Transcript Academic Conversations

A Presentation by David Irwin
Language Development Opportunities
Federal Way School District
October 29, 2014
I will be able to
 learn and be able to train students to use a
variety of conversational skills
 be able to explore academic topics using a
variety of conversational skills.
 increase achievement through the use of
improved conversational skills.
 apply improved conversational skills to
writing instruction.
 Attain Distinguished level on Component 3c
Based on Academic Conversations:
Classroom Talk that Fosters Critical Thinking
and Content Understandings by Jeff Zwiers
& Maria Crawford. Stenhouse, 2011.
An academic conversation goes beyond casual
conversation. The goal is for the participants
to reach a new understanding of a school
topic through the use of specific
conversational skills. Each partner must listen
and speak, elaborate, clarify, challenge,
paraphrase, and summarize what his/her
partner says, and determine the outcome of
the conversation.
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ELLs benefit from Big 5 reading instruction,
more so in word-level skills.
Text level skills – comprehension and writing –
are closely aligned with oral language
development.
Focus on systematic high quality vocabulary
instruction
MAJOR THEME: “The importance of intensive,
interactive language development instruction
for all English learners. This instruction needs to
focus on developing academic language.”
August & Shanahan (2006) and Gertsen et al (2007) in Honigsfeld & Dove (2010)
Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English
Learners in Elementary and Middle School April 2014
Recommendation 1 Teach a set of academic vocabulary
words intensively across several days using a variety of
instructional activities.
 Recommendation 2 Integrate oral and written English
language instruction into content-area teaching.
 Recommendation 3 Provide regular, structured
opportunities to develop written language skills.
 Recommendation 4 Provide small-group instructional
intervention to students struggling in areas of literacy and
English language development.
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Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade level topics and
texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts
under discussion).
b. Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
2. Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other
media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if
something is not understood.
3. Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is
not understood.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support,
provide additional detail.
5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.
6. Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with
diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that
preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others
with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
c. Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their
comments to the remarks of others.
d. Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
2. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse
media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
3. Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant,
descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
5. Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable
pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details.
6. Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail
or clarification. (See grade 3 Language standards 1 and 3 on pages 28 and 29 for specific expectations.)
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with
diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other
information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
c. Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the
remarks of others.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the
discussions.
2. Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including
visually, quantitatively, and orally.
3. Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and
relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
5. Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when
appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and
situation. (See grade 5 Language standards 1 and 3 on pages 28 and 29 for specific expectations.)
1
Form
Function
2
construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through
grade-appropriate listening, reading, and viewing
participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and
analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions
3
speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and
topics
4
construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning
and evidence
5
conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve
problems
6
analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing
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adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing
8
determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and
informational text
9
create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text
10
make accurate use of standard English to communicate in grade-appropriate speech
and writing
In your table team:
 Choose a grade level
 Find the S&L standards for it in the Participant
Guide starting on page 13
 Highlight the nouns, verbs and adjectives in
different colors
 Look at the ELP Standards on page 16
 Highlight also
 What are the comparisons?
 How does one support the other?
 Which ELP standards support reading? …writing?
…speaking? …listening?
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On your poster:
 Choose one ELP Standard that supports speaking
and listening
 Make a graphic representation of the connections
between that ELP Standard and your grade level’s
S&L standards.
 Label your poster with
▪ Grade level
▪ ELP standard you chose
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All students have common information
 Read a text
 Heard a read aloud
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Practice one skill at a time, build on them
Facilitator
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Be as quiet as possible
Avoid “rescuing” – providing a word or idea for a student
Model the skill frames
In early stages, pause for progress checks on the conversation goals –
which skills used, etc.
Mini-lessons
 Teacher model
 Student pairs model with coaching
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Make a Conversation Poster
 see Teaching ideas, Questions, Answers
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Effective conversations
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Both partners talk
Critical and creative thinking
Welcome controversy and conflict
Follow norms
Share knowledge and skills
Provide choice and ownership
Planning
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Signal timing
Set chunks
Write questions
How will you assess?
