1. ONLINE DISCUSSION AND LITERATURE CIRCLES Jessica M. DeAtley

2. What are Online Discussions?  Students read novels & fiction/nonfiction related readings  Whole-class Student-lead discussions Students pose high level questions to each other & respond  Literature Circles Student-lead discussions Students have various jobs as they read & respond Vocabulary Enricher Literacy Luminary Etc.

3. The Research Behind It  Rosenblatt’s Transactional Theory  Students bring their life experiences and knowledge to a text  Through collaborative discussions, they take on an active and new way of thinking about text  New meaning is created through collaboration Rosenblatt, L. (1988). Writing and reading: The transactional theory. (Tech. Rep. No. 416). University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Center for the Study of Reading.

4. The Research Behind It  Vygotsky’s Social Learning Theory  Social collaboration plays an important role in cognitive development Students are able to interact, share experiences, and learn from one another Stewart, P. (2009). Facebook and virtual literature circle partnerships: Building a community of readers. American Library Association, 37(4), 28-33.

5. The Research Behind It  Online discussions of texts…  Foster energetic interactions between students and teachers  Promote active learning and collaborative learning Students reshape and add to their understanding of a text  Motivate students  Engage students more than with face-to-face discussions  Allow for easier discussions of controversial ideas  Prompt deeper critical thinking Kirk, J. J., & Orr, R. L. (2003). A primer on the effective use of threaded discussion forms. (ERIC Documented Reproduction Service No. ED 472738)

6. The Research Behind It  Online discussions of texts…  Allows students to craft their responses in writing Essential pieces to the literacy process  Everyone gets an equal chance to participate  Everyone is held accountable for their participation  Shyer students are less fearful  Integrates technology  Allows students to collaborate more intensely  Allows for reflection & reflexivity Bowers-Campbell, J. (2011). Take it out of class: Exploring virtual literature circles. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(8), 557-567. doi:10.1598/JAAL.54.8.1

7. How it Works  Wiki Spaces  Individual or group webpages for information sharing, discussions, etc.  Anyone can have a Wiki Space  There are specific K-12 Wiki Spaces that are private for school use  Teacher-created and monitored  Students do not need to provide an e-mail address

8. How it Works  www.wikispaces.com  You all have pages and have been added to the 6 th -Grade-Teachers page Please see your name & password sheets www.6th-grade-teachers.wikispaces.com  Please log on with your passwords and follow along as I explain the components Dashboard 6 th -Grade-Teachers Page Discussion* Notify History Click on “Discussion”

9. How It Works  To start a new thread, click on “New Post”  A box with a place for the “Subject” and the “Message” will pop up  All other members of the Wiki will be able to view and respond to your post  Click on “post” when you are ready to share  A sample post and response has been added  Click on the post “Online Collaboration”  The initial post and responses are listed

10. Our Text  “Take It Out of Class: Exploring Virtual Literature Circles”  Insert Strategy to guide reading

11. Questioning  Costa’s Levels of Questioning

12. Questioning  Level 1:  What information was collected from the research? Create a bulleted list.  Level 2:  Why might a teacher might want to incorporate online discussions into her classroom? Analyze her reasoning.  Level 3:  How can you apply this information to what you are already teaching?

13. Questioning on Wiki  Discussion Modeling  New Post Create a new post for each question Subject: “Level 1, 2, or 3 Question” Message: Pose your question Others will respond to each question separately In the “Subject,” the question will be repeated Type your response in the “Message”

14. Questioning on Wiki  After You Post: The Discussion  Go back to the Discussion Forum  Find at least 3 other posts  Reply with a response to the question Five sentences minimum