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We will loosely follow this with some flexibility. Feel free to use if needed for travel reimbursement.

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academic conversation placemat with prompts

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Thought starters

1. How does this strategy different from other small group seating arrangements?

2. Why does this strategy increase collaboration?

3. How could you adapt this strategy in your classroom?

School Details

South Windsor High School
161 Nevers Rd
South Windsor CT 06074

Data Provided By:

Teachers

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Thought starters How does this strategy different from other small group seating arrangements? Why does this strategy increase collaboration? How could you adapt this strategy in your classroom? School Details South Windsor High School 161 Nevers Rd South Windsor CT 06074 Data Provided By: Teachers

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< Teaching Channel Guide to English Language Learners

As educators of ELLs, it's important to embed language instruction throughout the day, not just in isolated blocks of ELD time. For this reason, academic conversations are essential to helping students develop a deep understanding of content and language at the same time. But just because we ask students to discuss doesn't mean they will! We need to provide supports and structures that will engage and challenge our students to have these important conversations. Take a look at the resources on this page to learn more. Have questions? Be sure to ask them in the Q&A!

The Importance of Academic Conversations for ELLs
Begin by starting with the "why."
Create a Classroom that Supports Rich Talk
Get some advice from Stanford's Understanding Language by reading these two blog posts.

Teach Talk Moves
Give students the tools they need to have engaging conversations.
Strategically Use Scaffolds
Help your students participate in academic discussions by scaffolding the experience.
Provide Multiple Opportunities
Give your students the practice they need through short, daily, structured speaking activities.

Formatively Assess
Work with students to set goals, give feedback, and adjust teaching and learning. Also be sure to look for our Formative Assessment Deep Dive in the coming weeks for more great ideas.

Share Formative Assessment Data
If you're co-teaching or sharing students in a team of colleagues, it can be hard to remember to share formative assessment data. Make it easy with a simple system. In this video, see how co-teachers use a chart and clipboard system to share their data.

Carefully Structure Content Conversations
Content areas such as math and science are great places to have students share their thinking using academic language. Read Nicole Knights' blog to see how teachers in Oakland are integrating content and language. Then, check out the two videos below for some great examples.

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How can I structure academic conversations in the classroom to boost oral language development?

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Teaching Channel Guide to English Language Learners As educators of ELLs, it's important to embed language instruction throughout the day, not just in isolated blocks of ELD time. For this reason, academic conversations are essential to helping students develop a deep understanding of content and language at the same time.

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Teachers at St. Stephen's Primary School in Newham, London, use a range of classroom techniques to teach the curriculum to children who speak English as second language. Opportunities for speaking and listening are a key focus.

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Zwiers Videos

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English Learner Oral Language Production in Middle School Academic Classes

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Study by Arreaga-Mayer and Perdomo–Rivera

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Study by Arreaga-Mayer and Perdomo–Rivera

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ERIC - Ecobehavioral Analysis of Instruction for At-Risk Language-Minority Students., Elementary School Journal, 1996

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Used an ecobehavioral analysis system in studying a regular and English-as-a-Second-Language classroom to determine the opportunities afforded at-risk language-minority students to acquire and negotiate a second language and academic content. Found a pattern of minimal teacher attention to language development, low student academic engagement, and an emphasis on lecture and whole-class format.

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I've always felt a little embarrassed about my classroom management style. I know if many of my colleagues walked in during class - especially at the beginning - they would be appalled. It doesn't look like I'm running a tight ship.

They would probably wonder: Why aren't those kids in their seats when the bell rings? Why doesn't she crack down on side conversations? Doesn't that constant chatter bother her?

Here's the secret: It does bother me, just not as much as it bothers other teachers.

And silence bothers me more.

Of course I want my students to listen and be respectful and make the most of our class time, but I think the costs of cracking down on normal social behavior are just too high, so I don't do it. Instead, I tolerate some talking because I think in the end, most students learn more and enjoy learning more in this relaxed environment. I know I do.

In a perfect classroom, students would voluntarily be seated and prepared when class starts. They would be thinking about yesterday's lesson, eagerly awaiting today's lesson, and ready to ask relevant questions about their (completed) homework.

They would feel connected, safe and valued, and they would be ready to engage.

That's a lot to ask for - especially from a room of 35 9th graders - and it almost never happens. Instead, we often settle for "seated and quiet" because it seems like the next best option.

Unfortunately, the strategies we use to get kids "seated and quiet" have serious drawbacks; they literally squelch kids' personalities. If we prize "quiet" over everything else, students learn that their voices are not valued. They become passive recipients of knowledge, rather than active learners. They feel uncomfortable, and they curb their enthusiasm for learning.

Who wants to engage after being told (in so many words) to sit down and shut up?

Instead of crushing their energy with strict rules, I try to harness it. It takes a long time to develop a workable routine, and some days I regret it - like on Monday, when I wasn't feeling well and the students in my second hour just wouldn't settle down - but other days it is beautiful.

On Tuesday, I was explaining the types of unemployment to the same class of 9th graders, and rather than passively recording the definitions and tuning out, they started firing away questions about structural unemployment.
Shouldn't we worry about jobs that are lost to creative destruction? What kinds of jobs will be left if we automate everything? Does it help our economy if we use robots but have more unemployment? What will happen to our economy if wealth is concentrated in the hands of business owners? What can I study in college to make sure I can't be replaced?
Every response sparked more follow-up questions (and yes, side conversations), and they literally got fired up about the issue of displaced workers and the future of our economy. They were having fun, and they were totally engaged.

