Can We Talk?

The proverbial “lost art of conversation” has become more than a cliché. Once young people learned the art of conversation outside of the classroom—in their homes, in organized social groups, and with their peers—but today such human encounters are limited, partly because of the ubiquitous presence of technology. Face-to-face conversation offers a different and vital kind of connection, one that is at the core of our humanity and essential for a democratic society. As teachers, we have a responsibility to help our students find their voices and truly listen to the voices they hear. The strategies and activities described in this book are easily integrated into an already existing curriculum and will allow students to become not only better speakers, but better writers, better thinkers, and better human beings.