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Accountable Talk: Habits of Discussion

Session 1: Building a Mental Model

“Change the way scholars talk about reading and you will change the way they think about it.”

Purpose

Scholars will develop habits of discussion in order to socially construct understandings across content areas and in increasingly complex text.  Talk becomes the vehicle to build thinking habits that are practiced in the context of a variety of discussion modes publicly; the ultimate purpose of accountable talk is for scholars to internalize the thinking habits so that they can utilize them with automaticity and independence.  Scholars learn to talk differently and this in turn changes the way they think when reading, reflecting and responding to text independently.  

Definition: What is "Accountable" about Accountable Talk?

The "accountable" in Accountable Talk comes from its three dimensions: Accountability to the Learning Community, Accountability to Accurate Knowledge, and Accountability to Rigorous Thinking.

 

Accountability to the Learning Community is about how students talk to and with each other.

  • Speaking loudly and clearly so everyone can hear

  • Asking politely to repeat or explain

  • Focus on classmates' contributions so they can understand, challenge, build upon, and refine others' ideas

  • Respectfully agree or disagree

  • Over year, students take on more and more responsibility for facilitating; teacher can focus on listening to gather data on student understanding

 

Accountability to Accurate Knowledge is about what students discuss.

  • Making claims

  • Being as specific and accurate as possible

  • Asking challenging questions

 

Accountability to Rigorous Thinking is about using accurate knowledge to build a logical and

coherent line of argument.

  • Using sound reasoning and evidence to back up claims

 

Adapted from Institute for Learning Accountable Talk Podcasts:  

Pam Goldman is the Institute for Learning (IFL) Instructional Design Fellow.

Overview of Accountable Talk Structures

Accountable talk is comprised of partner conversation, small group conversation and whole class conversation.  It is talk that is grounded in the acquisition of meaning.  In reading it is grounded within a grade level or above text.   Accountable talk is also applied across disciplines.  Essentially any time scholars are developing meaning of a concept, strategy or skill; accountable talk can be the vehicle for construction of meaning.   The conversation and collaboration common core anchor standards define the expectations for habits of discussion.

Partner Conversation is done during reading; the numbers of stops depend on the grade level of the students, the text complexity and unit focus.  This structure emphasizes the importance of participation and thinking while reading ensuring that ALL scholars have something to say.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small Group Conversation is used both during and after reading.  It can provide more air time for individual scholars than the whole class conversation.  It should be used once scholars have established the habits of discussion and have demonstrated the ability to participate and facilitate independently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whole Class Conversation is reserved for powerful discussion of text dependent questions, worthy of debate, usually at the end of text, chapter or unit of study.  It is in whole class conversation that habits are taught explicitly and practicing using the ongoing effective feedback cycle.

 

For more detailed information on Accountable Talk Structures, see Accountable Talk Session 2: Launching Accountable Talk.

Habits of Discussion

Core Ideas:

Habits of Discussion are techniques for effective dialogue that increase student ownership and comprehension of material. 

 

Habits are developed over time through intentional teaching, modeling and PRACTICE with effective feedback!!

 

—Habits of discussion should be embedded in an authentic learning experience; not taught in isolation.

—Low Risk and High Engagement is best for the start of the year. 

—Increase rigor once the initial expectations have been set and practiced.

 

Phase 1:  Learning to Share and establishing Rituals and Routines

 

Habit of Discussion

  • Listen & talk only in turn, SL.K.1.A, SL.1.1.A

  • Speak Audibly SL.K.6

  • Speak in Complete Sentences SL.1.6, SL.2.6

  • Interact Peer-to-Peer: direct answers to the group SL.3.1.A

 

Responsibility to the Community

  • Be kind, Be responsible, Be Safe

  • Purpose of talk is to deepen our learning and understanding through conversation

  • Disagree with an idea not the person

  • Clarify when you are confused by an idea

  • Being WRONG /grappling/ experiencing struggle is okay in fact it is an opportunity for learning something new we support each other’s learning journey

  • Give others time to think and figure things out

  • NEVER laugh at others ideas etc…

  • BE open to changing your thinking, validating your thinking

  • Nod to demonstrate listening

  • Lean in to demonstrate listening

  • Think about the other persons  idea to determine if you agree disagree or can versus your own idea

  • Hands down whenever someone is speaking

  • Listen well enough to say it back (paraphrasing)

  • Use Silent Signals

    • Louder

    • Connection

    • Look at the group

    • Hands down

    • Complete sentences

 

Whole Class Conversation Rituals and Routines              

  •  Circle up—chairs or rug procedure

    • All members of community should be able to see each other

    • Quick and efficient

  • Track (eyes on) the speaker

  • Focus on the target question (TDQ, DBQ etc.)

    • Post for reference

      • Use a ball or other visual to represent the target staying on topic is challenging but critical for effective collaborative discourse.

  • Using a Six Foot Voice

    • Nonverbal cue

  •  Passing the conversation

    • Use a koosh ball initially to make this concrete

  • Grounding ideas in the text—Evidence Based

    • Teacher has text in hand

    • Text can be passed to the speaker

    • Older scholars may all have text in hand

 

Partner Conversation

  • A variety of partners in phase one

  • Eye to Eye Knee to Knee (EEEK position)

  • Six inch voice

    • Voice modulation should be practice use a song or short poem to give practice in using a six inch voice.

  • Greet your partner

    • Make this fun use high five, elbow high five etc.

  • Thank your partner

    • Make this fun using high five, other languages etc.

  • Unfinished business

    • Quells we not finished!!

