ACADEMIC CONVERSATION- IT’S

NOT JUST “TURN AND TALK” ANYMORE!

Karie Gregory

Tsianina Tovar

BACKGROUND

ESL Program: We are ESL co-teachers at West Buncombe Elementary school in Asheville, NC. Our students come to us for 1 hour blocks that focus on the Common Core and WIDA standards.

“CONSTRUCTIVE CLASSROOM

CONVERSATIONS” AN ONLINE COURSE OFFERED BY

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

BUILDING ACADEMIC LANGUAGE: ESSENTIAL PRACTICES FOR CONTENT CLASSROOMS BY JEFF ZWIERS

THINKING MAPS©

Graphic organizers that target specific skills and can be used in all areas of learning.

CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATION SKILLS POSTER

CONVERSATION SKILLCREATE

Circle Map- Students create and define an idea or topic. Writing objective: Use circle map to write simple sentences. Example Conversation prompt: What are some ideas that you have about weather?

CREATE VIDEOS

CONVERSATION SKILLCLARIFY

Example Conversation prompt: Can you elaborate on different kinds of weather? (or you could build on a specific kind of weather like hurricanes)

or

What does it mean?

Why or how is it important?

Writing Objective: Write compound and complex sentences to explain different kinds of weather.

CLARIFY VIDEOS

CONVERSATION SKILLSFORTIFY AND NEGOTIATE

Tree Map- Fortify by providing and classifying examples or evidence about the topic or conversation.

Use the Tree Map to negotiate a topic or prompt and evaluate the worth.

Writing Objective: Use the tree map to create complex sentences.

Example Conversation prompt: Fortify: Can you give examples from the text?

Negotiate: In your opinion what is the most dangerous type of weather?

FORTIFY THE MAIN THEME

FORTIFY & NEGOTIATE THE MAIN THEME

ACADEMIC DISCUSSION-CONVERSATION CARDS

Paraphrase and summarize what member(s) said 

Keep the conversation on topic

Ask for elaboration, explanation, examples, clarification 

Validate (praise) another’s ideas 

Ask key questions

Encourage speaker to back up claims with evidence 

Offer different perspectives

Make sure all members participate

Build on what another member said 

Maintain/encourage extended sharing; (uh-huh, yeah, right, hmmm) 

Connect discussion to real-world and student life

Use active listening strategies (nod, make eye contact, take notes)

FROM CONVERSA

TION TO WRITING

By using the supports within the conversation skills combined with Thinking Maps, the necessary language is targeted and developed and enables students to create a final writing piece that uses a variety of sentences and linguistic complexity.

TO WRITING…

FROM FORTIFYING TO WRITING

PRACTICE WITH A 2ND GRADE LESSON

Westward Expansion

EXPLANATION OF A 4TH GRADE LESSON

Dear Mr. Henshaw

by Beverly Cleary

BUT SOMETIMES IT SOUNDS LIKE…

AND…