WITESOLOctober 21, 2011

Jeff Zwiers

Academic Conversation: Building foundations for critical

thinking and content understandings

Overview

I. Three dimensions of academic language

II. Three ingredients for fostering academic language acquisition

III. Rationale for academic conversations

IV. Practice academic conversations

The Dark Ages of Thinking?

US fifteen-year-olds rank twenty-fourth out of twenty-nine developed countries on an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) test of problem-solving skills related to analytic reasoning—the sort of skills demanded in today’s workforce…other studies show that many US high schools students can’t synthesize or assess information, express complex thoughts, or analyze arguments.”

The Dark Ages of Thinking?

“I am not alone in wondering how often our children will experience the hard-fought pleasures of plunging deeply into a thought, a conversation, a state of being. Will focusing become a lost art, quaintly exhibited alongside blacksmithing at the historic village?”

--Jackson, M. (2009). Distracted: The erosion of attention and the coming dark age.

Why develop academic language?

Communicate, Collaborate, Think critically, Solve problems,

Build relationships, Support ideas, Read and Write Academic Texts

Academic LanguageJ.Zwiers

Academic language is the set of words, grammar, and

organization strategies used to describe:

Abstract concepts

Complex ideas

Higher-order thinking processes

Cause-Effect, Empathize, Compare, Classify, Apply,

Evaluate, Persuade, Interpret Recognize patterns,

J.Zwiers

Academic Language

Academic Language Snapshot

Content vocabulary(brick)

Content vocabulary(brick)

Photosynthesis, democracy, imagery, numerator, etc.

J.Zwiers

Academic Language Snapshot

Abstract, Complex, & Thinking Terms (tend to be used across disciplines)

Grammar, syntax, organization, prosody

Long SentencesU-turn terms Transitions ClausesPronouns Word order Punctuation Text structure

Elaborate Evidence AnalyzeFoster Interpret Support CompareAspects

J.Zwiers

Content vocabulary(bricks)

Photosynthesis, democracy, imagery, numerator, etc.

Content vocabulary(bricks)

Vocabulary(Terms, expressions, and word parts that support conceptual understandings)

Nominalization

Figurative Content Terms

Word analysis

Reciprocal, immigration, metaphor, zygote, tectonic, foreshadow,

stand idly by whileplayed a key role inin the wake ofnarrow pursuitno simple formula

This marginalization of ….This flexibility…These ramifications mean thatTheir unwillingness to yield…

Destabilization…RevolutionizeUnderstatementAnachronism

J.Zwiers

Grammar & Syntax (Sentence and text structure)

Passive voice Compound/Complex

Pronouns Verb tenses

Although Penelope shares heroic characteristics with her husband, Odysseus, she is not considered a hero.

If the radius of the first circle is between 6 cm and 11 cm, and the radius of the second circle is 13 cm, find the possible values for the radius of the first circle so that the circles intersect in two points.

He was a major book collector with an enormous library, much of which he sold to the Library of Congress after the British set fire to the Capitol which destroyed most of its works. He was acquainted with nearly every influential person in America, and many throughout Europe.

- If I had walked the extra mile, I would have seen the lake.- The reaction is producing a gas.- By the time it finishes, they will have been long gone.- If you put 0 into this equation, you would get a negative number.

J.Zwiers

Thinking Skills Language

J.Zwiers

Science Math

History/SS English/ELD/WL

- Hypothesize- Interpret- Infer causes & effects- Compare- Describe relationships

- Interpret- Persuade- Infer causes &

effects- Compare- Apply

- Infer causes & effects- Interpret- See multiple perspectives- Compare- Persuade- Apply

- Solve problems- Interpret- Apply- Compare- Hypothesize- Recognize

patterns

Language stems for thinking skills and complex ideasIdentify causes & effects

I think ….was caused by…, The main cause was probably…,I hypothesize that…caused…, The most likely cause was…, The … led to ….which led to…,The effects of… were…

That wasn’t caused by…because…, Just because it happened after …, doesn’t mean it was caused by…; The…meant that…

Solve Problems

We need to define the problem, The main problem is…The conflict is mainly between…

