO

Let's move on

• When you feel like you want to move on to a new topic for discussion.

SPLAT

Speak louder please

• When you can't hear what a person said / is saying.
• When you feel not everyone can hear what a person said / is saying.

OMT

One more time

• When you want someone to repeat what they just said.
• When you want to emphasize a good / not-so-good point someone just made.
• When you can't hear exactly what someone said / is saying.

IDUS

I don't understand

• When you don't really understand what someone said.
• When you want someone to clarify what they meant.

GOS

Going off subject

• When the discussion strays off-topic or someone begins to talk about something not related to the current topic
• When you want to keep talking about the current subject (especially if it's an interesting question and/or is generating a lot of ideas and response)
• Also to help with clearing away distractions that might prevent us from all listening to each other respectfully

OOT

Out of time

• When the class time is almost up!