Inquiry 3: Going Public Through Professional Writing

Michigan State University

TE 802: Reflection & Inquiry in Teaching Practice I: Literacy
Fall 2014
By Kendra Asher

Big Idea
Whole group literacy discussions are a catalyst for
analysis, comprehension, and promoting the use of
evidence but will only be successful with careful
planning and student autonomy.

Importance of Discussions
Motivates students to talk about their thoughts
Defend their ideas with evidence and support
Aids comprehension
Develops reasoning and problem solving
Reection
Critical Thinking
Increases Competence during social interactions
Increase enjoyment of literature

Lets look at what the lessons

looked like rst.

Core Practice
Talking about Reading- Whole Class Discussion
Took place after reading
Included the texts Voices in the Park, Island of the
Blue Dolphins, Encounter

Who?
Class consisted of 4th and 5th grade students from
two 4th grades and one 5th grade class
Scored the highest on the Gate Macginitie test

When?
4 days a week for 1 hour in the morning

What?
After reading would have a discussion
Implemented discussion guidelines

Discussion Guidelines
Look at who is talking
Level 2 or 3 voice level

Connect your
statements to others

Remain in your seat

Use evidence to
support your ideas

Raise your hand for

help

Do not make rude or

mean comments

Look at who is talking

Raise your hand when
you have something to
say

How well were the

Guidelines followed?
Used correct voice levels
and when reminded of
them quickly corrected
Still working on using
evidence as only a few
students were able to say
something such as On the
page with the band stand,
Smudges mood seems to
have rubbed o on
Charles.
No rude comments
occurred

Would look at who was

talking when reminded but
then dwindled, often
would stare too intense
and made speaker
uncomfortable
Linking statements: Not
used, a few times and were
consequently greatly
praised and acknowledged

Reection
Voice Level Issues
During the time they were given to work on
assignment increased talking occurred
Reviewed the CHAMPS expectations before lesson but
side conversations still occurred
With time I think my classroom management will get
better

How Guidelines were

Introduced
Reviewed and asked for any additional ideas
Then practiced with discussion questions focusing
on one guideline
Ex. Why do you think Nanko teases the islanders
instead of telling them the good news right away?
Can you think of a time when youve done that?
The students worked on Looking who is Talking

Assessment 1
Student Discussion Self Reection Rubric
To give me an idea of their participation and how
they used Point of View (my content focus)

How did it go.

Not as planned for not accurately complete the form
The rst day some students claimed they had done all the
items on the checklist when they had not

Was a place for quiet students to share ideas they

were not comfortable sharing out loud but few used
it for this means
Wanted to give all the opportunity to share their
ideas
Did not do on my last day as students demonstrated
lack of interest in doing it through outbursts and
change in posture.

Student Work

In the Future
Review my expectations on how to ll it out and
how to do so
Revisit how to complete form in middle of lesson
sequence
Make them statements to complete and not checks
to mark
Start smaller with less to complete

Assessment 2
Unplanned but naturally arose
Recorded student ideas and answers on Promethean
Board
Helped me to keep track of ideas and students as
well
Post: Assess if my topic goal happened during the
discussion or if I need to work on how to get
students to where I want them to be or the
conclusions I desire them to have.

Student Ideas of What a Dierent

Point of View would Say

What does Literature Say

About Discussions?
Goldenberg 1992
Almasi 1996
McGee 1996

 Thematic Focus selected by teacher or a starting point

Point of View

Direct Teaching for Specic Content

Reviewed 1st, 2nd, 3rd person point of view

Evidence Elicited by Teacher

Guidelines and would ask students how they knew that, where
in the story supports their idea

High level questions with few with one correct answers

Ex from lessons: How does the dierence impact the story?
What role does the characters' personality or perspective have
on how the story is told?

Connected Turns
Linking Statements, were planned but not adhered to

Example of Open Ended Question

 Participation and Self Selected Turns: teacher not

have sole right to chose who talks
This is the ultimate goal for me: to have students
exchange ideas with ow so that no one needs to
call on someone but they start talking
This did not occur but something to work towards. I
called on students who had their hands raised or
even if they did not

Recitations vs. Discussions

Recitation
Teacher led talk
Literal questions
No involvement or thinking
by students
Teacher initiates responses
by asking questions

Little opportunity for

students to interact
Answers known, answers
recited
Recall what already know

Recitation vs. Discussion

Discussion
Teacher asks few questions
Teacher encourages
interaction amongst
students
Teacher remains silent as
much as possible
Student asks questions

Students encourage each

other to participate
Try to answer each others
questions
Respond to each other
Try to challenge each
others ideas

Discussion: Meaning Lies

with in the Event

My Lesson and Almasi

Recitation
Mostly teacher led talk although I
want to move towards students
being in control of the
conversation
Little interaction among
students, they seemed to talk to
me

Discussion
Questions not literal or have
answers to recite but need more
Opportunities for students to
interact although they did not
Students shared their opposition
and challenged each others ideas
such as when debating if Karana in
I. of the B.D. should have jumped
o the ship to save her brother.
Ideas that arose were
responsibility, family, risks,
irresponsible

Response Centered Talk

RCT: discovery or construction of new
understandings about literature
Help to build interpretations
Students share their ideas and then convince others
While students shared their ideas in my discussions,
they did not convince others with evidence or
challenging each other
When opposing ideas were present they didnt defend
their answer such as why they thought Charles
appeared to look happier with Smudge
I needed to provide topics to jump start talk that have
more than one answer, more possible answers

 Teacher not ask questions

But I did

Teacher not evaluate correctness

I did say correct, right which meant I was evaluating
their ideas
It is a natural thing I do, so something I need to work
on. Will be easier with more open ended questions

Teacher gives open invitation to talk

I tried near the end to have students lead the
discussion and provided them some jumping o points
They didnt look comfortable or know how to start
talking when not given an idea
My goal is for the students to initiate the topics and
talk

How did I do?

I led too much of the discussion
I need to provide more opportunities for open
ended questions
Allows more opportunities for students to challenge
each other

Evaluate responses less

Encourage students to talk to each other
Teacher elicited evidence
Selected a theme or purpose: Point of View

Tips for Having a

Discussion
Plan ahead: thoroughly
read the story and have
questions prepared
As a teacher, take a step
back: teach the students
how to be in charge of their
discussion
Encourage students to
respond to each other, not
the teacher

Consider the various roles

Almasi details that occur in
discussions, Consider your
role as a teacher
Set guidelines and practice
them. Spend the time to
teach the students how
you picture discussions
Be prepared to stop a
discussion or interject
when not being productive

Bibliography
Almasi, J. F. (1996). A New View of Discussion. In L.
&. Gambrell, Lively Discussions! Fostering Engaged
Reading. Newark, DE: International Reading
Association.
Goldenberg, C. (1992). Instructional Conversations:
Promoting Comprehension Through Discussion. The
Reading Teacher , 46 (4), 316-26.
McGee, L. M. (1996). Response-Centered Talk:
Window on Children's Thinking. In L. &. Gambrell,
Lively Discussions! Fostering Engaged Reading.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.