We listen to each other
We share our own ideas and explain them
We respect another’s ideas, even if they are different
We let others finish explaining an idea without
interrupting
 We take turns and share air time
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Any others?
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Think of a content lesson
Think of the content & language objectives
Set chunks in the visual, oral presentation or
reading
Write the questions
Decide on a signal and teach it
What assessment?
 Walk around checklist
 Student self-assessment
 Transcript
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Journal Jumpstarts
Modeling I do:
 Show the norms
 Show the skill – what it is, the frames
 Frames on posters and desksize placemats, color
coded – kids make them
 Read text, give question
 Model with another adult
 Other students watch for frames used – signal
somehow…
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We do:
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Review specific frames & behaviors
T chart eye – ear (sound like – look like)
Adult converses with student OR one/two sets of students
Add/edit T chart
Students prompting – “What do you think Jose should say next (from our
chart)?
 Reteach if necessary
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You Do
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Generic well-known question, not based on text at first
Time to prepare – develop your position, review frames
Partners
Tell partner what we’re going to do, how we’ll know we did it
Student assessment: “Tell an example of when your partner elaborated or
clarified. .. Of when you did. “
▪ Collect responses, use for practice next time.
Questions ask for specific information. Try these:
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Can you elaborate on…?
What do you mean by…?
Can you tell me more about…?
What makes you think that?
Can you clarify the part about …?
Can you be more specific?
How so?
How/Why is that important?
I wonder if …?
I’m a little confused about the part…
Questions:
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Can you elaborate on…?
Can you tell me more about…?
Can you clarify the part about …?
Can you be more specific?
Answers :
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One example is…
It’s like when…
Grade Questions
Answers
K
What do you mean by…?
Porque piensas eso?
Tell me more about….
Dime mas sobre…
I mean…
1
What do you mean by…?
Tell me more about….
Can you elaborate on…?
I wonder how/if….
I mean…
By that I meant….
I think that…
2
What do you mean by…?
Tell me more about….
Can you elaborate on…?
I wonder how/if….
What makes you think that?
Can you be more specific?
I mean…
By that I meant….
I think that…
It’s similar to when…
Yo pienso….
I think that…
Yo pienso que….
Grade
Questions
Answers
3
What do you mean by…?
Tell me more about….
Can you elaborate on…?
I wonder how/if….
What makes you think that?
Can you be more specific?
How does that connect to…?
Why is that important?
I mean…
By that I meant….
I think that…
It’s similar to when…
In other words…
According to .…
It’s important because…
I believe that…
4-5
What do you mean by…?
Tell me more about….
Can you elaborate on…?
I wonder how/if….
What makes you think that?
Can you be more specific?
How does that connect to…?
Why is that important?
I’m confused about the part….
Can you clarify the part about…?
I mean…
By that I meant….
I think that…
It’s similar to when…
In other words…
According to…
It’s important because…
I believe that…
An analogy for this might be…
More specifically, it is…because…
Find a partner
With The Critical Role of Oral Language, agree on
chunks of reading through the whole piece.
 Read the first chunk
 Partner 1 “say something”, a response or
reflection about what you read
 Partner 2 ask a question using the frames
 Partner 1 Elaborate and Clarify on your answers
 Trade roles (share air time)
 Repeat until you’ve read all the chunks
 Follow the Norms
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“Leaf” questions are “above ground”, literal
comprehension knowledge level
 Answer is in the text
“Root” questions are “buried”, higher order
thinking questions
 Information leading to the answer is in the text,
but not the exact answer
 See p 18-19
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Level 3: Apply information
 Evaluate, judge, generalize, predict, hypothesize,
imagine, speculate, forecast
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Level 2: Process information
 Compare, contrast, sort, infer, analyze, classify,
explain
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Level 1: Gather information
 Complete, identify, recite, define, list, select,
describe, observe
See p 21
We want then to move beyond leaf/level one.
