Bringing+Out+Their+Voices

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__Think Aloud__ Teacher reads and thinks out loud with students on a text to model what good readers do when they read on an overhead projector. Students have copies of the text and mark the text in similar ways. To carry this into small groups, partner up students, set stopping points for them in their reading aloud, and have them dialogue with the text as they read aloud with their partner. This helps to teach close reading and critical reading skills.

__Think-Pair-Share__ This small group discussion protocol requires that individuals first consider their own response to a question or prompt. This might be completed in a journal or a sheet of notebook paper. Next, students pair up with someone close by and they share their thoughts. This would lead to a whole class discussion and sharing of ideas.

__Jigsaw__ This small group discussion protocol can be used with a single text or multiple texts. The first grouping of students is with their homogeneous groups (they’ve all read the same piece or possibly read a piece for a particular perspective). They discuss their findings and come to a consensus on what they’ll each take to their next group. The second phase of this protocol requires students to be in mixed groups (different pieces are each represented by an expert or possibly each perspective that was assigned is represented by an expert). Each expert shares out their findings and the group discusses these, finds connections, etc.

__Chalk Talk__ This is a silent discussion protocol that utilizes the white board. Each member of the class is required to make a certain number of trips to the board and there are parameters set for how many students can be at the board at once. A question, statement, or idea may be raised in the middle of the board. Members of the class silently discuss on the board their ideas and connections to the question, statement or idea based on prior knowledge of the topic, readings or discussions held in the course previously. Purpose is to fill up the board with “talk.” Expectations are set prior to starting the Chalk Talk by all members of the classroom and each member is held to those expectations through the activity.

__Fishbowl__ This is a discussion protocol where the class is set up in two circles. There is one larger circle where the majority of the class sits and a smaller circle inside of the larger circle where a few students sit. Prior to the discussion, students have posed questions, found powerful quotes, or dialogued with a text in some way so that they aren’t coming to the discussion blind or empty handed. They have copies of the text and what they’ve gathered for the discussion with them as well. Those on the inside discuss and those on the outside take notes and listen carefully. Some teachers put limitations on how many contributions to the discussion students are required to make prior to getting up from the center circle. Others allow for students to tap in from the outside when they have something to add.

__Teacher-Less Discussion__ Similar to the fishbowl, in that students have arrived with questions, passages, etc. to discuss and that it is a student driven discussion, the teacher-less discussion requires the members of the classroom to signify their interest in participation by holding up a certain number of fingers to keep the discussion going. A student holding up their index finger signals to the class that they have something they want to add to the existing conversation and a student holding up their index and middle fingers at the same time indicates that they want to shift the topic. Students need to be able to see most if not all members of the classroom for this discussion protocol. Teachers might consider having students generate discussion questions prior to the day of the discussion and posting them somewhere so that all students can be prepared for possible questions presented during the discussion. This may help to ensure more textual support and richer conversations around a particular text.

__Save the Last Word for Me__ Students are grouped in small groupings and have finished a reading or portion of a text. Students have prepared for the discussion by gathering powerful quotes, making connections across texts, making connections to the world, or making connections to their lives, and have possibly raised clarification questions or discussion questions. They present their ideas to the other members of the group who have also completed the pre-meeting assignment. After the first member shares, the other group members get a set amount of time to touch upon ideas and connections they’ve been presented until they arrive back to the original speaker. That student then has a set amount of time to dispute, challenge, and/or make further connections, thus having the “last word.” The group works through each member in the same way until each have had the last word.

__Carousel__ Using sheets of butcher paper, ideas, questions, short pieces of text are written or posted around the room. With the class in small groups, each group begins at a particular piece of paper. Each group has a certain amount of time to make sense out of what is presented on the paper. When time is called, they move on to the next paper. Paper may have the same thing on each piece or it may have various pieces or questions. Some teachers may break down longer texts and have specific portions on each paper so that the discussion focuses on those portions. Some teachers use the same short text over and over on the pieces. You can also do this where the papers move and the students remain seated at their tables. These can be done silently, like the Chalk Talk, or aloud.

Tools, Articles and Books:

Brining in “texts” that get kids talking and thinking critically: This I Believe essays (www.thisibelieve.org) Youth Radio ([|www.youthradio.org]) PBS’s POV programs (www.pbs.org/pov) VOX Teen Newspaper ([|www.vox.org/blog]) TED ([|www.ted.com])

Tools: Nicenet ([|www.nicenet.org]) Voicethread ([|www.voicethread.com]) Prezi ([|www.prezi.com])

__Websites:__ Jim Burke has a number of wonderful ideas on his website and his Ning. Check it out: [] and []

The Polliwog Journal: one teacher’s blog on how to bring Language Arts studies into the 21st century. Check it out: []

__Journals and Articles:__ The May 2010 English Journal is all about collaboration and social interaction. One that might be helpful:

Kendrick, M. (2010). “Using student collaboration to foster progressive discourse.” //English Journal// //99.5, 85-90//.

The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy is another good source. Two articles that might be helpful:

Miller, S. (2005). “Students as agents of classroom change: The power of cultivating positive expectations.” //Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy// //48:7, 540-546.//

Townsend, J. S., & Pace, B. (2005). “The many faces of Gertrude: Opening and closing possibilities in classroom talk.” //Journal of Adolescent and// //Adult Literacy, 48:7, 594-605.//

Books:

Beers, K (2002). //When kids can’t read, what teachers can do//. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

Carey-Webb, A. (2001). //Literature and lives: A response-based cultural studies// //approach to teaching english.// Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English.

Fecho. B. (2011). //Writing in the dialogical classroom: Students and teachers// //responding to the texts of their lives.// Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English.

Freire, P. (1970). //Pedagogy of the oppressed.// New York: Continuum.

hooks, b. (1994). //Teaching to transgress.// New York: Routledge.

Smagorisky, P. (2002). //Teaching english through principled practice.// New York: Pearson

Smith, M. W., & Wilhlem, J. (2002). //Reading don’t fix no chevys: Literacy in the lives of// //young men.// Portsmouth: Heinemann.

Stock, P.L. (1995). //The dialogic curriculum: Teaching and learning in a multicultural// //society.// Portsmouth: Heinemann.

Wilhelm, J. (1997). //You gotta be the book: Teaching engaged and reflective reading// //with adolescents.// New York: Teachers College Press.