DISCOURSE ANALYSIS of INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING FOR …dtpr.lib.athabascau.ca/action/download.php?... · Judith Green (1998) provide a concise account of language and cultural discourse

DISCOURSE ANALYSIS of INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING

FOR GRADE 5 READERS

By

CAROL WYATT

Integrated Studies Project

submitted to Dr. Carolyn Redl

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Arts – Integrated Studies

Athabasca, Alberta

May 2009

Discourse Analysis 1

Introduction

Discourse Analysis of Inquiry-Based Learning for Grade 5 Learners is a critical discourse

analysis of four social language transcripts gathered in 2009 within the Grade 5 classroom at

Assumption School, a Catholic Independent school situated in Powell River, British Columbia.

Utilizing primarily the seven building tasks developed by James Gee (1999) to explore ways that

these students develop text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections and secondarily, the

theoretical methods of James Gee and Judith Green (1998) to interpret dialogue and gestures

employed within the classroom, this research presents the unique assets of students that educators can

identify and draw on to improve locally-situated discourse. In addition, this research examines

pedagogical approaches of inquiry-based learning, reflexivity, and the language-in-use that develops

in the dialogue of a given classroom while reading and interacting with texts. Assumption School is

situated in a community of 20,000 somewhat isolated geographically by ferry access to the lower

mainland and also isolated from its school district, the Catholic Independent Schools of Vancouver

Archdiocese (CISVA), being situated 165 kilometres north of Vancouver. The research is conducted

by the primary educator of this group of 26 students, an educator who is in her eighth year of

teaching, coming to this vocation relatively late in her work career.

Classroom inquiry is a process by which educators can reveal potentially valuable local

insights raised by elementary readers. Every child can benefit from the experience of those classroom

discourses that will promote and deepen integrated, social knowledge. One method currently

employed by British Columbia elementary English Language Arts curriculum

(http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/ela_5_irp.pdf)1 and the Catholic Independent Schools of the

Vancouver Archdiocese for professional development of its educators

(http://www.cisvabc.ca/schools/Curriculum_Instruction/toolbox_files/Toolbox-Section_I-

1 Refer to page 59 of the British Columbia Grade 5 English Language Arts Prescribed Learning Outcome #B8.


INTRODUCTION.pdf )2 is to develop pedagogical methods that build students thinking capabilities

in three valuable ways while reading: text-to-text, text-to-world, and text-to-self connections. This

learning outcome helps students create important connections across grades and subjects. It also

enables teachers and students to communicate using common language tools and co-construct reading

knowledge. Gee and Green (1998) caution that critical discourse analysis illuminates locally-situated

language, which may not be generalizable to broad social language: What the analysis did not do

was equally telling. From these data, we could not generalize to all classroomsrather they are

questions that can shape new discussions (158). Various forms of Critical Discourse Analysis can

be used, adapted, or blended, but the focus of this inquiry is to analyze student interactions with texts

by applying the D/discourse model3 developed by James Paul Gee (1999) with additional reference to

features of the 1998 Critical Discourse Analysis4 model developed by James Gee and Judith Green.

Two general methodologies developed by Gee and Green (1998) are reflected upon in this project

when studying students in their social construction of reading knowledge: dialogic (speaker and

listener) and combined ethnographic linguistic (interactive and reflexive) (129-132). The project is

meant to identify the current practices of reading and connection-building by individuals with their

teacher within this classroom. In this project, dialogue and reflexive interactions are prominently

featured when the inquiry participants consider, share, discuss and integrate individual connections

with poems.

Inquiry activation stimulates a reflexive process of deeper meaning-making because the

teacher engages the abilities and willingness of students to shift the learning approach from personal

to social from an in/out to a contribute/consider/grow style. This requires the teacher to shift roles too

by engaging students in effective (interactive) dialogue and by stimulating their insightful (reflexive)

observations. Inquiry activities may at first glance by researchers look whimsical or loosely

2 http://www.cisvabc.ca/schools/Curriculum_Instruction/toolbox_files/Toolbox-Section_II-DESIRED_RESULTS.pdf 3 Littled discourse is the language-in-use of members of a specific group to communicate or know, and big D discourse is this language in combination with the social being and doing of this group. 4 Critical Discourse Analysis is the tool of inquiry employed to explore and understand the language in use of a specific Grade 5 reading classroom.


organized. In order to optimize the learning experience, however, this educational methodology

requires substantial and careful interactions within a classroom community to interconnect the text

with past knowledge and emergent knowledge. Inquiry could be described as growing the knowing

which is guided primarily through dialogue.

