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Host an Academic Conversation

9/30/2016

When's the last time your class had a real conversation about an academic topic. NOT "Student,teacher, student, teacher student, teacher, back and forth volley, but a conversation where you do not speak, except to ask questions or guide procedure?

You should hear "student student student student student" and they're not just speaking into the void, they are asking each other follow up questions, mentioning each other by name, agreeing and disagreeing with evidence? Has it been a while? Even if it's never happened, it can if you want it to.

Academic discussion is the most valuable thing we do in my class. If students are bad at it, that's because they haven't been taught it or haven't been able to practice, or haven't been held to the rules.

Even then it's not always perfect. Sometimes I think it has failed. Sometimes, when I think it's failed it has and sometimes I'm being too hard on the students, expecting a level of expertise they just aren't ready for yet.. But whether or not you feel good about your first attempts, you must keep at it becuase if students don't practice, they will never learn the skill. And it is essential for our democratic society that we teach its citizense the art of discuourse, to know the value of argument over arguing, to listen actively, to put forth and assess evidence, to recognize biases and fallacious arguments. These are things we don't have a course on in k12 education. So we must embed it.

Here's how I lay the groundwork:

I first create a "safe space" by doing class building activities and letting the class get to know me some, see me be metacognitive a bit and explain why I structure class the way I do, and know what I accept and don't (I shut down any put downs, even jokes, I take ideas seriously even from peoplw who might not take themselves seriously, I expect to know why...)
I explicitly state what I am going to do and why:
I share the discussion time rules from my Activity Wheel (below)
I prepare them for feelings they may feel:
- that they may feel frustrated when i don't speak
- that they may look to me for validation but I will be looking down and away so they should instead look at their classmates when they speak.
- that they may find the silence unbearable. It is not as long as they think. Use that time to wait.
- that they may not be able to find the words for their feelings or may misspeak. Only with practice will we get better at that.
- That their feelings are valid but verbal abuse is not allowed. Instead tear apart a poor argument with facts.
I explain that active participation includes more than speaking- it also includes active listening
I share the score guide.
I sit them in one large classroom-shaped circle with everyone's desk back touching the wall so they can see each other. Some teachers prefer to have smaller discussions and even wagon wheel but I find this way is more relaxing and allows me to monitor.
I compile and ask interesting questions that even I don't know the answer to. I am not good at writing those myself but I find them online or share ones that pop in my head during a unit.

Resources for Academic Conversations:

Gurthie's Online Discussion Rules

Gurthie's Academic Discussion Score Guide -Go for a 4 Avoid the level 1 and 2 behaviors.

Activity Wheel - Rules and Procedures for Every Different Class Activity, including discussions:

Host an Academic Conversation

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