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https://www.readingandwritinghaven.com/12-powerful-discussion-strategies-to-engage-students/

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Inside: Looking for collaborative class discussion strategies that work across settings? This post is full of a variety of engaging technology and formatting options for blended learning, online teaching, and face-to-face instruction.

Whether you have students at home, in school, or BOTH at the same time, you're probably looking for ways to engage tweens and teens in meaningful conversations. Discussion strategies are changing. With the demands of social distancing and multiple settings, teachers are getting creative, looking for ways to bring students together, even when we are apart.

I wanted to compile a fresh list of inspiration for online discussions, so I reached out to some of my middle and high school teacher friends around the web. The result? This post is FULL of classroom-tested discussion strategies for collaborative conversations. You'll find a variety of tech tools that bridge the gap between home and school as well as formatting ideas for how to run whole-class and small-group discussions.

CLASS DISCUSSION STRATEGIES: TECH IDEAS

When it comes to technology, sometimes less is more. BUT! If students and teachers know how to use technology to make discussions efficient and effective, they can be just what you need to host meaningful class conversations across settings. These discussion strategies utilize tech tools that enhance learning and connectedness.

1. Silent Discussions

Silent discussion strategies have been gaining momentum in the physical classroom, but they are also convenient for online discussions.

Consider... students with devices where the microphones may or may not work? Noisy distractions in the home environment? Students tuning in live from home with other students sitting in the classroom?

Silent discussions can bridge the gap.

How it works:

In order to make a virtual or blended learning silent discussion work, we first have to select the technology we need. In person, teachers often use big paper or graffiti walls. So, I started brainstorming how those engaging techniques can transfer to online learning.

A few options...

With Mentimeter, teachers can create a variety of poll questions to engage students in a variety of settings. You can create your interactive questions in different formats: word clouds, rankings, spider webs, bar charts, quadrants, word walls, and more. Teachers can create three-slide presentations for free. Students have easy access on any device by navigating to menti.com and then typing in the code at the top of the page.

Padlet is another tech platform teachers can use to hold silent discussions. Students can synchronously or asynchronously post original ideas in response to discussion questions in grid, timeline, map, wall, column, and other arrangements. One of the best parts is that students can post links to related articles or videos and original photographs they've taken. Plus, they can build on their peer's posts to create an ongoing conversation.

Finally, Backchannel chat is a convenient, free chat-style tool. While students are having a discussion either in person or online, non-verbal participants can be talking via the backchannel chat. I recommend - if possible - having two screens so that you can view students' faces on one (if you have students at home) and the backchannel chat on another.

Why it works:

Each of these silent discussion tech tools provides an avenue for students at home to be engaging with students at school. And, when all students are in the classroom together, they provide intentional avenues to give each student ownership and a voice in the discussion.

2. Color-Coded Conversations

How it works:

1. Set up a shared doc with a table that will fit all of your students plus the topics you want them to discuss. For example, a 4×30 table if you have 30 students and want to discuss three points.

2. Instruct students to choose a UNIQUE color, font, or combo for their name. This specific color/font will follow them throughout the discussion.

3. Have students give their points in their own boxes then move to other boxes to continue the conversation.

Why it works:

Students LOVE getting to choose their own font and colors while experiencing the novelty of multiple people typing on the same doc. Teachers benefit by being able to quickly scan and follow the color-coded contributors! You see this process in action on the second slide here and find more lively discussion strategies from Ashley here: How to Liven Up Your Socratic Seminar.

3. Human Bar Graphs

The human bar graph is a great way to immediately measure ELA students' understanding of any topic in a fun, interactive game for the classroom or a Google Meet/Zoom.

How it works face-to-face:

Virtual options:

To create a Human Bar Graph, open a Google Slide with a custom page setting of 8.5×11 inches. Post a question at the top and A, B, C, D answer choices at the bottom. Insert a rectangle just small enough for a student to write their name. Then, right click and copy and paste enough rectangles on the page for the number of students you have in class.

Share this slide with students through Google Classroom as an assignment using the Students Can Edit option. Once students are in the slide together (up to 50 can work together at one time), instruct them to write their name on one rectangle. That rectangle will be theirs to click and drag.

Now, the fun begins! Read a multiple choice question slowly and carefully so all students can hear the question and answer choices. Read answer choices a second time if necessary. Then, tell students to move their rectangles to choice A, B, C, or D.

To add drama and excitement, you could give students who volunteer the opportunity to place their rectangles and explain their thinking before letting the whole class loose!

After finishing your human bar graph, be sure to discuss patterns and what those patterns might reveal.

