1. Designing EffectiveClass DiscussionThe AcademyCluster 3Communicating for Learning

2. 3. Workshop Objectives

Participants will be able to distinguish between discussion, conversation, and dialogue.

Participants will be able to cite the elements of critical discussion.

Participants will be able to identify the benefits of discussion in the classroom.

Participants will be able to identify techniques to begin discussion and to maintain the momentum of the discussion.

4. Workshop Outline

Intro

Lecture

Breakout - Individual work

Breakout - Peer review & discussion

Wrap-up

5. What is Discussion?

Conversation

Dialogue

Discussion

6. Critical Discourse - Dispositions

Hospitality

Participation

Mindfulness

Humility

Mutuality

7.

Deliberation

Appreciation

Hope

Autonomy

8. Why Discussion? Benefits

Helps students explore diversity of perspectives

Increases student awareness of and tolerance for ambiguity or complexity

Helps students recognize and investigate their assumptions

Encourages attentive, respectful listening

9.

Develops a new appreciation for continuing differences

Increases intellectual agility

Helps students become connected to a topic

Shows respect for student voices and experiences

10.

Helps students learn processes and habits of democratic process

Affirms students as cocreators of knowledge

Develops the capacity for clear communication of ideas

Develops habits of collaborative learning

11.

Increases breadth and make students more empathetic

Helps students develop skills of synthesis and integration

Leads to transformation

12. Discussion - Limitations

Instructors unrealistic expectations

Student unpreparedness

Lack of ground rules

Poorly integrated reward system

Failure to model participation

13. Preparing for Discussion

Ensure early, equal access to materials

Use lectures to model democratic talk

Use critical incident questionnaires (CIQ)

Generate ground rules for discussion

Have students do structured, critical prereading

Clarify expectations and purposes

14. Lecture as a model

Begin each lecture with question(s)

End each lecture with questions raised or unanswered by lecture

Deliberately introduce periods of silence

15. Lecture as a model (cont)

Deliberately introduce alternative perspectives

Introduce periods of assumption hunting

Introduce buzz groups into lectures

Demonstrate own participation in and commitment to discussion

Evolve ground rules for conducting discussions

16. Critical Incident Questionnaire CIQ

At what moment in class this week were you most engaged as a learner?

At what moment in class this week were you most distanced as a learner?

What action that anyone in the class took this week did you find most affirming or helpful?

17. CIQ (cont)

What action that anyone in the class took this week did you find most puzzling or confusing?

What surprised most about the class this week?

18. Generating Ground Rules

See attachment

19. Critical Prereading

Epistemological questions

Experiential questions

Communicative questions

Political questions

20. Critical Prereading

See attachment

21. Get Discussion Going

Mistakes to avoid

Dont lecture

Dont be vague

Dont play favorites

Dont fear silence

Dont misinterpret silence

22. Get going (cont)

Declare classroom speech policy early

Debrief preparatory work

Recall a memorable experience

Tell tales from the trenches

Discussion in the round

Hatful of quotes

23. Debrief preparatory work

Frame discussion around student questions

Ask students to choose a concrete image

Debrief previous weeks CIQs

Start a sentence completion exercise

24. Debrief (cont)

Start and respond to contentious opening statements

Generate truth statements

Find illustrative quotes

Use quotes to affirm and challenge

25. Discussion in the Round

Two techniques to ensure good discussion

Circle of voices - ensures equal opportunity to talk

Circular response discussions - promotes attentive listening

26. Keep Discussion Going

Questioning

Listening

Responding

27. Types of Questions

1. Questions that ask for more evidence

2. Questions that ask for clarification

3. Open questions

4. Linking or extension questions

5. Hypothetical questions

6. Cause and effect questions

7. Summary and synthesis questions

28. Listening

Paired listening

Hearing the subject

Designated listener

29. Responding

Responding without questions

Affirmation

Responding with silence

30. Creative Grouping

Relaxed and structured buzz groups

Self-selection or teacher-selection

Keep assignments short

• Text analysis

• Questions

31. Assuming different roles

Critical debate

Types of conversational roles

Critical conversation protocol

Stand where you stand

32. Conversational roles

Problem, dilemma, or theme poser

Reflective analyst

Scrounger

Devils advocate

Detective

Theme spotter

Umpire

33. Critical conversation protocol

Storyteller

Detectives

Umpire

34. Reporting back

Newsprint dialogue

Rotating small group stations

Snowballing

Cocktail party

Jigsaw

35. Thank you

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