There are different ways to solve it, The best solution is…because…I think that the answer is…because…

Interpret This part meant that…For us today, it could mean that… The author used that analogy because…, It’s a figurative way to describe how…, We predicted that…, yet the data indicate that… This means the problem is asking for the solution in units of…

Compare They are similar because...,The two differ because one…, while the other…, If we look closely at…, we will see that …. is different from…

This is much like when…Notice how the two compare. On the other hand, …

J.Zwiers

Practice: Identifying Academic Language Demands

J.Zwiers

By the 1880's, steam power had dramatically shortened the journey to America. Immigrants poured in from around the world. They came from the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Southern and Eastern Europe, and down from Canada. The door was wide open for Europeans. In the 1880’s alone, 9% of the total population of Norway emigrated to America. After 1892 nearly all immigrants came in through the newly opened Ellis Island. Families often immigrated together during this era, although young men frequently came first to find work. Some of these then sent for their wives, children, and siblings; others returned to their families in Europe with their saved wages. (http://www.ellisisland.org/immexp/wseix_5_3.asp)

3. Interaction (negotiating meaning)

1. Input

2. Output

Three Ingredients for Building Language

PresentationsAnswer questions Sentence framesPair-shares Drama/Improv

ReadingListeningVisualsGestures

J.Zwiers

Ingredient 1 - Making academic language comprehensible

Ingredient 2 - Scaffolding OutputPro-Con Improv

Topics: Camping, Shopping, Traveling, Cell Phones, TV, Computers, Video Games, School, Cars, Conferences, Testing,

Transitions: However, On the other hand, Then again, but

Frames: One advantage is … For example, … In addition…A negative aspect of ___ is …In spite of the positives of _____,

Variations: Whole class Pro-Con; Compare-contrast, For-Against; 2 opposing character-author-historian perspectives; cause-effect(Director paraphrases after; both write before and/or after; )

Writing sample based on talkAccordering in the evidence that Ana Aderson is Anastasia in my opinion I think that she is Anastasia. I think that she is Anastasia because in the evidence most people say that she is Anastasia. For example she is the same hite, same hair and same eyes. Second reason because it has the same scart that Anastasia have too. The third reason that the doctor son reconocer her for her way. The same face and how she stand. Fourth reason the princess cenia believe that she is Anastasia. And finally the solder man Lman of the pactesl he show her a picture were she was when she was just girl. However other people believe that she is not Anastasia. For example the teacher, uncle, and the dected that say that she is Francisca. But in my opinion she is.

J.Zwiers

Writing sample based on talk

J.Zwiers

Accordering in the evidence that Ana Aderson is Anastasia in my opinion I think that she is Anastasia. I think that she is Anastasia because in the evidence most people say that she is Anastasia. For example she is the same hite, same hair and same eyes. Second reason because it has the same scart that Anastasia have too. The third reason that the doctor son reconocer her for her way. The same face and how she stand. Fourth reason the princess cenia believe that she is Anastasia. And finally the solder man Lman of the pactesl he show her a picture were she was when she was just girl. However other people believe that she is not Anastasia. For example the teacher, uncle, and the dected that say that she is Francisca. But in my opinion she is.

Ingredient 3 - Negotiating Meaning Fernando Sara

I don’t think he (John Brown) was a hero. Because he killed five people.

But you can say that and not kill people. So, maybe there’s different types of heroes. Maybe he got people thinking about…/

OK, so, we can say that he was, like, part hero.

But he also got anti-slave stuff going. And he talked against slavery, like saying slavery was a crime right before they kill him.

I guess, but maybe no one listened if all he did was talk.

/…Maybe he killed those people but more slaves were saved cuz of what he did. Can we say that?

J.Zwiers

Quantity & Quality of Classroom Talk: Findings

• Teachers encouraged elaborations, but only 16% of the paired interactions were beneficial to learning. (Staarman, Krol & vander Meijden, 2005)

• English learners spent only 4% of the school day engaged in school talk; and 2% of the school day discussing focal content of the lesson. (Arreaga-Mayer & Perdomo-Rivera, 1996).