Why it works:

Beyond traditional multiple choice, the Human Bar Graph is also a great survey tool. Give students a statement and have them rank how much they agree or disagree (A = strongly agree; D = strongly disagree). Use the answer choices to share opinions about a text or topic. For example, A could represent The character survived because of luck. B could represent The character survived because of his own perseverance, etc.

Your students will love interacting in real time, and the discussions that follow will be rich!

4. Collaborative Note Catchers

How it works:

Simply create a slideshow with one slide for each small group and change the sharing permissions to "Anyone with the link can edit." Once students have the link, they'll be able to type on their group's assigned slide as they discuss the prompt in small groups.

Why it works:

The best part? The slides are easy to monitor in real time using the Grid View in Google Slides. This allows teachers to see the overall discussion activity in one single view and check in on groups that may need additional prompting. You can learn more and grab Shana's free note taker templates here.

5. Virtual Questions

How it works:

When you use a Google Classroom question, students can reply to each other in the comments, which makes this feature a discussion board of sorts. Just make sure to check " Students can reply to each other " in the bottom right-hand corner (although it should default to this setting). You, too, can join your students' discussion and ask guiding questions to move their conversation forward.

Why it works:

While this strategy works well for fully virtual learning, it's also a great option for traditional, flipped, or hybrid learning. You can start class with a silent, virtual discussion board, and then use students' responses as a springboard for an in-class discussion. Or, you can assign a discussion board after a chapter of reading homework and let students learn from each other before you fill in the gaps during a whole-class discussion the following day.

These online discussion boards are powerful because they give all learners a voice in a low-risk setting. You can read more about how Abby structures and facilitates these online discussions

6. Google Form Groupings

Google Forms are such a simple and easy tool for teachers and students alike.

If you have not created Google Forms before, Lauralee walks you through the process in her digital classroom blog post.

How it works:

Primarily, she uses Google Forms to organize students into groups; students answer one or two questions based on classroom studies. After you pose a question in the Form, decide how you'd like students to answer. You can choose a multiple choice, short answer, or longer essay option.

Lauralee typically provides multiple choice options. Then when students respond, she separates students into groups based on their similar ideas. Often, Lauralee creates a Google Slides presentation for each group that is labeled after the multiple choice responses.

Why it works:

Students can then collaborate in a virtual setting, and they already are familiar with the topic since they answered the question similarly. Google Forms are quick to make, and the data is simple to process (especially with the multiple choice and checkbox features), which makes it a time-saving tool.

CLASS DISCUSSION STRATEGIES: FORMATS

When it comes to configuring students into different formats (both virtually and in-person), the sky is the limit.

7. Question Stems + Sentence Frames

Have you ever sent students into a discussion and they were done in the blink of an eye? An integral aspect of any of these discussion strategies is student readiness.

How it works:

To better support all of her students, Staci has conversations with her students about types of questions. Staci shares different kinds of questions with her students and asks them to look through previous assignments to find examples. Based on a short video or text, they practice asking different kinds of questions and her students are able to see first hand how the questions lead to very different discussions.

Furthermore, Staci finds it valuable to provide and practice using different kinds of sentence frames that will help students " think out loud." When students share their thinking with others, respectfully of course, it can push the entire conversation forward in meaningful ways. Leave these frames up in a digital or in-person setting for students to reference throughout the discussion. Sometimes a little preparation and support can go a long way!

Why it works:

Students need scaffolding. Quality discussion skills are often not intuitive. We can explicitly teach students about the nuances of eloquent conversations by scaffolding and modeling. Gradually, as students internalize these concepts and they become second nature, students will be more independent.

8. Gallery Walks

How it works:

There are several ways to organize gallery walks, which depend on the desired outcome and topic. Teachers can create gallery walks by arranging a mix of photos and images around the room in stations. Students are grouped and rotate between stations with a specific focus. One of the most important considerations is having enough rich content for students to engage with that invites divergent thinking and conversations.

Teachers can leverage this activity virtually using the same tactics, and leveraging breakout rooms, Google hangouts, or a similar tool for students to interact with one another.

Why it works:

9. Panel Discussions

Inspired by a popular political show, Jenna (@drjennacopper) developed panel discussions as one of he favorite classroom discussion strategies. A panel discussion is made up of three roles: a moderator who asks questions (a student or the teacher), panelists (four to five students), and the audience (the rest of the class).

How it works:

The moderator guides the discussion, and the panelists function as "experts" on the topics for discussion.

