1. Collaborative Conversations
Doug Fisher, PhD
San Diego State University

2. Write as many entries on the ABC chart as possible while the other rolls the die. Switch roles each time you roll 6!
Take Six

3. Take Six
Terms related to the ELA Common Core State Standards (e.g., “text-dependent questions”)

4. Compare papers with your partner and add terms to your own
Compare papers with your partner and add terms to your own. How many terms did you collectively gather?
Take Six

5. 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

6. “Standard 10 defines a grade-by-grade
‘staircase’ of increasing text complexity that rises from beginning reading
to the college and career readiness level.” (CCSS, 2010, p. 80)

7. What makes text complex?

8. Quantitative Measures
Locate a text within a grade band

9. Language Convention and Clarity
Qualitative Values
Levels of Meaning
Density and Complexity
Figurative Language
Purpose
Structure
Genre
Organization
Narration
Text Features
Graphics
Knowledge Demands
Background
Prior
Cultural
Vocabulary
Language Convention and Clarity
Standard English
Variations
Register
Identify a specific grade level

10. Text Reader Task Quantitative Qualitative Cognitive capabilities
Motivation
Knowledge
Experience
Task
Teacher-led Peer-led
Independent

11. Key Features of the Standards

12. Key Features of the Standards
Text complexity and the
growth of comprehension.

13. Key Features of the Standards
Text complexity and the
growth of comprehension.
Text types, responding to reading, and research.

14. Key Features of the Standards
Text complexity and the
growth of comprehension.
Text types, responding to reading, and research.
Flexible communication and collaboration.

15. Key Features of the Standards
Text complexity and the
growth of comprehension.
Text types, responding to reading, and research.
Flexible communication and collaboration.
Academic language, vocabulary, and effective use.

16. All must be present for literacy learning.
Key Features of the Standards
Text complexity and the
growth of comprehension.
Text types, responding to reading, and research.
Flexible communication and collaboration.
Academic language, vocabulary, and effective use.
All must be present for literacy learning.

17. Discipline-specific Considerations
History
Primary source documents
Sourcing
Contextualizing
CTE
Technical manuals
Fostering collaboration
Resolving problems

18. Discipline-specific Considerations
Math
Language-rich, multi-step problems
Concepts represented in multiple ways
Use of language to defend, explain, or provide evidence of reasonableness
Science
Unique text features
Information conveyed through visual representations
Acquisition of technical vocabulary

19. It’s not enough to have complex text in the room
It’s not enough to have complex text in the room. They need to read and discuss complex text.

20. Read IRA’s Guidance on Literacy Implementation for CCSS.
What are the implications for your school or district?
Are there misconceptions your colleagues might hold?
How will you deepen their understanding of literacy development?

21. Collaborative Conversations

23. Comprehension and Collaboration

24. Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Prepare for and participate in collaborations with diverse partners, building on each others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

25. Talk occurs on grade level topics,
texts, and issues.

26. K-2 Features Following the rules of discussion
Moving from participation to turn taking
Sustaining discussion through questioning
Adult support

27. 3-5 Features Preparation for discussion Yielding and gaining the floor
Posing and responding to questions
From explaining own ideas to explaining the ideas of others

28. 6-8 Features Using evidence to probe and reflect
Collegial discussions include goals and deadlines
Questions connect ideas from several speakers
Acknowledge new information

29. 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

30. 11-12 Features Civil, democratic discussions
Questions probe reasoning and evidence
Resolving contradictions
Determine what additional info is needed

31. Examine how one standard spirals from grades K-12, and across disciplines.

32. What is familiar?
What is new?
What may be challenging
to students?
What may be
challenging to us?

33. The Role of Talk in Understanding and Producing Complex Texts

34. Collaborative Guided Instruction Modeling Argumentation Questioning
Purposeful Student Talk
Modeling
Purpose in their own words
Activating prior knowledge
Think along
Guided Instruction
Questioning
Prompting
Cueing
Reflecting
Collaborative
Argumentation
Clarifying
Feedback Reporting
Independent
Self-talk

35. Purpose in their own words
Purposeful Student Talk
Teacher Modeling
Purpose in their own words
Activating prior knowledge
Think along
Guided Instruction
Collaborative
Independent

36. Guided Instruction Questioning Prompting Cueing Reflecting Modeling
Purposeful Student Talk
Modeling
Purpose in their own words
Activating prior knowledge
Think along
Guided Instruction
Questioning
Prompting
Cueing
Reflecting
Collaborative
Independent

37. Collaborative Argumentation Clarifying Guided Instruction Independent
Purposeful Student Talk
Purpose in their own words
Activating prior knowledge
Modeling
Think along
Guided Instruction
Questioning
Prompting
Cueing
Reflecting
Collaborative
Argumentation
Clarifying
Independent

38. Students compose orally in the company of their peers.
What forces can
change Earth?
Lapp, Flood, & Tinajero, 1994

39. Independent Self-talk Feedback Reporting
Purposeful Student Talk
Purpose in their own words
Activating prior knowledge
Modeling
Think along
Guided Instruction
Questioning
Prompting
Cueing
Reflecting
Collaborative
Argumentation
Clarifying
Independent Self-talk Feedback Reporting

40. Talk is essential to writing

41. “Reading and writing float on a sea of talk.”
James Britton

42. Purposeful Student Talk
Modeling
Purpose in their own words
Activating prior knowledge
Think along
Guided Instruction
Questioning
Prompting
Cueing
Reflecting
Collaborative
Argumentation
Clarifying
feedback reporting
Independent
self-talk
Students discuss complex text in all phases of this instructional framework.

43. Using Collaborative Learning to Foster Discussion and Production of Complex Texts

44. Gallery Walk Teams rotate around the classroom Composing answers
Reflecting on other students’ comments
Questions posted on charts
Sentence FRAMES can be used
After we talk about this have participants try it

46. Reciprocal Teaching Student-directed groups
Text is chunked in smaller parts
Teacher or students can choose stopping points

48. Read “The Perils of Pre-teaching” using a Reciprocal Teaching frame.

49. Jigsaw
1. Students start in “home” groups and read their assigned article. 2. Each student moves to an “expert” group to discuss like material and brainstorm ways in which to present their understanding back to “home” group. 3. Students meet in “home” groups to teach their reading and to learn from the other members of their “home” group.
By using jigsaw, more ownership is on the students. More of the responsibility.

50. Collaborative Poster
• Students create a poster with specific visual information (drawings and text).
All students participate in making the poster using their own colored marker.
They sign the poster in their color.
Students discuss critically, explain, and make decisions to complete this task.
When I teach figurative language: imagery, onomatopoeia, similes, metaphors, etc. I have students create collaborative posters OR
Part of my summarizing unit might include writing a book critique/review POSTER SIZE as in the second example