Classroom dialogue can nurture or extinguish each childs desire to reveal insights.

Educational research should focus on finding locally meaningful answers to questions of pedagogical

importance, by seeking insightful answers from within a classroom that can emerge from dialogue

with and between the members of that classroom, thereby having a powerful effect on their practices.

Robert V. Bullough, Jr. (2006) suggests that educational research should in itself be dialogic, open-

minded and designed to answer questions of pedagogical value to the researchers themselves. He

states, A researcher ought to know why one or another research question is found to be compelling

what it promises for the researcher and for those the researcher services, and what is missed by

choosing to ask this question rather than another (9). From an interdisciplinary viewpoint, research

can examine the sociological, educational, and psychological facets of discourse, examining how the

teacher employs the inquiry to maximize personal and cultural connections in relation to life outside

the reading classroom. This requires teachers to establish a classroom environment where more than

basic talk can occur, where the understanding of a text can be integrated with personal and world

connections. Barbara Kiefer (2001) suggests that,

The visual information we need in order to read comes from the text itself the little black

marks on the page. However, it is our non-visual information, all our past experiences with

language, with books, and with the world around us, that helps us derive meaning from those

little black marks (50).

A teacher who takes dialogue for granted simply as turn-taking during large or small group

discussions can risk missing or extinguishing students efforts to contribute thoughts and questions.

In contrast, informed pedagogical practice can guide the kinds of questions asked during these

classroom events. Here are three examples of missed opportunities for dialogue within the


classroom. If a teacher fixates on getting right answers in discussion of the material, student

understandings or misunderstandings may be completely overlooked. M. Nystrand, L.L. Wu, A.

Gamoran, S. Zeiser, and D.A. Long (2003) suggest that monologue and recitation is one in which the

relationship of teacher and student is restricted to that of evaluator and novice (140). If a teacher

gets involved in a conversation with the most vocal students, potential and beneficial contributions

and connections by reticent students may be neglected. Also in this instance, the teacher fails to

engage students in the skill of self-monitoring their connections. M. K. Wolf, A.C. Crosson, and L.B.

Resnick (2005) suggest that process-oriented rather than product-oriented approach is reflected in

collaborative approaches to text comprehension. Discourse-based lessons focus on the quality of the

teachers questions and talk moves, which encourage students to elaborate their ideasand teach

students to actively self-monitor meaning(28). If a teacher fails to demonstrate to students the value

of diversity in classroom discourse, struggling students may resist involvement. On the contrary, S.

Kelly (2007) promotes dialogue for the benefit of all classroom members. When teachers engage in

dialogic instruction, which places student ideas at the center of the classroom discourse, students are

more likely to ask and answer questions and classroom discussions are more likely to occur(332).

According to James Gee (1999), Critical Discourse Analysis involves the study of social interaction

of a group; discourses are ways with words, deeds, and interactions, thoughts and feelings, objects

and tools, times and places that allow us to engage and recognize different socially situated identities

(35). For precisely these reasons, classroom inquiry can produce remarkable results through careful

preparation by the elementary teacher to develop effective inquiry skills within the reading classroom.

The literature review investigates the following general themes: major theorists relevant for this

specific discourse analysis, interdisciplinarity, elementary classroom methodology focused on inquiry

and reflexivity, and the dialogic experience with and between elementary readers.

Literature Review


A core facet of English Language Arts learning outcomes in British Columbias Ministry of

Education curriculum is the importance of teaching students how to reveal, express and interpret the

following three relations during their reading tasks and group discussions: text-to-text, text-to-self,

and text-to world connections. As teachers support students to seek these three connections, they also

engage classroom groups in the development of shared responses to texts by explicitly using the

above social language. The development of a common language benefits all students, because they

can share their understandings, express thoughts and explore the responses of others. Pamela Jewett

(2007) renews Louise Rosenblatts 1938 theoretical reader-response premise that students need to

reflect on their thoughts and feelings about the texts they read by suggesting that todays teacher can

enhance this learning experience by discussing with students how the text is used to or fails to address

issues of social significance. She states, I searched for points of entry into critique in this

conversation, entries that had the potential to lead them to areas they may not have considered (158).