Discuss at your table ways you have done that.
Let’s leave here
with more tools!
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The Hunt for Deep Ideas. What makes you stop & think?
Write quotations on cards.
Plan the conversation on an organizer
Idea
Example
The Red Sox are a great team.
They won the World Series eight times.
(1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918,2004,2007,
2013)
They have 74 players in the Hall of
Fame.
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Evaluate the support (quality) of examples on a
continuum:
IDEA
Weak support
Med Support
Strong support
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Can you give me an example from the text?
Can you show me where it says that?
What is a real-world example?
What is the evidence for that?
Why do you say that?
Such as?
Like what?
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Can you give me an example from the text?
Can you show me where it says that?
For example, …
In the text (on page..) it said …
For instance, …
According to…
Grade Questions
Answers
K-1
Like what?
Como que?
Such as?
Why did you say that?
The picture showed….
The story said…
2-3
Can you show me where it says that?
Can you provide text-based
evidence?
What is a real life example?
In the text it said that…
According to…
For instance,…
For example,….
4-5
What is an example from your life?
How do you justify that?
Why is that a good example?
What would illustrate that?
Are there any cases of that?
On one occasion,…
One case showed that…
An illustration of this could be…
To demonstrate,…
An example from my life is…
Indeed,…
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Read Asteroids
What are your questions?
 Write several questions; use the taxonomies
 Ask them to your partner. Take turns.
 Support your answers from the text.
 Paraphrase your partner’s answers
Description
Teaching Tips for ELL
•Students write questions related to the
content on cards. Must know the answer.
Level 1 students may write questions in
L1.
•Students mill around the room to music.
•When the music stops, they form a pair
and ask each other their question.
Level 1 students partner with students
who speak their own language. Level 2
may partner in L1 for their first pairing.
•If the answerer knows the answer, they
say it. If not, the questioner explains the
answer.
•Student trade cards.
•Music begins, students mill and find new
partners.
/
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Make:
 The Norms p. 30
 Elaborate & Clarify stems
 Support Ideas with Examples stems
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Adapt for your grade level
Poster or flash cards
 Materials in the back
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Math Talk Moves:
www.melrosemathgradek.wikispaces.com/talk+moves
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DOK posters on Pinterest:
pinterest.com/pin/272186371204089828
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Informal formative. See list on page 17.
Use a rubric
 Determine the skills you are looking for from the
Standards
 Build your own rubric. (Good templates on p 192-193
in AC)
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Student Recording
 In your team, make a recording of a student
conversation of Elaborate & Clarify and/or Support
Ideas with Examples. Use your rubric to analyze it.
See p 196 in AC for guidance.
 Bring it to the next session, Dec 3.
With the story or article you brought:
 Connect with your teaching partners
 Go back to p 6 for the planning steps
 Review the S&L and ELPS work we did this morning
 Decide how you will apply one or more of these skills
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What content area
What lesson
When
What assessment tool(s)
Prepare to tell!
Try one skill at a time. Stick with it for awhile until it feels
natural. There is no hurry, there’s just taking the next step.
A Presentation by David Irwin
Language Development Opportunities
Federal Way School District
December 3, 2014
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Put content to a rhythm or music
Popular & easy:
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Cadence with call & response
We Will Rock You
Bugaloo
Addams Family
Are You Sleeping
Row Your Boat
Or any tune at all
Samples: www.psd1.org/page/253
46
Water heating, then it’s rising
Makes a hill - that’s surprising
Makes a mound, flows down
Pretty soon it goes around
Coriolis and the wind
make the water start to spin
Big circles ocean sized
Go to Florida, that’s nice!