Like a fishbowl discussion, students rotate in and out of the panel positions throughout the discussion so everyone gets a turn as a speaker and a listener. (Students rotate out of the panel when they've fulfilled the speaking and listening requirements.)

Why it works:

All students are involved in the discussion. The variety of three different roles keeps things fresh. Teachers can be involved as little or as much as necessary, and throughout the year, they can scaffold panel discussions to full, student-led conversations.

10. Team Packs

It's no surprise that kids love novelty, so when Staci from handed her students these super fun, bright, and bubbly team packs, they were instantly intrigued.

How it works:

In face-to-face instruction, these team packs are a great way to foster collaborative discussion. Simply print one question on a piece of paper and insert it into a team pack. Students will work together to answer the question, then pack up their team pack and pass it on to the next group. When the next group receives it, they must add to the discussion answers by adding more analysis, text evidence, conclusions, and more.

How can this work digitally? Staci has found great success so far in the digital school year of using props. You can simply hold one of these fancy team packs on your camera display and pull out a question, or you could consider creating a Google Slide template that students can interactively click on to "open" the team pack (and it'll take them to a slide with a question!).

Why it works:

Team packs are an easy way to add simple engagement. In just a short amount of time, students can answer several text-based questions, work collaboratively, revisit texts, and fall in love with shiny bubble mailers...or whatever packaging you choose to utilize.

You can read more about team packs and how Staci made them on

11. Socratic Seminar Variations

Socratic Seminar might be one of the most important instructional discussion strategies that an ELA teacher can learn and implement in her classroom. The driving force of a socratic seminar? INQUIRY.

How it works:

To develop a seminar, Amanda from Mud and Ink Teaching recommends starting with an Essential Question. Essential Questions are questions that guide units of study and illicit genuine curiosity and further inquiry from students (check out this blog post for a head start or her course to learn more!).

Once you have your question written, you'll need to find texts that all speak to the question, and the more variety, the better! A novel study, art, TED Talks, poetry, and nonfiction are all texts that students can read and interpret ahead of time and then bring into the seminar discussion when it's time.

Once students are prepared with the EQ, any smaller sub questions, and the texts, it's time to invite them into the discussion.

Face-to-Face: To host a socratic seminar in the classroom, arrange desks in a circle and discussion begins (this Teaching Channel video is an amazing starting place!).

Virtual: Amanda has also hosted her socratic seminars using Google Docs and the platform Parlay with great success.

Why it works:

No matter the platform or design, what makes socratic seminars so powerful, is that the students are the only ones doing the talking, the answering, and the leading. The teacher's job is to sit at the periphery of the room, take anecdotal notes, and listen for the conversation to naturally build and deepen in complexity as it carries on.

Socratic seminars take practice, but Amanda promises that the more often her class does them, the better they get every time! If you need inspiration for your questions and texts, Amanda has you covered!

12. Fishbowl Discussions

One way that Christina, The Daring English Teacher, loves to get students engaged in meaningful classroom conversations is through fishbowl discussions. She holds fishbowl discussions every semester to provide students with an opportunity to discuss what they've learned during the semester.

How it works:

To set up a fishbowl discussion, she places two tables facing each other in the center of the classroom and then rearranges all of the other tables in a big circle around the two tables. Essentially, she creates a fishbowl.

Students then volunteer to go into the center of the fishbowl to answer the discussion questions. It is good to have four students enter the fishbowl at a time so that they can discuss each question and engage in a back-and-forth conversation as they answer the question.

To tie the discussion back to classroom content, The Daring English Teacher makes sure that the students not only answer the question, but they must also provide examples or evidence. This way, students can build off of one another with multiple examples to answer one question.

Why it works:

This discussion strategy can easily be modified to fit online formats. To modify the fishbowl discussion virtually, teachers can use this digital Socratic Seminar Google resource to help students engage in a meaningful, socially-distanced or Zoom classroom conversation.

Students can volunteer to join the discussion, and as they discuss the questions (which can also be posted in the chat feature), the students who are listening can take notes about what each speaker says and contributes to the discussion.

And that makes TWELVE meaningful teacher- and student-tested conversation modes for middle and high school students. We hope you find this big list of classroom discussion strategies helpful for whatever unique challenges you are facing this year.

READ NEXT:

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12 Powerful Discussion Strategies to Engage Students - Reading and Writing Haven

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Inside: Looking for collaborative class discussion strategies that work across settings? This post is full of a variety of engaging technology and formatting options for blended learning, online teaching, and face-to-face instruction. Whether you have students at home, in school, or BOTH at the same time, you're probably looking for ways to engage tweens and teens in meaningful conversations.