• 85% of class time was devoted to lecture, question and answer, and seatwork. (Nystrand, 1997)

Not enoughThe following practices were not enough to develop enduring academic language, thinking skills, and content understandings. (Why not?)

Exposure (listen-read) Interrogation (IRF) & Regurgitation for points Sentence starters and frames Think-pair-shares

Small group & whole class discussions in which a few students & the teacher dominate the talk

Isolated & disconnected facts & vocabulary Quantity rather than quality Narrow & fragmented assessments (MC, written)

J.Zwiers

David: Why did that happen?Liliana: Gravity, I think.David: Yeah, gravity pulled it down. Liliana: So, now what?

Bulking up Classroom Conversations

Lisa: I think there are different ways to solve it.Edgar: So? Just do what the book example did.Lisa: But why do you turn the fraction over? Edgar: Who cares? Just turn it over.Lisa: OK.

3a 9ab

3c - 6 c - 4

3a 9ab

3c - 6 c - 4÷÷ 22

J.Zwiers

Elaborate, clarify, and question Support ideas with examples Build on &/or challenge partner ideas Paraphrase ideas Synthesize conversation points

(Goldenberg, 1992; Zwiers, 2009)

Students should stay focused on a topic and

negotiate meaning like emerging subject matter “experts” by using the following skills:

Academic Conversations

J.ZwiersNot natural; Each a double skill; AL in them; Why important?

A: Why do you think the author wrote this story?B: Maybe to teach us that we should be who we’re born to be.A: Can you elaborate?B: Well, in the story Charlie wants to be smart and his operation

makes him smart, but then people don’t like him. It wasn’t natural.

A: Hmm. I guess, but I also think it showed that we all can be smart. And so what if science helps us? Science helps us be better in lots of ways.

B: Can you give an example of that? A: Like drugs. When we are sick, they help cure us. B: That’s different. Drugs and operations get us back to normal.A: Maybe, OK, but maybe we are supposed to get smarter

through science, you know? I guess it depends.

Academic Conversation Excerpt – Language Arts

J.Zwiers

Advantages of Academic Conversation

Thinking Skills Advantages - Builds thinking skills- Promotes different perspectives & empathy- Fosters creativity- Fosters skills for negotiating meaning and focusing

Language and Literacy Advantages  - Builds academic language- Builds vocabulary - Builds literacy skills and comprehension- Builds oral language and communication skills

Social Advantages - Builds relationships- Builds academic ambience - Makes lessons more culturally relevant- Fosters equity

Content Learning Advantages  - Builds content understandings - Cultivates connections - Helps students to co-construct understandings

- Conversation helps teachers and students assess learning

Psychological Advantages

- Develops inner dialog and self-talk- Builds engagement and motivation- Builds confidence & academic identity

- Fosters self-discovery- Builds student voice & empowerment

J.ZwiersJ.Zwiers

• Skills with symbols

x

• Hand motions for prompts

Developing Academic Conversation Skills

Topic

How do these skills support writing and content understandings?

J.Zwiers

Assessment: Academic Conversation Rubric (Lang)

J.Zwiers

Practice Academic ConversationsChoose your topic/text (handout). Have a conversation with a partner.

Use the symbols on the handout and use the sentence frames.

Language Arts History

(poem) (myths/mural)

Math Science

(interest) (resistance)

Sample Visual Text

J.Zwiers

Pop Quiz

1. What are 3 dimensions of AL?

2. What are 3 ingredients for developing AL?

3. What are 5 academic conversation skills?

Conclusion

Contact: jzwiers@stanford.edujeffzwiers.com

Language empowers students to use, change, challenge, and explore ideas—not just regurgitate them or select them from a list. In developing their academic language and communication skills, we can help reduce the “Gap of Potential,” which is the gap between who a student is now and who that student wants, can, and should become in the future to create a better world.

