Discussion round table Strake jesuit Edcamp—February 17th

Objectives Teachers will be able to synthesize the text, Strategy 3: Using Frequent Formative Assessment to engage in small group discussion. Teachers will be able to design their own lesson plan using the discussion roundtable strategy, using concepts from this session.

How Do we help our students get from surface  Transfer learning?

Discussion Roundtable Set-up My Notes: Group member 1 Independent Summary Group member 2 Group member 3

Discussion Round table Step 1: Students read and annotate a complex text Step 2: Students set-up their graphic organizer Step 3: Explain each quadrant and the independent summary section Step 4: Student jot down their notes Step 5: Student-centered, small group discussion. Students are listening, speaking, and writing Step 6: Students synthesize the conversation in the independent summary section Step 7: Teacher calls on one person from each group to “share out” to the whole class

Classwork Read and annotate pages 59-63 from chapter 5 of Becoming a Great High School by Tim R. Westerberg. Then, fill in the section called “my notes”. As you are reading, consider these guiding questions… What are the most important concepts or ideas in this text? Why are these concepts important? How does this text connect to other experiences? Could you apply what you have learned from this text to some aspect of your life? What question(s) has this text raised for you? What are you still wondering about?

Discussion You may discuss anything that you have annotated or written down in “my notes”, but here are some additional guiding questions. What are the most important concepts or ideas in this text? Why are these concepts important? How does this text connect to other experiences? Could you apply what you have learned from this text to some aspect of your life? What question(s) has this text raised for you? What are you still wondering about?

INDEPENDENT summary In the center of your graphic organizer, write about 3-4 sentences which encapsulate your group’s discussion. To spark your thoughts… What are your take-aways from this conversation? If you could summarize your entire discussion in 3-4 sentences, what would you say?

Share Out What did we glean from the text today? Group 1: Group 2:

Examples from English 3

Examples from English 3

Benefits of Discussion Roundtables All students are participating in the discussion, small group setting removes much of the pressure for shy students Student-centered, teacher as the facilitator Practice active listening Delve deeper into the text through annotation, repeated reading, questioning, and discussion. Moves into deep learning and transfer learning with higher order thinking

Thoughts? How would you use this in your classroom? Can you think of a text in which this strategy would be useful?