  • Transition from EEKK to audience style

    • Use a chime or silent hand signal the chime works well as it give a few seconds for the thank you and the transition with all back in audience by the time it stops ringing.

 

Small Group Conversation (independent)

  •  Scholars will not be ready to facilitate small group on their own until they have mastered phase one habits.  However you can continue to teach, practice and reinforce habits in teacher facilitated small groups such as guided reading and strategic small group instruction.

 

Cueing Conversation

  • “Turn and have a conversation with your partner”( state target question)

  • “Let’s circle up for a Whole class conversation”

    • “Adjust so you can see everyone?”

 

Reminding and Redirection

  • “Can you say back what your partner just said?”  Was that right?  (If not coach clarification stems)

  • “Johnny can you tell us what Talya just said?”

  • “Loud and proud, use your six foot voice” (whole group voice)

  • “Only your partner needs to hear you.” (partner voice six inch)

  • “Tell him.” (talking to the group/peer not the teacher)

  • “Wait give _______ think time” (to give peers a chance to think/talk)

  • Nonverbal:  Teacher models hands down

  • Nonverbal:  Teacher eye contact, hand movement (talk to the group/peer)

  • Nonverbal:  fingers pursed together, and then spread apart (like pulling gum apart)(complete sentence)

 

Sharing

  • In the text it said ___________ so I think_____.

 

Listening/Clarifying

  • “Could you please repeat that for me?”

  • Paraphrase what you heard and ask, “Could you explain a bit more, please?”

  • “I’m not sure I understood you when you said _____.

  • Could you say more about that?”

 

Evidence Based

  • “What’s your evidence?”

  • “What did it say in the text that made you think that?”

 

 

Phase 2:  Learning to Build

 

Responsibility to Rigorous Thinking

  • Elaborate on your answer SL.3.1.D, SL.4.1.D, SL.5.1.D

  • —Build Off another’s answer SL.K.1.B, SL.1.1.B, SL.2.1.B

  • —Evaluate others’ as well as my own theories (Agree/disagree/somewhat agree) SL.4.1.D, SL.5.1.D

  • —Hint, Don’t Tell: cue peers to help them in their response  SL 5.1.C

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Peer “Feedback”

  • Prompt Peers with Universal Prompts: SL.4.1.C, SL.5.1.C

    • “Tell me more.”

    • “What in the text that makes you think that?”

    • “Why is that important?”

    • —“Why do you think that?”

    • —“Repeat the original question.”

  • No Hands: aid the conversation without raising their hand SL.5.1.C

  • Lead: facilitate the conversation from start to finish SL.4.1.B, SL.5.1.B

  • Come Prepared in Writing: use written response to aid discussion SL.3.1.A, SL.4.1.A, SL.5.1.A

    • “Build off that.”

    • “Tell me more about what ____ said.”

    • —“Can you tell me more about what ____ is thinking?”

    • “Do you agree….”

    • “Why do you think that…”

    • “What do you think about that?” “Do you agree?”

  • Teach the stems of agree/disagree/somewhat disagree:

    • “I agree with what you said because…” and “I somewhat agree with what you said but…”

  • Building

    • “I was thinking about what _____ said, and I was wondering what if _____.”

    • “This makes me think _____.”

    • “I want to know more about _____.”

    • “Now I am wondering _____.”

    • “Can you tell me more about _____?”

    • “I want to go back to what _____ said"

  • Agreeing

    • “I agree with _____ idea because _____.”

    • “I like what _____ said because _____.”

    • “I agree with _____idea; but on the other hand, _____.”

  • Disagreeing

    • “I disagree with _____ because _____.”

    • “I’m not sure I agree with what _____ said because _____.”

    • “I can see that _____; however, I disagree with (or can’t see) _____.”

 

Phase 3:  Learning to Synthesize and working in small groups

 

Responsibility to Accurate Knowledge

  • Text based claims are as accurate and specific as possible

  • Synthesize talking points to form a theory

  • Accumulate information/gather evidence to revise a theory

  • Identify Main idea

  • Summarize key details, naming textual evidence

  • Identify and track emerging patterns and themes

  • —Draw a conclusion

  • —Refer to specific information

  • —Relate to classes previous findings

  • —Respond and Reflect (written and/or oral)

  • —Avoid emotive statements and opinion

 

Small Group Conversation (independent):

Scholars are ready to apply everything they have learned in partner and whole class conversation to structures like

  • book club

  • math groups

  • science labs

  • jig saw

  • and other scholar facilitated cooperative group structures.

 

Moves in Group Discussion

  • Marking:  “That’s an important point.”

  • Challenge: “What do YOU think?” (turn it back)

  • Modeling: “Here’s what good readers do.”

  • Recapping: “What have we discovered?”

 

Moves that Support Accountability to the Learning Community

  • Keep channels open: “Did everyone hear that?”

  • Keep everyone together: “Who can repeat . . . ?”

  • —Linking contribution: “Who wants to add on . . . ?”

  • —Verifying and clarifying: “So, are you saying . . . ?"

 

Moves that Support Accountability to Accurate Knowledge

  • Pressing for accuracy: “Where can we find that?”

  • Building on Prior Knowledge: “How does this connect?” Moves that Support Accountability to Rigorous Thinking

  • Pressing for reasoning: “Why do you think that?”

  • Expanding reasoning: “Take your time; say more.”

 

Synthesizing

  • The emerging theme is_____________ because____.

  • The main idea is____________ because ________.

  • Our big takeaway is _______________ because _____.

  • Based on what _______ and blank said I now think ______________.

  • When I consider all the points I come have come to ___________________. 

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