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
Analyze evidence of student discourse in the context of content and language objectives
Rehearse strategies that can be used to build core conversation skills
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. Two Minute Opinion Share
Exercise or diet?
Challenging another’s idea:
Then again, I think that…
Another way to look at this could be…
What struck me about what you said is…
If ___________, then__________________
A/B partners or we could do this whole class and divide them into two groups (when one side responds, the other has 30 minutes to gather response) goal is to challenge partner’s idea.
Think of your opinion (1 minute)
Teacher calls a letter to begin. That person describes his/her opinion for one minute, backed by examples and evidence.
The other student must take opposing side of the issue. Challenge one another’s evidence, solicit examples
Come to consensus the 3rd minute

6. Student Evidence
ELPS 2: An ELL can participate in grade appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions.

7. Academic Conversation Reflection
Share which strategies you implemented and why you chose that strategy
What student data did you collect?
What struck you from your students’ academic conversations?
3 minutes per person

8. Five Core Skills of Academic Conversation (page 32)
Elaborate and clarify
Support ideas with examples
Build on and/or challenge a partner’s idea
Paraphrase
Synthesize conversation points
MEGAN
Maybe have some key phrases to separate into groups- who has what?

9. Jigsaw Read the 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

10. Conversation practice Groups of 4
What struck you about the core skills of academic conversation?
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.
Students versus grown ups

11. Effective Conversation Tasks (page 59)
How do I know a conversation is effective?
How do I create effective conversation prompts?
How can I improve the quality of conversations during each lesson and throughout the year?
Can refer to the Features of Effective Conversation tasks- 7 features.

12. Name
Feature of effective conversation tasks
How does this apply to instruction?

13. Interview Grid (Page 54)
With a partner, choose one Feature of Effective Conversation Tasks
Read the section
Discuss the information with a partner
Paraphrase!
Create interview grid with paraphase stems on the back to use

14. Name
What is a feature of effective conversation tasks?
How does this apply to instruction?

15. Creating Conversation Prompts (page 63)
All conversations happen for a reason.
What are the reasons we want students to have a conversation?
Explore ideas?
Expand ideas?
Solve problems?

16. Supporting Ideas with Examples
How do Zwiers and Crawford support their ideas with examples? How strong is their evidence?

17. Supporting Ideas with Examples
With a partner, read one of the ways to base your conversation prompt (page 64-72)
Reciprocal Read the section with a partner
Both partners decide on where they will divide the text
Both partners read. At the end of the section, partner A summarizes.
Both partners read. At the end of the section, partner B summarizes.
Continue

18. Evaluating the support of examples (page 50)

19. Summary!
Write a summary using the Organizer for Evaluating the Support of Examples.
Share your summary with 3 other people.

20. Hmmm…
Think of a topic for an upcoming lesson. Write four different prompts that could spark an academic conversation. Resource: Chapter 4

21. Opinion Continuum (page 46)
Exercise or Diet?
Would we want to do: today’s lesson met my expectations? Today was valuable? How am I feeling about incorporating/ building up academic conversations?

22. Now what?
Plan a lesson where you ask students to have an academic discussion.
Choose a strategy from Academic Conversations (chapter 3-4) that we did today or that you read on your own.
Teach that strategy to achieve the language objective
Bring evidence to discuss next session
Draft a lesson plan to incorporate Academic Conversations in the next week

23. Today’s objectives
Analyze evidence of student discourse in the context of content and language objectives
Rehearse strategies that can be used to build core conversation skills
Draft a lesson plan to incorporate Academic Conversations in the next week
CHRISTINA

24. Thank you! Gots Wants Have a great break! Next session: January 13
Chapter 5: Training Students for Advanced Conversations
Gots
Wants