Supportive, Strategic Facilitation: Leading

Whole-Class Discussion

Lisa BarkerSecondary and Middle School Education

Guiding questions

1. Vision: What is discussion? What skills constitute effective speaking and listening?

2. Responsibility: What is our responsibility as instructors to build these skills?

3. Strategy: What moves and tools can we use to support Ss’ development of speaking and listening skills?

What is discussion?

A: Respond to prompt. Elaborate as necessary.

B. Listen and respond with: “I’m hearing you say _____.”

AND one or more of the following: “Tell me more about what you mean by _____.” “To build upon your idea that _____, I would like to add

_____.” “In my discipline, _____, discussion is similar/different in

that _____.”

Switch roles, and continue conversation.

•If I were observing a college-level discussion in the discipline of _____, I should see/hear _____.

What is discussion? (notes)

What is our responsibility as instructors to build these skills?

Teaching with discussionTeaching for discussion

(Hess, 2009)

Common Core Standard

Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions… on… topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

What do we know about whole-class talk in secondary settings?

Initiate-Respond-Evaluate (I-R-E)T: What do we know about Lady

Macbeth?

S: She’s all ambitious.

T: Good.

‘Sharing out’

Discussion…

The typical vs. the possible

THE TYPICALGentle “Inquisitions”

THE POSSIBLEInstructional

Conversations

I-R-E / recitation; monologic

Exploratory talk; dialogic

Mostly inauthentic questions

Mostly authentic questions

Arrive at fixed interpretations

Co-construction of interp

Assesses what Ss already know

Gauges Ss’ understanding

Common Core Standard

Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions… on… topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.What T moves encourage Ss to build on others’ ideas during discussion?

Mini-lecture

Where do I see myself?▪ Assets: Which of these moves

do I already do, and what do my approaches look like in action?▪ Goals: Which of these moves

do I want to try out or improve upon?

What T moves encourage Ss to build on others’ ideas during discussion?INTO:Anchor talk to TEXTS, problems, phenomena

that all Ss have access toEstablish explicit NORMS for interaction with

examples Provide opportunities for Ss to PRACTICE the

norms and practice thinking about the texts (alone, in partners, and/or small groups)

THROUGH: Use TALK MOVES that encourage student-

student listening and uptakeBEYOND: Provide explicit FEEDBACK.

What teacher talk moves support discussion?

Common, basic moves

Unexplained evaluation“Good”“Okay”

Repetition or restatement

High-leverage moves…

Press. T responds to a comment in order to:• Ask for elaboration or clarification.• Ask for evidence.

“Say more about what you mean by ‘_____’.” “Can you clarify what you mean by ‘_____’?” “What in the text makes you think _______?”

Revoice. T strategically restates a S’s claim (and then checks with speaker to confirm) in order to:•Verify their understanding of someone’s claim.•Summarize what has been said so far. •Introduce or encourage use of academic

language. “I’m hearing X say that _____________.” “So let me see if I understand. Your claim is _.”

Post. T gives Ss a space to respond to something someone else has said.

“Who thinks they can articulate what X’s trying to say?”“Why would X make such a claim?”“Who can add onto X’s point?”“Do you agree/disagree with X, and why?"

Rubric

How might you use a tool like this in your classroom?

How might you modify the tool for your discipline/purposes?

Reflection

▪ Assets: Which of these moves do I already do, and what do my approaches look like in action? “I’m proud of the way I …”

▪ Goals: Which of these moves do I want to try out or improve upon? “This semester, I resolve/aim to…”

Q&A

Thank you, and thanks to...

Hess, D. E. (2009). Controversy in the classroom: The democratic power of discussion. New York: Routledge.

Kazemi, E., & Stipek, D. (2001). Promoting conceptual thinking in four upperelementary mathematics classrooms. Elementary School Journal, 102, 59-80.

McElhone, D. (2009). Conceptual press discourse in reading comprehension instruction: Making every interaction count. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Stanford University, California.

Michaels, S., O’Connor, C., & Resnick, L. B. (2008). Deliberative discourse idealized and realized: Accountable talk in the classroom and in civic life. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 27(4), 283-297.

Napell, S. M. (1976). Six common non-facilitating teaching behaviors. Contemporary Education, 47, 79-82.

O’Connor, M.C. & Michaels, S. (1996). Shifting participant frameworks: Orchestrating thinking practices in group discussion. In D. Hicks (Ed.), Discourse, Learning, and Schooling (pp. 63-103). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Williamson, P. W. (2006). Learning to teach with discussion: investigations from novice teachers' practice. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. (Publication number 3219409).