Deep Discourse

Our classrooms are filled with curious, innovative minds that our current instructional practices aren’t embracing. When educators provide explicit instruction, guidance, and feedback to students and let them steer the dialogue, students develop essential critical-thinking, problem-solving, and self-directed learning skills. Our students want to talk—they need to talk! This book details a framework for implementing student-led classroom discussions that improve student learning, motivation, and engagement across all levels and subject areas. The text features tools, tips, and exercises, plus unrehearsed videos of student-led classroom discussions. Give all students plenty of opportunities to have their voices heard in the classroom.

Benefits

• Implement the student-led discussion framework and measure progress with the rubric for student-led discussions.
• Watch videos of real discussions among K–12 students and convey how educators and administrators can best prompt students to engage in their own productive conversations.
• Explore questions for stimulating students’ critical thinking in multiple subject areas.
• Examine students’ thoughts about being involved in their own student-led discussions.
• Follow “Take Action” prompts to exercise newly acquired knowledge and make learning content standards more exciting.
• Access free reproducible versions of tools and rubrics featured in the book, including discussion formats that are useful for literacy-based lessons.

Contents

About the Authors

Introduction

1. Articulating the Need for Student-Led Discussions
2. Establishing a Discussion Framework for Student Success
3. Beginning the Journey
4. Experimenting with Different Discussion Formats and Strategies
5. Using Discussion in Different Content Areas
6. Getting to Deep Discourse
7. Pulling It All Together: Tools and Tips

Conclusion

References and Resources