An hour later, my third hour class sat quietly taking notes, not asking questions and merely wanting me to tell them the same information, and I was really disappointed. To an outside observer, that might have looked like the "better" class, but not to me.

I don't want to teach a class full of passive, quiet, empty vessels. I want to foster a love of learning in high-energy adolescents, who bring their own ideas and questions to the table.

Maybe it can be done in a quiet, disciplined setting, but if so, I haven't figured out how. So I'll keep putting up with the chatter - and try to get my other class to talk a little more.

If I can't have the perfect world, I'll always err on the side of a noisy classroom.

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Why err on the side of a noisy classroom

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I've always felt a little embarrassed about my classroom management style. I know if many of my colleagues walked in during class -- especially at the beginning -- they would be appalled. It doesn't look like I'm running a tight ship. They would probably wonder: Why aren't those kids in their seats when the bell...

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Can the questions you're asking in the mathematics classroom be answered with a simple "yes" or "no," or do they invite students to deepen their understanding?
Asking better questions can open new doors for students, promoting mathematical thinking and classroom discourse. To help you encourage deeper discussions, here are 100 questions to incorporate into your instruction by Dr. Gladis Kersaint, mathematics expert and advisor for Ready Mathematics.

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100 Questions that Promote Mathematical Discourse

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Can the questions you're asking in the mathematics classroom be answered with a simple "yes" or "no," or do they invite students to deepen their understanding? Asking better questions can open new doors for students, promoting mathematical thinking and classroom discourse.

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This is a pirate copy of the companion guide to the website below. It highlights the work with the Talk Moves.

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This website has videos of teachers and students using the Talk Moves

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"Everyone tells us we need to teach this way, but no one has shown us how. This shows us how!"

~ teacher at NSTA conference in 2014

"For the first time in over 20 years of teaching, I'm confident that my students understand this. They don't need to memorize formulas or math jingles. They really understand the math."

~ a seventh grade Algebra teacher

"When I do my walk-arounds, I see 100% engagement in high-level math discussion. That's never happened before, and it's exciting."

~ principal in a participating school

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"Everyone tells us we need to teach this way, but no one has shown us how. This shows us how!" ~ teacher at NSTA conference in 2014 "For the first time in over 20 years of teaching, I'm confident that my students understand this. They don't need to memorize formulas or math jingles.

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Round One

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I had to print these first and order them into rounds with color coding so that each person has a new role for each round.

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Want to have fun with physics and even "walk on water"? Try making a mixture of cornstarch and water called oobleck. It makes a great science project or is just fun to play with.

Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid; it has properties of both liquids and solids. You can slowly dip your hand into it like a liquid, but if you squeeze the oobleck or punch it, it will feel solid. The name oobleck comes from the Dr. Seuss book, "Bartholomew and the Oobleck." In the story, oobleck, a gooey green substance, fell from the sky and wreaked havoc in the kingdom.

Making oobleck is easy. Here's a recipe:
Oobleck ingredients

1 part water

1.5 to 2 parts cornstarch

Small amount of food coloring (optional)

Mix ingredients

Start with the water in a bowl (or wading pool!) and add the cornstarch a bit at a time.

Keep stirring until it has a gooey consistency. You may want to use your hands.

When the oobleck is just right, slowly add food coloring, if you want. This can be a challenge to get it mixed properly.

Play with it.

Things to do with oobleck

Grab a handful and squeeze it. Let it ooze through your fingers.

Make a puddle and quickly drag your fingers through it.

Put it into a plastic container and shake it or quickly bump it against a table.

Jab at the oobleck and then slowly let your finger sink in.

Roll some oobleck into a ball. It becomes solid, but when you stop moving it, it will melt back into your hand.

Some science projects use oobleck. Experiments you can try include:

Put some oobleck on an old speaker and watch it dance:

Or, put it in a cookie sheet on top of a speaker:

Put a lot of it in a kiddie pool and walk across it:

Tips

Store in an air-tight container. Mix occasionally.

If you put in food coloring, you may notice a little bit of color left on your hands after washing. Don't worry. It should go away in a day or two.

Anything put into the slime can be washed with soap and water.

To dispose of the oobleck, mix it with a lot of hot water to make a very loose slurry. Pour a small amount into the drain while the hot water is running.

Oobleck when dried can be easily vacuumed.

Warnings

Don't drop oobleck on a couch, deck, or sidewalk. It's hard to get off.

Oobleck isn't poisonous, but it tastes awful. Wash your hands after playing. Make sure children are supervised.

Wear old clothes, as oobleck tends to get messy.

Don't worry too much if it gets on something; it will come out with a little water.

Lay a couple newspapers on the floor so it doesn't get all over the floor or table.

Oobleck may solidify if it's not kept wet. If it hardens, just throw it away.

If oobleck is left out too long, it will dry out and turn back to cornstarch.

Related: Oobleck's Weird Properties Demystified

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Want to have fun with physics and even "walk on water"? Try making a mixture of cornstarch and water called oobleck. It makes a great science project or is just fun to play with. Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid; it has properties of both liquids and solids.