1. Core Six Circle of Knowledge Circle of knowledge provides teachers with a strategic framework for planning and conducting discussions that foster student participation and critical thinking.

2. In a Nutshell  Oral communication is a crucial 21 st century skill. Students need ample opportunities to participate in rich, structured conversations in class.  Circle of knowledge develops students’ thinking through writing and effective questioning techniques. Students meet in groups to evaluate ideas before participating in a larger discussion.  Circle of knowledge builds collaborative and interpersonal skills by gradually giving students the practice and support they need.

3. Three Criteria for Successful Discussions- where students come to life; ideas get taken apart/put back together; teacher gets a wealth of formative assessment data  A high degree of student participation  A strong focus on essential content  High levels of thinking

4. Moves for Increasing Participation  Allow students to share ideas in small groups  Consider giving student groups a specific task  Use a variety of recognition techniques such as:  Student calling  Round robin  Sampling  Redirection  Court controversy-build discussion around provocative ideas  Get students personally and actively involved

5. Moves for Keeping Focus  Integrate note making into discussions  Record responses and summarize frequently  Jot down ideas on the board  Direct students to restate previous remarks in order to clarify the discussion  Have students stop and paraphrase the ideas every five minutes.

6. Moves for Encouraging High Levels of Thinking  Encourage students to stop and think about the discussion question. Impulsiveness is the enemy of deep thinking!  Use Q-Space to shape discussions  Q-Question  S- Silence and wait time  P-Probe  A- Accept  C-Clarify  E-Elaborate  Ask students to reflect on the discussion and the quality of their contributions.

7. Discussion Report Card  To build metacognitive and reflective habits in students, create a discussion report card. Please see attached.  Students can review the report card before the discussion, refer to it during the discussion and use it to assess their performance afterward.

8. Not At AllSomewhatConsiderablyExtensively I took at position, explained it clearly, and used evidence to support my ideas. I willingly answered people’s questions about my position, and I respectfully explained or defended my position when asked. I also asked my classmates to clarify or justify their positions when appropriate. I listened actively and respectfully to my classmates’ positions. I also compared and contrasted their ideas with my own. I kept an open mind and was willing to modify my own position. Throughout the discussion, I summarized in my mind the things that others had said. I was actively involved in the conversation. Effective Discussion Report Card Name: ___________________________ Date:____________ Discussion Topic: ________________________________ The Core Six: Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence with the Common Core By: Harvey F. Silver, R. Thomas Dewing, and Matthew J. Perini