Ping-Pong and Volleyball

At TeachFX, we often use the metaphor of playing “ping pong” or “volleyball” to characterize different types of conversations you might have in the classroom.

For both these conversational metaphors, think of the teacher on one side of the “net” and the students on the other. Think of “hitting the ball” as making a comment or asking a question.

In ping pong, the rules are that a player can only hit the ball once before it must land on the other side of the net. So, a “ping pong” conversation typically means the teacher is responding or asking a new question every time a student speaks. The conversation may move back and forth quickly between teacher and student, like a ping pong match.

In volleyball, players on one side of the net can pass the ball amongst themselves several times before they must hit the ball over to the other side. So, in a “volleyball” conversation, students might respond to each other’s comments and ideas before sending the ball back over the net for the teacher to respond.

Here is a overly simplified example of each from an algebra classroom:

You can also imagine what these two different conversational modes might look like if you presented them graphically on a timeline:

How does a teacher foster volleyball-style conversations?

• Classroom norms. Be explicit with your students about how you want classroom conversations to unfold. (Valdez, Delpit, etc.) “I’m going to ask you a question and I expect you to do the thinking and talking and figuring out and debating amongst yourselves. Don’t turn to me for the ‘right’ answer — there isn’t one. I want to know what you think and why.”
• Using wait time (especially wait time 2)
• Building up to open-ended, authentic questions that encourage volleyball. The most important factor in creating volleyball is the nature of the question…

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As a teacher, when you ask questions in class, you get a variety of responses because different questions serve different purposes.

Ping-pong questions

Effective “ping-pong” questions elicit quick responses that help students access prior knowledge and get them “warmed up” for deeper discussion as they orient themselves to specific content. They tend to be quick exchanges between the teacher and individual students. Fun or surprising questions might grab student attention best: “What would Squanto have considered ‘comfort food’?” “Who figured out PI?” “Where does the term ‘quark’ originate?”

Volleyball questions

“Volleyball” questions encourage students to build on one another’s contributions to a discussion. They allow students to respond to one another with longer talk time. Examples: “Why would native Americans help the Pilgrims when first contact occurred?” “What are some ways you can use PI as a problem solving tool?” “Paraphrase the theory that had to be in place before physicists were able to think about quarks.”

• Ping pong and volleyball questions work in tandem to help students have conversations. Click on the question marks, take a look at the transcript or listen to review your questions and the responses from your TeachFX class report. Did you get what you were seeking from students? Did you have a mix of types of questions? What would you like to try next time?

Here are a few slides that will help you think through ping pong and volleyball questions. {David, let’s put these slides in the post itself! I can do that piece if you think it’s a good idea.}