We didn't start the gyre
It was always spinning
Since the world's beginning
We didn't start the gyre
But if we’re floating in it
We’re going with it
47
I don’t know but I’ve been told
Water sinks when heavy and cold
Atlantic water has more salt
Gets down low goes toward the south
Picks up cold and ice and salt
Got no place else to go but north
Pacific Ocean has less salt
Rises up right on the spot
Back round the world, Atlantic bound
Keep weather moving all around
Sound off -- one two
Cold water --- sink down
Warm water – rise up
Heat and salt -- up and down
Thermohaline all around
48
Lake Stevens
Every word that you will use will always have a vowel
Aeiou …. and sometimes Y. --Pam Greear (to Bingo)
Oompa loompa doopity doo we’ve got another formula for you
To find the area of a triangle you multiply the base times height divided by two --Jessica Olson (to Oompa Loompas
– Charlie & Choc Factory)
Analog or digital
Both these clocks tell time for you
Digital means only numbers
Analog face, hands and numbers –ooooh
Analog or digital
Both these clocks tell time for you -- Sharon Sizer (to Twinkle Twinkle)
AEIOU
Manzanita del Peru
Cuantos anos tienes tu?
Bye bye boring writing goodbye
I’m gonna use the six traits or at least I’m gonna try
I want to write to make the reader laugh or cry
So I’m giving the Six Traits a try --- oh I’m giving the Six Traits at try -- Steve Burleigh (to American Pie)
Three part plan Three part plan
My story needs a three part plan
With a beginning middle end and an illustration too
Then my story’s good for you -- Pam Greear and Erin Nelson (to This Old Man)
We don’t need no robot reading
We don’t need to fall asleep
Pick up the pace and read in phrases
So fluency benefits we will reap.
Hey Teacher -- teach me how to read! -- Kate Benson (to Brick in the Wall)
Tenino 5/30/13
Favorite snack favorite snack
Make a little note
Make a choice, raise your hand
Now tell me what’s your vote (Jingle Bells -- Vickie Bell, Linnie Farbo, Julie Spalding,
Lisa Contreras, Shannon Sayers
Think think think about
Carefully in all its parts
Analyzing analyzing analyzing analyzing
Helps you understand (Row your boat – Amy Thierry, Jody Ford)
Somewhere Over the Boundary
Somewhere over the boundary, way up high
A compass will guide us here, there’s a place where my legend lies
Somewhere over the boundary, at 120º latitude, we’re full of attitude
And the state that you dare to be, will be at 47º longitude – (Jared Hadler, Lisa
Atchinson, Nancy Kitterman, & Autumn Gunsolley)
A sentence starts with a cap-i-tal letter
Makes a statement that’s complete
Then it ends with an end mark (2x)
That’s a sentence! (Are You Sleeping – Jean Simonson)
Lakewood/Sultan
1/24/14
We will we will huddle huddle
We will we will huddle huddle
A huddle is a group in a circle on a field
Where the players talk about the next play they’ll deal
It’s a close small circle away from everyone
To share with your friends what’s about to come
We will we will huddle huddle
We will we will huddle huddle
-- Melissa Amundson, Adelia Franklin
I’m Bringing Science Back
I’m bringin’ science back –Yeah
I’m mixin’ things until they react –Yeah
I’m recordin’ data to keep me on track –Yeah
Scientific method is where it’s at –yeah
Take us to the order
Observe the world
I’m asking questions about what’s around
Researchin’ what’s already been found
Now let’s construct our own hypothesis
Keep it on the order
Come on class
Go ahead, experiment
Come on class
Go ahead, conclude
Now share it with your classmates!
Emma, Mariah, Kathryn, Taylor, Brie
“Solar System”
(Tune: “867-5309” by Tommy Tutone)
NGSS ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System
The solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects, including planets, their
moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the sun by its gravitational pull on
them. (MS-ESS1-2),(MS-ESS1-3)
Grade Level: 3rd
Student, Student: What are the planets?
They say there’s nine, but some say there’s Eight.
