““How do I know How do I know what I think what I think until I hear until I hear what I say?”what I say?”

E.M. Forster (?)

Text-Based Group DiscussionText-Based Group Discussion

Presented byPresented by

Krista L. McDanielKrista L. McDaniel

Literacy Coordinator, Littleton High SchoolLiteracy Coordinator, Littleton High School

kmcdaniel@lps.k12.co.uskmcdaniel@lps.k12.co.us

1. Discuss some of the great things that can happen during small or large group discussion.

2. Discuss some of the problems that arise during small or large group discussion.

Text-Based Text-Based Group Group

DiscussionDiscussionHow can it foster critical How can it foster critical

thinking?thinking?

How can teachers implement How can teachers implement text-based discussion in the text-based discussion in the

classroom?classroom?

“The power of talk is one of the English teacher’s great resources. Our classrooms can be arenas of conversation where students argue, question, challenge, comment, and observe. And in frequent instances, we and our students can find out what we think or believe through our own conversation – discovering… ‘what we know’ when we have the opportunity to talk and ‘hear what we say.’

-Making the Journey

Leila Christenbury

When we teachers do most of the When we teachers do most of the talking, we silence the voices of our talking, we silence the voices of our students. In typical whole-class students. In typical whole-class teacher-led discussions, the same teacher-led discussions, the same “stars” (and the teacher) dominate. “stars” (and the teacher) dominate. In student-led literature conversation, In student-led literature conversation, the “stars” (including the teacher) the “stars” (including the teacher) learn to take their turn talking and to learn to take their turn talking and to listen more to others. The ‘quiet’ listen more to others. The ‘quiet’ students begin to discover their students begin to discover their voices.voices.

Regie Routman, Regie Routman, Conversations, Conversations, 2000, p. 1722000, p. 172

Text-Based Collaborative Text-Based Collaborative LearningLearning

“…“…when students work in when students work in small groups, they small groups, they should not simply should not simply discuss a topic, discuss a topic, but but interact with each other interact with each other around a textaround a text.”.”

Reading NextReading Next, Alliance For , Alliance For Excellent Education, 2004, p. 17Excellent Education, 2004, p. 17

How does text-based group How does text-based group discussion help my students?discussion help my students?

Ownership of ideas (Not teacher driven)Ownership of ideas (Not teacher driven) Creates a stronger community within Creates a stronger community within

the classroomthe classroom Develops critical thinking skillsDevelops critical thinking skills Helps students process informationHelps students process information Develops effective communication skillsDevelops effective communication skills

What is your purpose?What is your purpose?

Critical reading: Literary techniques and devices

Practice appropriate communication skills

Community of learners: sharing ideas

Develop critical thinking skills

Student ownership of ideas

Where Do I Begin?Where Do I Begin?

Rubric

Preparation for

Discussion

During Discussion

After Discussion

Teacher Intervention?????Teacher Intervention?????

Be an observer Be an observer NOTNOT a participant a participant

Refer students to the rubric.Refer students to the rubric.

If they are off task? - Quick reminder that they all need If they are off task? - Quick reminder that they all need to remain focused.to remain focused.

If someone dominates the discussion? - Give a quick If someone dominates the discussion? - Give a quick reminder that they need to invite all to participate.reminder that they need to invite all to participate.

If the discussion becomes plot oriented, remind them If the discussion becomes plot oriented, remind them that they are searching for meaning within the text.that they are searching for meaning within the text.

Give feedback on the rubric: behavior interventionGive feedback on the rubric: behavior intervention

Sharing vs. DiscussingSharing vs. Discussing

““Go around the circle Go around the circle method.”method.”

Talk to students about Talk to students about what it means to what it means to discuss: it is a back discuss: it is a back and forth activity and forth activity involving all involving all participants.participants.

Keys to SuccessKeys to Success Be an observer and not a participantBe an observer and not a participant Use the rubric diligentlyUse the rubric diligently Respond quickly to the reflections and return Respond quickly to the reflections and return

them so students can see what they do well and them so students can see what they do well and what they need to work on for the next what they need to work on for the next discussiondiscussion

Give students lots of practiceGive students lots of practice

Have mini-lessons the next class period to Have mini-lessons the next class period to review skills that a majority of the class may review skills that a majority of the class may need to improve uponneed to improve upon

Student ReflectionsStudent Reflections

“ “I love discussions. I I love discussions. I really do better really do better figuring books out figuring books out when I can talk to when I can talk to other people and get other people and get out what I’m thinking out what I’m thinking and listen to them. and listen to them. It’s a style of learning It’s a style of learning that works the best that works the best for me.” for me.”

K. Irvine, course reflection, December K. Irvine, course reflection, December 20062006

““Being in a group discussion Being in a group discussion helps you to get new ideas, but helps you to get new ideas, but also gives me a chance to also gives me a chance to express my own. And since it express my own. And since it is a discussion, and I like to is a discussion, and I like to talk, and like to give my talk, and like to give my opinion, it makes me think.” opinion, it makes me think.” (A. Fuchsberger, course reflection, December 2006)(A. Fuchsberger, course reflection, December 2006)

The graded discussions were very helpful. They The graded discussions were very helpful. They forced me to take notes on many sections in forced me to take notes on many sections in the text with textual support. This made it the text with textual support. This made it easier to find quotes for a specific event or easier to find quotes for a specific event or theme because they usually correlated to my theme because they usually correlated to my notes, and I was able to pull my notes and notes, and I was able to pull my notes and quickly find the necessary quotes. I was also quickly find the necessary quotes. I was also forced to spend time thinking about the forced to spend time thinking about the significance of each chapter or section in significance of each chapter or section in relation to the overall text. Another relation to the overall text. Another advantage to the graded discussion was that advantage to the graded discussion was that students could bounce ideas off one another students could bounce ideas off one another and make connections that we might not have and make connections that we might not have made by ourselves in the given time. made by ourselves in the given time.

B. Harper, course reflection, May, 2006B. Harper, course reflection, May, 2006