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https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/importance-of-cultural-diversity-in-classroom/

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The Importance of Diversity & Multicultural Awareness in Education

Drexel University School of Education

Cultural diversity in the classroom is on the rise. In 2014, U.S. public schools hit a minority majority milestone with Latino, African-American, and Asian students having surpassed the number of white students. In 2044, the U.S. Census predicts that over half of the nation's population will be people of color, so this trend will likely continue.

In our increasingly diverse and multicultural society, it's more important than ever for teachers to incorporate culturally responsive instruction in the classroom -- whether teaching elementary school, middle school or high school students. And the increase of diversity doesn't only relate to race and ethnicity; it can include students of different religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and language background.

Interested in becoming a teacher? Learn more about Drexel's Teacher Certification program.

Why is it Important to Encourage Diversity in Schools and Workplaces?

Fostering inclusion and awareness around multicultural education and taking a culturally responsive approach to teaching benefits all students. Not only does creating greater multicultural awareness and inclusion help students with different backgrounds and needs succeed, but it encourages acceptance and helps prepare students to thrive in an exponentially diverse world. Our Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness Certificate Program is a great opportunity for teachers to learn how to create positive classroom environments and can serve as a foundation for understanding how to promote diversity in your classroom.

Diversity in and out of the classroom will continue to grow, so it's essential we prepare students to adapt to an evolving world and embrace those different from themselves. Learn more how the programs at the Drexel School of Education are helping to prepare more culturally-responsive educators today.

Types of Cultural Diversity in the Classroom

Every student is unique. In order to properly understand and promote cultural awareness, teachers need to understand all the different types of diversity they may encounter in their classrooms including:

Race

A person's skin color can have a great impact on their experience in society. It can also impact how they view themselves and others when engaging in classroom activities.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity relates to a person's culture and nationality. Ethnicity is sometimes confused with race, but it is important to recognize that while some people may have the same skin color, they may come from different places and have vastly different cultural beliefs and views of the world.

Religion

It is important to understand that people have different religious belief or no religious beliefs, and it may impact their participation in the classroom. Students may react differently to lessons based on their religion or may not be able to be present on certain religious holidays.

Language

While English is commonly used in American classrooms, for some students, it is not the language they speak at home. Accommodations should be made to help students for whom English is a second language.

Socioeconomic Status

A student's socioeconomic status can affect their ability to participate in the classroom without some type of accommodation. For instance, access to a computer at home or reliable internet access is not a given for some children. Teachers should be aware of this and the stress it may cause students who may struggle due to a lack of resources.

Sexual Orientation

A student's sexual orientation can have a great impact on how they are experiencing the world. Teachers should understand the struggles that exist and ensure that the lessons taught in their classroom are inclusive.

Gender Identity

Similar to sexual orientation, it is important to understand each student's gender identity and how they would prefer to be recognized. Teachers should respect their student's identity and use preferred pronouns when interacting with their students.

How can you Promote Diversity and Multiculturalism in the Classroom?

There are several ways teachers and administrators, such as principals and coaches, can ensure that both the classroom environment and curriculum are responsive to the increasing cultural diversity of our society. These strategies will encourage all students' cultural awareness, enhancing each student's sense of identity, and foster inclusion in the classroom community.

1. Get to Know Your Students Ensuring that cultural awareness is promoted in the classroom starts with the teacher understanding each individual student. Take the time to learn about each student's cultural background, hobbies, learning styles, and what makes them unique. Demonstrating a genuine interest in learning about each student and their culture will help establish trust and allow you to form a bond with them so they feel valued. If students feel appreciated by and comfortable with the teacher, there's a better chance they'll feel comfortable talking with and respect their peers in the class - and communication is the core to a culturally aware and inclusive classroom.

2. Maintain Consistent Communication Aside from getting to know your students, teachers should also continue to maintain ongoing communication throughout the semester or school year. Scheduling 1-on-1 meetings with students to "check in" every so often will allow you to consistently improve how accessible the classroom is to everyone. Students can talk about whether they felt included in the classroom culture. This can help identify issues or ways to improve the overall experience. It's also an opportunity to discuss their progress in the class and offer guidance on how they can improve, based on their individual needs as a student.

