1. Collaborative Conversations
Slide 1 30 seconds
Office of Curriculum & Instruction
Tucson Unified School District
Curriculum & Student Engagement: MODULE 9
6-12 ELA

2. Connector
At your tables take a Post-It and list the 6 categories of text-dependent questions.
Slide 2 1 minute to make a post-it list. We will check our work by referring to the Progression of Text-dependent questions on the next slide.

3. Progression of Text-dependent Questions
Whole
(Implicit)
Opinions, Arguments,
Intertextual Connections
Inferences
Author’s Purpose
Vocabulary &
Text Structure
Key Details
General Understandings
Standards
8 & 9
Across texts
Integration
of Knowledge
What does the text mean?
Entire text
3 & 7
Segments 6
Craft &
Structure
How does the text work?
Paragraph
4 & 5
Slide 3 2 minutes
Did you remember the 6 types of text dependent questions? Ask for responses before clicking for the whole middle of the pyramid to appear.
Compare your post-it list to the slide. Did you remember all 6?
Then click for each of the 3 questions as we remember the 3 questions about the text that can guide the text dependent questions.
Remember that this is one of the steps of close reading.
Text Dependent questions are part of close reading and require that students talk and process what they are reading. It is not an independent activity. 2
Sentence
Key Ideas
& Details
What does the text say?
Word 1
Part
(Explicit)

4. Outcomes
Extend an understanding of the Close Reading Routine by participating in collaborative conversations based on text-dependent questions
Articulate insights about the connections between collaborative conversations and Speaking & Listening Standard 1 (part of our ACCRS English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical subjects)
Slide 4 1 minute
Do not get stuck on where in the standards speaking and listening is found or who is “responsible” for teaching the skills. We want our students to be able to speak and listen in all content areas! All content area teachers can increase student engagement and learning by using peer interaction.

5. Norms Equity of Voice Active Listening Respect for All Perspectives
Safety and Confidentiality
Respectful Use of Technology
Slide 5 1 minute
There are five collaborative norms. Remind the participants with a brief example of each as you click on each one.
1. Equity of Voice: hear all voices in the room and self-monitor Active listening: Really listen to what people are saying and thinking about how to respond while someone is talking, suspend inner dialogue Safety to share different perspectives: We all have different experiences and come with different points of view. We broaden our understanding by listening to a diversity of perspectives. 4. Commitment to the work: We want to agree that all of us are willing to make connections to our personal work – regardless if you came voluntarily or you were “voluntold.” 5. Deferment of checking s, texts, and the Internet: We know that our lives continue as we engage in the learning. Please step away from the learning arena to take care of your needs and then quickly join us. Ask the participants to pick one norm they would like to focus on for our time together. Remind participants of a signal to get everyone’s attention (chimes, hand signals, etc.).

6. Let’s review Text Dependent Questions
Slide 6 9 minutes (video is about 2 minutes, with pause and writing total of 4 minutes, 5 minutes for group discussion)
Pause video after shopping cart becomes filled with words. Ask participants to work in small groups (elbow partners or table) to quickly write text dependent questions that could be used with this “text.” Have table groups share their questions with each other. Then play the rest of the video with non-examples and examples.
Ask whole group which questions shift students thinking? Which would generate academic conversations?
List of questions in the notes.

7. Close Reading Routines and Discussions
Explicitly stated in the routines are opportunity to engage in discussions, which Fisher & Frey refer to as “Collaborative Conversations”
Close Reading demands collaborative conversations.
Slides 7, 2 minutes
You have just experienced a step of the close reading routine which involves the teacher asking text-dependent questions causing students to re-read to find answers and discussing their answers and understanding of the text.
Brain based research tells us that elaborating, paraphrasing and clarifying allows students to make connections and increases learning. Conversing in collaborative groups about what they are reading is engaging and will increase student learning.

8. Collaborative Conversations. . .
. . .enable (students) to consolidate their understanding with peers and provide support for one another in absence of the teacher.
. . . a means for students to access complex text by applying the skills and strategies they have learned during modeling, close
reading or scaffolded instruction.
. . .are a vital facet of group learning.
Rigorous Reading by Fisher & Frey (p.74)
Slide 8 1 minute
Purpose of collaborative conversations from Fisher and Frey

9. Collaborative Conversations and ELA Shifts
Anchor Standard 1-
Speaking & Listening:
Grades K-12: K-12.SL.1
Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
ELA Shifts:
Regular practice with complex text and its academic language
Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from the text, both literary and informational
Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction
Slide minutes put your learner hat on today.
We have looked at literacy standards and content area standards. Oft overlooked are the Speaking and Listening standards, which are found in the ELA standards just before the content literacy standards. Speaking and listening skills are crucial to students developing their understanding of complex topics and owning and applying information instead of just remembering the information long enough to take a test.
Think Pair Square strategy—What connections do you see between collaborative conversations, the speaking & listening anchor standard and the ELA shifts?
The emphasis of the 2nd shift: Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from the text, both literary and information text.

