1. Academic Conversations
Christina Carlson
Megan Anderson Reilly
Hand out books, Calendar of meetings posted
Post it: Why are you here? What caused you to sign up for this course?
Clock Hours
ELL Sign in Sheets
Time Sheets

2. Overall Objectives
Identify characteristics of Academic Conversations (WHAT)
Determine when to have Academic Conversations (WHEN)
Implement strategies for supporting academic conversations (HOW)
CHRISTINA

3. Today’s objectives
Discuss the difference between talk and conversation
Identify which English Language Proficiency Standards correlate with Academic Conversations
Define reasons for students to talk in school
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
Draft a lesson plan to incorporate Academic Conversations in the next week
CHRISTINA

4. NORMS (page 30) We listen to each other
We respect one another’s ideas even if they are different
We let others finish explaining their ideas without interrupting
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
CHRISTINA

5. What is student talk? Is conversation different? If so, why?
If not, why not?
Discuss the difference between talk and conversation
MEGAN
Partner chit chat
Link to first outcome or language objective

6. CHRISTINA
We argue, nicely, that it is different! This is NOT conversation

7. Academic Conversation requires…
Prompting and responding
Good listening
A destination (core thinking skills and key principles of content)
Explicit instruction
MEGAN

8. Think, Pair, Share
What are some of the successes you have experienced with students engaged in academic conversation?
What are some of the struggles you have experienced with getting students engaged in academic conversation?
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
CHRISTINA Note what happened in this conversation- did people just give a one word response? Did they ask more questions- add on to what others said- paraphrase
Compare to what happens when students get a prompt like this. What do they do?

9. In linguistically diverse classrooms, unstructured small group and partnering activities continually fail to produce substantive L2 oral language growth. Merely increasing student interaction without explicit, coached language instruction and accountability for application leads to discussions with minimal cognitive or linguistic challenge and negligible academic content.
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
Gersten & Baker, 2001
Saunders and Goldenberg, 2010
MEGAN

10. Language Modalities Are these language modalities exclusive?
Domains
Reading
Listening
Writing
Speaking
Receptive X
Productive
Interactive
Are these language modalities exclusive?
MEGAN

11. English Language Proficiency Standards
Receptive
Productive
Interactive
ELPS 2
ELPS 5
ELPS 6
Identify which English Language Proficiency Standards correlate with Academic Conversations
MEGAN

12. Strategy to support ELLs with meeting standard
The ELPS essence
One or two word title
Picture
ELPS #
MEGAN
Strategy to support ELLs with meeting standard
Way to assess the ELPS
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom

13. ELPS 1 Let’s Practice Understanding Graphic organizer
MEGAN
OLM
Model the Frayer Model
Graphic organizer
Retells and Summaries

14. Strategy to support ELLs with meeting standard
Your turn!
One or two word title
Picture
ELPS 2
MEGAN
Strategy to support ELLs with meeting standard
Way to assess the ELPS

15. Sheltered Classrooms=
Content AND language objectives
Read
Write
Speak
Listen
CHRISTINA

16. Honestly,
Went through and from our first set of Objectives I took the verbs from the right column and was able to add them to the objectives to make them more explicit.

17. Examples and non-examples
Let’s practice
Examples and non-examples
Decide whether these are appropriate content and language objectives.
Be ready to explain your thinking.
MEGAN

18. Why do we need to converse in school?
Skim pages 7-11
Share with your partner a key finding
Select one ‘advantage of conversation’ page 11-25
Use the template to record thoughts
Circles and lines: (page 28) Elaborate and Clarify
Record your partner’s thoughts
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
Define reasons for students to talk in school
Handout of all the advantages of conversation

19. Elaborate and Clarify (page 34)
Prompting:
Can you elaborate on…?
What do you mean by…?
Tell me more about…
Responding:
I think it means…
In other words…
It is important because…
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
MEGAN
Call out 6 numbers. Ask participants to stand up.

20. Five Core Skills of Academic Conversation
Elaborate and clarify
Support ideas with examples
Build on and/or challenge a partner’s idea
Paraphrase
Synthesize conversation points
MEGAN
Handout map or placemet

21. Five Core Skills of Academic Conversation
Quotation Negotiation
(Page 36)
Strategy for logically supporting ideas from the text
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
CHRISTINA
Charts up around room,
40 odd quotes read and share with three others BEFORE placing on chart
Model the task and place on correct chart

22. Jigsaw Stand by YOUR chart Read that skill section with your group.
Highlight where you see your skill in the History dialogue provided
Join with members from other skills (group of 5) and share what you learned and where you found evidence in the dialogue.
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
CHRISTINA

23. Conversation generalizations
10:2
Conversation generalizations
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
MEGAN Frames may be a tool to get there but the REAL goal is to have kids use them without the frames
Text is very complex and incorporates all skills that flow naturally, go back and forth etc.
Use this is a model to demonstrate what a conversation could look like

24. Conversation practice Find a trio
What would be the best vacation?
If you couldn’t be in education, what job would you have?
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
MEGAN
Conversation with partners. Third person listens carefully to hear when the partner says and notes when they use the 5 skills. Use your conversation counter to note the use of the skills. Could have placemats available to help teachers listen carefully.

25. Now what?
Plan a lesson where you ask students to have an academic discussion.
Choose a strategy from Academic Conversations (chapter 1-2) that we did today or that you read on your own.
Teach that strategy within the language objective
Assess the skills students use and don’t use.
Bring evidence to discuss next week: Template provided
Draft a lesson plan to incorporate Academic Conversations in the next week

26. Today’s objectives
Discuss the difference between talk and conversation
Identify which English Language Proficiency Standards correlate with Academic Conversations
Define reasons for students to talk in school
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
Draft a lesson plan to incorporate Academic Conversations in the next week
CHRISTINA

27. Next session: December 9
Read Chapter 3: Lesson Activities for Developing Core Conversations
Bring your Language Objective for
Evidence of academic conversations:
Template Provided
Thank you! Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
MEGAN
Gots
Wants