Picture the following: A student volunteers to answer a math question in an elementary school classroom. The teacher knows from working with the student previously that although she can easily follow the algorithmic steps of the math problem, she struggles with her reasoning and ability to make sense of the steps she is taking.
As she struggles to answer the question, two other students begin to whisper questions in her ear. Their questions help to create a situation that allows her to reflect on connections between the algorithmic steps she knows to solve the math problem and further her reasoning about why those steps work.
