1. Diane Hubona, CIU#10 Mentor Stacy Ricciotti, West Branch SD Coach
Academic Discourse: Coaching the Use of Spider-Web Discussions, Literature Circles and Socratic Seminars
Diane Hubona, CIU#10 Mentor
Stacy Ricciotti, West Branch SD Coach

2. Learning Targets
Participants will explore techniques that coaches can introduce to encourage more “student talk” in the classroom.
Participants will analyze components of a spider-web discussion.
Participants will conduct a literature circle with non-fictional text.
Participants will examine the creation of a physical environment that allows for purposeful talk.
Participants will analyze the need for academic discourse to deepen learning as well as how to coach teachers to utilize student talk regularly.

3. Background…
Academic Discourse
Read, Annotate, Discuss

4. Group Fact Sheets: Socratic Seminar, Literature Circles, Spider Web Discussions
Using the information provided for your assigned discourse technique, please construct an informational fact sheet highlighting at least five things that are necessary for this technique. Feel free to conduct mini-research also.

5. Taking the Pulse…PURPOSEFUL tALK
Socratic Seminar-- A Socratic Seminar is a scholarly discussion of an essential question in which student opinions are shared, proven, refuted, and refined through dialogue with other students.
Literature Circles--A literature circle is a students' equivalent of an adult book club, but with greater structure, expectation and rigor. The aim is to encourage thoughtful discussion and dialogue about a piece of fictional or non- fictional text.
Spider Web Discussion-- Spider Web Discussions ask students to lead and assess a discussion and teachers to observe and coach.

6. Academic Discourse…Socratic Seminar
The way human beings learn has nothing to do with being kept quiet.
----Ralph Peterson
What does this quote mean in terms of your role as an educator?

7. Environments and Instruction That enable Purposeful Talk
Even when empty, our classrooms speak volumes about our pedagogical belief system.
Comprehension Through Conversation
----Maria Nichols
How do we create a physical environment that allows for purposeful talk?

8. Table Talk
How do we create a physical environment that allows for purposeful talk?

9. Literature Circles and beyond!

10. Roles, Role sheets and templates---What Motivates us?
Summarizer
Discussion Director
Quotation Finder
Word Finder

11. Socratic Seminar Discussions begin with an essential question…Spider Web discussions can begin there too but move beyond Teacher- directed questions
Do parents always know what’s best for their children?
Can a hero do bad things and still be a hero?
What happened in the past that still influences my life today?
How do we know something exists if we can’t see it?
Why do people move? (social studies lens)
Which is the universal language, math or music?
What if my right is your wrong?

12. Spider Web Discussions
S ynergetic – a collaborative, group effort with a single group grade p rocess – a process that must be practiced and honed i ndependent – students work independently; teacher observes and gives feedback d eveloped – a developed, sustained discussion that aims to “get somewhere” e xploration – an exploration of ideas, texts, or questions through discussion with a r ubric – a clear, specific rubric against which the students can self-assess
Web - A word that describes two aspects of the method: 1. The physical map of the discussion 2. A metaphor for the process -- like a web, all participants must pull their own weight equally, or the web cannot be strong.

13. Spider Web discussions: Why, Thankfully, Teachers are not as important as we thought
What truly motivates humans to do their best work are autonomy, mastery, and purpose.----Daniel Pink

16. Spider Web Success Seated in circles so everyone can see each other
Show a model spider web discussion, either with video or by modeling
Pass out the rubric—discuss
Assign text
Set the time parameters for the discussion—let participants run the discussion! Don’t save them from silence.
Draw the web of the conversation and code briefly—keep it simple initially—e.g. “I” for interruptions, stars for insightful comments
Share the web and discuss
Participants complete self assessment rubric

17. Spider Web Discussion—Low Battery
Practice Makes Perfect!
Dialectical Journal Note-making— Quotation/Analysis

18. Coaching Resources

19. Teacher Development—Professional learning

20. 9th Grade Romeo and Juliet sample spider web discussion
What Did I Hear?
What Do I Think?

21. Spider Web Discussion over a year!
Coaching Blueprints for Success

22. Ticket out the door: Coaching Matters
Identify one type of academic discourse you will introduce to your teachers. (e.g. socratic seminar, literature circles or spider web discussions)
What role can you play as a coach while teachers are planning (before), implementing (during), or debriefing (after), this academic discourse technique in the classroom?