Academic Conversations: Classroom talk that fosters critical thinking and content understandings. (www.stenhouse.com)

Building Academic Language: Essential Practices for Content Classrooms. (www.jossey-bass.com)

WITESOLOctober 21, 2011

Jeff Zwiers

Breakout Session:Building each academic conversation

skill across disciplines

Developing Academic Conversation skills

- Equip students with teacher-like skills

- Focus on one skill at a time

- Move from less to more challenging topics

J.Zwiers

ELABORATING & CLARIFYING: Opinion Continuum

Corn for fuel Corn for foodAlexX

LaraX

KarimX

J.Zwiers

Use table to solve Use graph to solveSaraX

TheoX

LeaX

J.Zwiers

Activities for developing AC skills

SUPPORTING WITH EXAMPLES: Evidence Columns

Thesis, idea, theme, argument:

J.ZwiersJ.Zwiers

Activities for developing AC skillsPARAPHRASE:

Interview Grids & Webs

Name Explain the importance of developing students’ oral language

Argue why or why not we should evaluate schools based on test scores

Challenging an Idea: InfoGap-Negotiation Cards

2. Students read and try to memorize points on the cards.

3. A and B pairs converse (friendly debate) the issue and come to a conclusion. They can look at the cards, if needed.

1. Teacher previews key vocabulary on cards & goes over sentence starters.

B Viruses are alive because they:B Viruses are alive because they:A Viruses are not living because they:A Viruses are not living because they:

J.Zwiers

Challenging an idea: Persuasive Seesaw Visual

My responses to opposing points

2D-seesaw

3D-seesaw

My position

Opposing position

Reasons & Evidence

Reasons & Evidence

J.ZwiersJ.Zwiers

Persuasive writing sample with colors

J.Zwiers, 212J.Zwiers

Persuasive Language Posters

J.Zwiers, 212J.Zwiers

Designing Conversation Prompts & TasksUse an essential question

Use a thinking skill

Use a product or task

Use life experiences

LanguageExample

Discuss the value of school sports programs.How are you biased?

Apply, perspective, real world, connects to, challenge

How does great literature influence history—and vice versa?

One way to explain,impact, factors, led to, as a result of

Compare the two charactersArgue for or against …Evaluate solutions of…

A major difference,outweigh, long run,criteria, perspective

Design an experiment to measure the speed of sound.

Hypothesize that…Control variablesExtrapolate from the data, correlate

J.ZwiersJ.Zwiers

Reflective Inquiry/Action Research

Analyze Evidence

(student work)

Reflect & Plan

Teach & Assess

(Academic literacy inquiry)

(Academic literacy inquiry)

How can I develop my students’ ______________________________, evidenced by ___________________, by using ______________________?

How can I develop my students’ ______________________________, evidenced by ___________________, by using ______________________?

J.Zwiers

Inquiry & Evidence (If we were a PLC)

How will we know we are being effective in this area of academic language development?

What would be an inquiry (action research) question for us in this area?

How can I develop my students’ academic language, evidenced by observations of paired conversations and

exit tickets), using strategies of modeling and practice of academic

conversation skills?

Conclusion

Contact: jzwiers@stanford.edujeffzwiers.com

Conversations both teach and sculpt. They teach us how other people see and do life, and they teach other people how we see and do life. They help us build ideas, solve problems, and communicate our thoughts. They shape our identities, beliefs, and feelings. They leave us pondering and processing ideas for hours, days, and even years. These ideas, in turn, contribute to the inner dialogues that we hold in our heads throughout each day (Vygotsky, 1986), which sculpt our thoughts—whether we like it or not. More than we realize, we all are the products of thousands of conversations.

Academic Conversations: Classroom talk that fosters critical thinking and content understandings. (www.stenhouse.com)

Building Academic Language: Essential Practices for Content Classrooms. (www.jossey-bass.com)

AC ResourcesCazden, C. (2001). Classroom discourse: The language of teaching and learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Mercer, N. & Littleton, K. (2007). Dialogue and the development of children's thinking: a sociocultural approach. London: Routledge.

Nichols, M. (2006). Comprehension through conversation. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Spiegel, D. (2005). Classroom discussion: Strategies for engaging all students, building higher-level thinking skills, and strengthening reading and writing across the curriculum. New York: Scholastic.

Zwiers, J. (2008). Building Academic Language: Essential Practices for Content Classrooms. (www.josseybass.com)

Zwiers & Crawford. (2011). Academic Conversations: Classroom talk that fosters critical thinking and content understandings. (www.stenhouse.com)