10. Linking Standards to Collaborative Conversations
Examine the Speaking & Listening Anchor Standard One.
How does the level of demand change across the grade levels?
Slide 10 2 minutes
Materials: Speaking & Listening Standards for K-8 (on sharepoint) and plain piece of paper for folding
**Speaking and Listening are not new standards:
What’s new is the role that student to student interaction plays in the AZ Common Core Standards**
Activity: We will use a discussion roundtable format to process this text.
Pass out plain paper and instruct participants to fold the paper in quarters (one in each corner, and folding down the inside corner to make a diamond in the middle of the paper.
Direct the participants to read the standards, looking at the increased level of demand across the grade levels, taking own notes in the top left hand corner. When all are finished reading and taking notes, groups should share what each noted. As one shares, the others take notes in one of the other quadrants. The middle section is for an individual summary of the content of the text or the answer to the question.
Switch to next slide before beginning this process, after papers have been folded and all are clear on directions.

11. What may be challenging to students?
What is familiar?
What is new?
What may be challenging to students?
What may be
challenging to us?
Slide 11 (14 minutes) 5 minutes to read and 4 minutes to discuss and take notes in small groups and 5 for whole group discussion:
As you are looking at the standards keep these questions in mind. As you read, take notes and participate in the group discussion.
Call for small group discussions to begin after 5 minutes if they have not all ready started!
Whole group discussion about what they found to be similar across 6-8, 9-10 and and what they found to be different. Chart their responses.
6-8 grade Features
Using evidence to probe and reflect
Collegial discussions include goals and deadlines
Questions connect ideas from several speakers
Acknowledge new information
9-10 Features
Use prepared research in discussion
Voting, consensus, and decision making
Ensure hearing full range of opinions or options
Summarize and synthesize points of disagreement
11-12 Features
Civil, democratic discussions
Questions probe reasoning and evidence
Resolving contradictions
Determine what additional info is needed

12. Considerations
Looking at the standards, there are 4 ideas to keep in mind, regardless of the students grade level:
Students are expected to come prepared for discussion
Students are expected to collaborate with diverse partners
Students are expected to build on each others’ ideas
Students need to be able to express their ideas clearly and persuasively
Slide 12 1 minute
Shift in thinking …
Coming to a discussion prepared, having done some thinking or perhaps writing about a question
Preparing students for the work place
Maintain the conversation and continually build on the ideas of others.
Express ideas clearly and persuasively
Modeling and gradual release of responsibility important here. Just because the students are MS or HS does not mean that they know how to participate in collaborative conversations! Teach the students how to do this in YOUR classroom!

13. Gradual Release of Responsibility
Slide minutes
Building Collaborative Conversations requires teachers to scaffold their instruction, making sure to intentionally model the gradual release of responsibility to ensure productive conversations occur.
Ask participants for ideas on how to scaffold for collaborative conversations.
One way to scaffold the learning is by providing language frames;
Language frames: partially constructed statements and questions that frame original ideas
I disagree with ____________because _______________
The reason I believe ____________ is _______________
The facts that support my idea are __________________
In my opinion ____________________
One difference between my idea and yours is _________
Gradual Release of Responsibility: A framework which allows for the implementation of intentional instruction

14. Productive Group Work
Consolidates understanding using argumentation and interaction
Goal of problem solving (not just sharing)
Use of academic language practice and development
All individuals in the group are accountable!
Slide 14 5 minutes
There are many strategies for doing group work. Productive group work (collaborative conversations) should involve:
consolidating understanding using argumentation and interaction
goal of problem solving (not just sharing)
use of academic language practice and development
All individuals in the group are accountable!
What effective collaborative group work strategies have you experienced? Chart their responses. Add to list if not mentioned by group:
Conversation Roundtable
Collaborative Strategic Reading
Reciprocal Teaching
Numbered Heads Together
Jigsaw
Collaborative Poster
Get one, Give one
We used the conversation roundtable when we looked at the Speaking and Listening Anchor Standard.
Now we will read a portion of an article and use one of the strategies to process the information.
Pass out handout titled “Getting to Productive Group Work.”

15. Slide minutes (1 minute to explain, 2 minutes to read and color code, 4 minutes to connect to standards, 3 minutes for GOGO.)
From article “The First 20 Days, Establishing Productive Group Work in the Classroom,” IRA publication. available on fisherandfrey.com under collaborative learning tab
Online Figure 2 is color coded. For our purposes today, please note which squares are blue and mark them on your copy.
Your task--Take an example from our chart or this list and compare it to the SL standards. We have focused on the Collaborative Problem Solving today (blue) but you can pick from the other strategies also.
Consider 2 questions:
How does the strategy help students achieve the standards?
How does the strategy promote culturally responsive practices?
Give One, Get One Strategy (revised) —Find a partner and quickly share the strategy you picked and how it connects to the standard and CRP. Listen while your partner shares. At signal, find a new partner and repeat!

16. Resources Rigorous Reading by Fisher and Frey
Lots of online videos about collaborative conversations and text-dependent questions!
fisherandfrey.com
Slide 16 1 minute
Our text dependent question video was by Dana Gansky

17. Closure
A collaborative conversation is like a ________ because__________________________.
A connection I see between collaborative conversations and __________is __________.
Collaborative conversations increase student learning by _______________________.
An effective group work strategy will include _______________.
Slide minutes
Pass out half sheets of paper.
Closure: Ask participants to please choose 1 statement that they can respond to about our content today. Participants choose a statement, write it on the slip of paper and complete the sentence.
This is an exit ticket!
Friend, Inventor, Scientist, Professor (4 audiences)

18. Summarizing our Learning
Slide19 1 ½ minutes
We are not done! Please do at least 2 post-its and return to your seat.
Closure
Suggestions
What’s Working
Questions