3. Acknowledge and Respect Every Student It's also important for students to celebrate and respect their own diverse backgrounds, as well as each other's. When appropriate, teachers should encourage students to research and learn about their own ethnic and cultural backgrounds. This allows them to better understand their own culture as well as the differences and nuances with their peers. As a bonus, this can be a great ice breaker assignment, allowing students to give presentations about their family traditions and culture to help expose the class to concepts outside of their own familiar comfort zone. Acknowledging these differences and creating a safe space for discussion helps promote understanding in the classroom and beyond. Also, as you encourage students to learn about their diverse backgrounds, remember to take the time to highlight what's offensive and the distinction between cultural celebration and appropriation. Learning how to talk about other cultures in a respectful, mature way is essential for success in life outside the classroom.

4. Practice Cultural Sensitivity While it's important to keep an open dialogue amongst students, it's equally as important to make sure you're being sensitive to everyone's culture, beliefs, and language concerns. Take the time to understand each student's cultural nuances - from learning styles to the language they use - and use these insights to design your lesson plans. For example, provide English language learners with appropriate and relevant resources that help them improve their English comprehension skills. Rather than teach with a traditional lecture style, create learning experiences that are more interactive and require collaboration. These considerations will help ensure that every student feels included, is given the space to learn in their own way and is given a chance to succeed.

5. Incorporate Diversity in the Lesson Plan The classroom environment is important for fostering cultural awareness, but you also should ensure diversity is represented in your actual lesson plan. For example, broaden history lessons so that they encompass the world beyond United States history and culture. Or, use references and analogies to other cultures in your lessons and assignments to help students with diverse backgrounds personally connect. Another great strategy is bringing in diverse speakers to add varying points of view and real-life context to different subjects.There are several ways you can ingrain cultural awareness and diversity into your lesson plan, and it will vary depending on the cultures represented in your classroom and the course you're teaching. Regardless of the subject, always try to present and connect lessons to real-world issues. It's easier to promote cultural awareness within your lessons when there's a real example for students to relate to.

6. Give Students Freedom and Flexibility Teachers often feel like they need to take on a strict, authoritative approach when it comes to managing their classroom. The most valuable lessons are often learned through a student's own experiences, so giving them some freedom in the course encourages more connection to the curriculum. Allow students to read and present their own materials that relate to the fundamental lesson so they can approach the topic from their own perspective. As a teacher, you can act as a facilitator and encourage conversation and healthy debate between diverse opinions. Group assignments are also a great way to expose students to diverse perspectives, allowing them to work together to explore and solve a problem. This will also help prepare them for a diverse workforce where they'll have to partner with a range of people to accomplish their professional goals.

Why is it Multicultural Education Important to Students?

It is important to remind ourselves why diversity and cultural awareness is so crucial in the classroom and the benefits it can have on students now and in the long-term. Teaching diversity exposes students to various cultural and social groups, preparing students to become better citizens in their communities. These culturally responsive teaching strategies will help you to promote diversity in the classroom.

With these culturally responsive teaching strategies in mind, it's important to remind ourselves why diversity and cultural awareness is so crucial in the classroom and the benefits it can have on students now and in the long-term.

Students Become More Empathetic

Promoting awareness and creating a personal connection with diverse cultures in the classroom can prevent students from developing prejudices later in life. It allows them to empathize with people different from themselves since they're more aware of the experiences someone of a different race or cultural group may face.

Students Gain a Better Understanding of Lessons and People

When working and learning with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures present in the classroom, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. It also teaches students how to use their own strengths and points of view to contribute in a diverse working environment.

Students Become More Open-Minded

Naturally, by exposing students to a diverse range of opinions, thoughts, and cultural backgrounds, you're encouraging them to be more open-minded later in life. This will make them open to new ideas and be able to attain a greater comprehension on a topic by taking in different points of view.

Students Feel More Confident and Safe

Students who learn about different cultures during their education feel more comfortable and safe with these differences later in life. This allows them to interact in a wider range of social groups and feel more confident in themselves as well as in their interactions with others.

Students Are Better Prepared for a Diverse Workplace

With the rise of globalization, it's more important to be able to work with people from different cultures and social groups. If students are exposed to diversity and learn cultural awareness in the classroom, it sets them up to flourish in the workforce.

Learn More About Cultural Diversity in Education

There are additional resources available to help educators grow their knowledge of cultural diversity and apply it to their classrooms. Here are a few sites where you can find more information:

Additionally, Drexel offers programs that can help broaden a teacher's expertise in multicultural education including our online Teaching English as a Second Language and Social Emotional and Behavioral Wellness certification programs. You can also contact us to request more information.

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The Importance of Multicultural Education - School of Education

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As classrooms become more diverse, it's crucial for students to learn about other cultures. Discover how students benefit from classroom diversity with Drexel.