Sandi Novak, a consultant, has more than 35 years of experience in education and has served as an assistant superintendent, principal, and teacher.
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This is the twelfth post in a series on student-led, small-group discussions. To read the other posts, see “Small Groups, Big Discussions.” The series explores the challenges to effective small-group discussions and how to address them. The content is connected to the book Deep Discourse.
Have you listened in on your students’ discussions and wondered what they have learned? What do students do to bring their conversations to closure?
This is the eleventh post in a series on student-led, small-group discussions. To read the other posts, see “Small Groups, Big Discussions.” The series explores the challenges to effective small-group discussions and how to address them. The content is connected to the book Deep Discourse.
Ms. Hartl’s second-grade class had just finished a partner conversation of asking and answering questions about a text, and students were excited to apply the skill in their independent reading. Were all students able to ask and answer questions with their partners? What did the teacher do to ensure students were prepared for these conversations?
When I work with primary-grade teachers, they often ask, “What type of discussions can young students have on their own?”
This is the tenth post in a series on student-led, small-group discussions. To read the other posts, see “Small Groups, Big Discussions.” The series explores the challenges to effective small-group discussions and how to address them. The content is connected to the book Deep Discourse.
If you have incorporated the ideas from my past blog posts into your instructional practices and still find your students’ discussions lack substance, it may be due to the feedback they are receiving. After years of research, Hattie (2008) revealed that feedback was among the most powerful influences on achievement and states that students have a greater chance of achieving learning targets when teachers provide ongoing feedback about their progress. Read more
This is the ninth post in a series on student-led, small-group discussions. To read the other posts, see “Small Groups, Big Discussions.” The series explores the challenges to effective small-group discussions and how to address them. The content is connected to the book Deep Discourse.
Often, teachers wonder how they should grade students to hold them accountable during discussions. A conversation with one teacher illustrates the questions many teachers ask. She said, “I want to include more student-led discussions in my classroom, but I don’t know how I would grade their work to hold them accountable. They won’t speak up if they think they aren’t receiving points. How might I grade individual students for their work during discussions? What criteria should I use to grade them as they engage in discussions?” Read more
This is the eighth post in a series on student-led, small-group discussions. To read the other posts, see “Small Groups, Big Discussions.” The series explores the challenges to effective small-group discussions and how to address them. The content is connected to the book Deep Discourse.
We know that employers want workers who can communicate well and work effectively in groups. We also know that the area of language arts includes speaking and listening standards. Yet, these speaking and listening standards often ride in the back seat with the reading and writing standards driving the work. Providing the skills needed in the workplace while building our students’ confidence requires making the decision to increase quality student-led discussion in your classroom. Read more
Sandi Novak