I know it’s confusing but you’ve got to knowwwwwww
Count the solar system, ready let’s gooooooo!
Listen ive got the number
you need to listennnnnn~upppp
Scientists please don’t change it
Mercury Venus Earth and Marssss
Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
Mercury Venus Earth and Marssss
Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
Please Stop the Bullying
(To the tune of “Don’t Stop Believing”)
Just a small shy girl
Livin’ in a bully world
She took the first free swing
Goin’ back and forth
Just a bully boy
Really wants to beat kids up
He took the shy girls swing
A teacher in an orange vest
A look of worry and distress
She saw the shy girl crying
Bullying goes on and on and on and on
“Chorus”
Please stop the bullying
Talk about your feelings
Be nice to people…
Please stop the bullying.
I was beat, incomplete
I'd been had, I swam upstream with you
The migraaaation was real
Yeah, migraaaaatin’ for real
Spawnin’ with you
[Chorus:]
Like a Sturgeon
Spawnin’ for the very first time
Like a Sturgeon
Lay your eggs down
Next to mine
Protecting all my eeeeeeggs, boy
My life is fading fast
Been saving it all for you
'Cause only fish can last
You're seven feet to twelve long
Make me strong, yeah you make me grow
So lets chow down
yeah, River Deltas around
Boney fish
Like a Sturgeon(eggs!)
Spawnin’ for the very first time
Like a Sturgeon
Lay your eggs down
Next to mine
Oooh, oooh, oooh
For fifty years, you're mine
I'll be yours 'till the end of time
'Cause they look fake, but they’re real
Yeah, Sturgeon are real
Primitive fish
Like a Sturgeon(eggs!)
Spawnin’ for the very first time
Like a Sturgeon
Lay your eggs down
Next to mine
Parts of Speech (tune of Oh, Susanna)
A noun’s a special word for a person, place, or thing.
And a verb’s an action word like run, jump, play, and sing.
An adjective describes a noun, that’s what I have heard,
And adverbs describe adjectives, adverbs, and verbs.
Now this grammar, it’s not so hard to teach,
I hope this song has helped you with the different parts of speech.
(To the tune of “I Want it That Way” by the Backstreet Boys)
You are my Country
The one that became free
Believe when I say
Freedom is the only way
We are, the red white and blue
We fight for virtue
Can you say
Independence Day
Chorus
Tell me when
We became a country strong
Tell me how
We got rid of British rule
July fourth
In seventeen-seventy-six
We fought for freedom
I am your country
You should know about me
This is why, we are free
Cause so many fought for us
Chorus
Tell me when
We became a country strong
Tell me how
We got rid of British rule
July fourth
In seventeen-seventy-six
We got our freedom
"Wow, all the worlds" To the tune of "Joy to the world"(Jeremiah was a bullfrog)
8 planets in our solar system, Pluto used to make it it 9
I never understood the reason why it left, but I like that it's still in line
Wow, all the worlds, 'round the sun they hurl
4 gas giants, Venus, Mercury
Mars and you and me
If I saw all of the worlds, I'd tell you what I'd do
I'd see them all in order from the sun on outside
From Mercury to Neptune
Wow, all the worlds, 'round the sun they hurl
4 gas giants, Venus, Mercury
Mars and you and me
Mercury and Venus and Earth, Mars and Jupiter too
Saturn and Uranus and Neptune are them all
That would make a sweet trip for two
Wow, all the worlds, 'round the sun they hurl
4 gas giants, Venus, Mercury
Mars and you and me
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Think of a topic
 Tie to standards
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Think of a tune
Write a few verses
 Think about pairs of rhyming words
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Create movements
Extra: harmony and dance moves!
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Pose the question
Students decide on their position
Read/watch informational input
 Assign one partner A, one B
 A states and defends her/her position
 B must agree or challenge A’s position
 Develop consensus or summary
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We listen to each other
We share our own ideas and explain them
We respect another’s ideas, even if they are different
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We respectfully disagree and try to see the
other view
We let others finish explaining an idea without
interrupting
 We try to come to some agreement in the end
 We take turns and share air time
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Can you add to that idea?
