Constructive Classroom Conversations

By Liam Lacey

International School of Bologna

This is what children do best. They talk! Speaking about learning is a powerful tool. Reinforces learning. Develops vocabulary and coopoeration skills. Build on Talk Partner work. Deepens learning. A powerful assessment tool.

Why classroom conversation focus?

Objectives of this session

Observe and analyze classroom conversations in order to gain insight into student thinking.

Examine how conversations can be powerful ways to develop language, thinking skills, and content understandings.

Recognize the features of constructive conversations.

Modelling and building conversation skills in an Elementary Classroom.

Part 1: We will observe classroom conversations and discuss the value

conversations skills have in school environments. Clip from Grade 3.

Next we will look at teacher skills development to analyze classroom conversations.

How can we develop purposeful conversations in an Elementary classroom? Listening to conversations and insights gained from observations through direct interaction. Examples from classroom.

What ways to record conversations using technology? Discussion.

Observe and analyze classroom conversations in order to gain insight into student thinking.

Part 2: Examples of student-to-student conversations

and how they can be powerful ways to develop learning in a variety of situations. Recording and written dialogues.

Methods and strategies to develop thinking skills. Assessment for Learning in conversation skill development. Self and Peer assessment.

Examine how conversations can be powerful ways to develop language, thinking skills, and content understandings.

Part 3: Recognise and teach constructive conversation

skills. Use of a timeline to help students progress from basic conversation skills to more complex thinking. See star sheets.

Resources needed. Working from Creating, Clarifying, Fortifying to Negotiating skills. How to introduce these skills into our classrooms.

Recognize the features of constructive conversations.

Part 4: Modelling and developing strategies to enhance

conversation skills in an Elementary classroom. Active discussion with partners using star sheets.

How can we develop thinkers who will need to respond to an unknown future?

How can we incorporate this with the PYP inquiry cycle?

How do EAL develop these skills? Mixed ability pairing, vocabulary building and 1:1 modelling.

Modelling and building conversation skills in an Elementary Classroom.

To gain a Level 1, in some reading:

What is your idea?

What do we need to do?

What do you think about…

In the text it said

that…An example from

my life is…One case that illustrates this

is….

One idea could be…..

I think it depends

on….I noticed a

pattern of….

Can you give an example

from the Text?What is the real world example?

Can you give an example

from your life?

To paraphrase what you just

said, you….Let me see if I

heard you right…

Can you elaborate on……

I think it means…

It is important because…

I see it a different way…On the other

hand..That is a valid

point but…

What is your opinion?

Where do you disagree?

How might we take the best

from both sides?

Conversation Skills examples of statement starters.

To gain a Level 2, in some reading:

What is your idea?.

What are the other points of

view?

What do we need to do?

What do you think about…?

How can we combine these

ideas?

My hypothesis is….

That reminds me of…..

One idea could be….

I think it depends on….

I noticed the pattern of…..

Developing key statement use and modelling. Creating.

Can you elaborate on

the..What does that

mean…?Can you clarify

the part about..?

How does it support your point that….

Say more about….

How is this important?

I understand the part

about…, but I want to know….

I think it means…In other words….

More specifically, it is

because….

An analogy might be…

It is important because….

In other words, you are

saying….What I

understood was…

Let me see if I heard you

right….To paraphrase what you just

said, you…

Can you be more specific?

I am not sure if I was clear.

Developing key statement use and modelling. Clarifying.

Can you give an example from the

text? Where does it say

that?

What is a real world

example?.

What are examples from

other texts?

In the text it said that….

For example….

Remember in the other story we read

that….

Can you give an example from

your life?Are there any

cases of that in real life?

What is the strongest support

for……

An example from my life is…..

Strong supporting

evidence is…….

One case that illustrates this

is……

Developing key statement use and modelling. Fortifying.

How are the two sides similar and

different?

On the other hand….What is your opinion?

Where do you disagree?

A point of disagreement that I

have is….

That is a valid point but…..

Even though it seems that…

I think that the negatives

of….outweigh the positives of…..

How does evidence from your argument

compare to mine?

Which has the strongest evidence?

How might we take the best from both

sides?

To gain a level 4, across a range of reading

How can we decide which is the

more…..idea?

I see it a different way,

Developing key statement use and modelling. Negotiating.

Create

What is your idea? How can we combine

these ideas? What do we need to do? What are other points of

view? What do you think

about...? Why….. How…I wonder…

One idea could be…. My hypothesis is…. That reminds me

of…. I noticed the pattern

of… I think it depend

on…….

Clarifying Can you elaborate on the..? What does that mean? What do you mean by…? Can you clarify the part about..? Say some more about….? Why..How..What..When.. How is that important? How does it support your point that…. I understand the part about …, but I want to

know… Can you be more specific? Is what I just said clear? Does that make sense? Do you know what I mean? What do you think? I’m not sure if I was clear.

I think it means…. In other words… More specifically, it is…because An analogy might be… It is important because… Let me see if I heard you right…. To pararphrase what you just said,

you…. In other words, you are saying that…. What I understood was… It sounds like you think that…. It all boils down to…. A different way to say it…

Fortify Can you give an example from

the text? Where does it say that? What are examples from other

texts? What is a real world example? Are there any cases of that in

real life? Can you give an example from

your life? What is the strongest support

for….?

For example…. In the text it said that…… Remember in the other

story we read that…… An example from my life

is…… One case that illustrates

this is….. Strong supporting

evidence is……

Negotiate• What is your opinion?• Where do you disagree?• How might we take the best

from both ideas?• How can we decide which is the

more ______idea?• How does evidence from your

argument compare to mine?• How are the two sides similar

and different?• Which has the strongest

evidence?

I see it a different way, On the other hand, …. A point of disagreement

that I have is….. Even though it seems

that…., That is a valid point, but…. I think the negatives

of…….outweigh the positives of…..