Do you agree?
How does that connect to…?
What are some other ideas?
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I want to add to your point that…
Connecting to that, …
Another way to look at that is…
If __________, then __________.
I wonder if….
I respectfully disagree because…
Jelly beans are better than M&Ms.
Yes
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No
Students place their own personal arrow
where their opinion falls.
Single –sex education is better than mixed
gender education.
Yes
No
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Students place their own personal arrow where their opinion falls.
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After the videos and reading, write down your opinion and notate
where your supporting examples are.
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Listeners set aside their own thinking
Listeners tell as much of what they heard as
possible
Listeners question the speaker for
clarification
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I’m not sure that was clear.
What do we know so far?
What is your take on what I said?
Does that make sense?
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So, you are saying that…
Let me see if I understand you.
In other words, …
What I’m hearing is…
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Read the article, watch the videos
Choose a side
Build on and/or challenge your
partner’s ideas using the Norms
 Paraphrase
 Support your ideas with examples
 Elaborate if asked
I want to add to your point that…
Connecting to that, …
Another way to look at that is…
If __________, then __________.
I wonder if….
I respectfully disagree because…

Assignment Education Part 1
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIAYE_VG11Q
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Assignment Education Part 2
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gperomezGz4
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Woodbridge
 http://am.blogs.cnn.com/2009/12/09/virginia-
school-separates-students-by-gender/
Grade Questions
Answers
K-1
What did we learn?
Que aprendimos?
What was important?
Que era importante?
What did we talk about?
De que hablamos?
We said that…
Decimos que…
We learned…
Aprendimos…..
We talked about…
Hablamos de…
2-3
What have we discussed so far?
What can we agree upon?
What main ideas can we share?
We can say that…
We have discussed…
The main theme/point seems to be…
4-5
How can we synthesize what we’re
talking about?
What key idea(s) can we take away?
As a result if this conversation, we think …
The evidence seems to suggest that…
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Parking, Promoting, Pruning
 Park distracting thoughts
 Promote your new idea (requires safe
environment)
 Prune unhelpful thoughts (off topic, not relevant)
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What have we discussed so far?
How can we bring this all together?
What can we agree on?
What are the main points?
What was the original question?
We can say that…
The main point seems to be…
How does this sound?
We think we should…
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Teacher generated
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Student generated
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Connect each skill to prompt – fig. 4.3
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Complete a task first - fig. 4.4
Students take on more responsibility to deepen
the conversations:
 Pairs invite singletons to join them
 Pairs change
 If one pair member won’t talk, other member
may join another pair
 Each pair monitors itself – point value
(eventually)
 Baseline and improvement data
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Students monitor conversations with checklists
Recognition for great conversations
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Disputes
▪ Which skills could move this conversation forward?
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“The Red Sox are a great team.”
“The Yankees are better.”
“The Red Sox by far.”
“You don’t know anything.”
Accumulation
▪ Which skills could move this conversation forward?
 and then…and then… and then…
 Information is added, but there is no critical questioning
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Procedural talk
▪ Which skills could move this conversation forward?
 Students talk about what they should be doing or
discussing, who should be next, etc. rather than
exploring the topic.
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Informal: ask students how many skills they
used (thumbs up, response cards, etc)
More formal: Skill checklist on clipboard
 Teacher roams, checks some or all conversations
 One student listens and checks 2 talkers. Rotate.
(Who checks the checker?)
 Record conversations and compare to checklists
and Norms
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Connect with your own teaching partners
Decide how you will apply one or more of
these skills
IT IS OK TO TAKE IT SLOW
 Try one skill at a time
 Stick with it for awhile until if feels natural
 There is no hurry, there’s just taking the next step
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Thank you for your time today!