When a classroom process teaches students to seek potentially important perspectives, students

become more responsible learners. An effective discourse analysis will examine the success or

failure of discourse processes. James Gee and Judith Green (1998) combine discourse analysis with

ethnographic methods to study classroom talk processes about how students take up, resist or fail to

learn academic content through these processes and practices (119-120). Teachers can then target

the points where discourse breaks down causing students to disengage as strategic points to renovate

their reading practices.

Interdisciplinary research enables the educational researcher to examine the discourse in a

reading classroom strategically but openly from different perspectives. This includes cultural

perspectives (sociology/anthropology), learning perspectives (education) and behaviour (psychology).

Just as a strategic approach enables the teacher to explore the text from various approaches to avoid

rigidity, the researcher also must explore classroom language with an open mind. James Gee and

Judith Green (1998) provide a concise account of language and cultural discourse analysis in

Discourse Analysis, Learning, and Social Practice: A Methodological Study (119-169). Their article


describes the study of words and signs of educational language-in-use to assess the production of

speech, grammar and patterns of interaction. They explain that the co-construction of language is as

much (or more) about what is happening among people in the world (anthropology and sociology) as

it is about what is happening in their minds (psychology) (146-147). Critical Discourse Analysis can

examine the responses to texts which can reveal interactions with and within students social worlds.

Gee and Green highlight the development of student knowledge within community discourse,

whereby opportunities for learning are constructed across time, groups and events; knowledge

constructed in classrooms (and other educational settings) shapes and is shaped by, the discursive

activity and social practices of members (119). Inquiry is one method by which to experience this

co-construction of learning between and among all participants; this is also an ideal opportunity for

the teacher to monitor learning from a new perspective as he or she steps out of the leader position

into a participant role, sometimes a fascinating challenge at the elementary level.

The British Columbia Language Arts curriculum promotes the inquiry approach because of

its opportunity for individuals to deepen current levels of knowledge as they assume a growing

responsibility for their own learning: The inquiry approach is one way to provide students with

opportunities to apply a wide range of reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking strategies in

all curriculum subjects ((http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/ela_5_irp.pdf)5. Although all students may

not be at the same level of skill, the benefit of inquiry activity is to engage students current reading

comprehension skills and to extend individual knowledge through the interactive environment of

inquiry:

The foundation of inquiry is the asking of thoughtful questions. By designing learning

tasks that are not routine but have a degree of open-endedness, uncertainty, and challenge,

teachers encourage students to make deep, personal meaning and to arrive at a variety of

solutions with increasing independence (http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/ela_5_irp.pdf).

5 See page 18 of the Consideration for Program Delivery of English Language Arts Grade 5.


British Columbia English Language Arts (E.L.A.) reading curriculum also values the social nature of

locally-constructed meaning. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (1996)

includes the following position statement in the online British Columbia E.L.A. considerations for

program delivery: Children develop and learn best in the context of a community where they are safe

and valued, their physical needs are met, and they feel psychologically secure (NAEYC, 1996,

http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/dap3.asp). Discourse practices enable personal and social

growth, while inquiry provides the environment for structured, yet open-ended, social discourse.

Research by James Gee (1999) frames the model for this discourse analysis project. Gee

suggests one way to analyze discourse is to study the situated meanings of a community. James Gee

(1999) suggests, I believe we have to get minds, bodies, social interactions, social groups, and

institutions all in the soup together (6). By feeling a sense of belonging, individuals within the

classroom can cultivate knowledge through co-construction of connections during reading activities

over time. Gees study with Judith Green (1998) also adds significant characteristics to this

discourse analysis project. By studying discursive activity within classrooms and other social

settings, researchers have provided new insights into the complex and dynamic relationships among

discourse, social practices, and learning (119). The classroom environment presents a guided

opportunity to experience and build community, a setting where students identify with locally situated

discourse and sense that their contributions to that discourse represent personal and social relevance.

Thinking and using language is an active matter of assembling situated meanings that you need for

action in this world (Gee, 1999, 67). Personal knowledge combined with responsiveness to social

experiences and patterns develops situated meanings, an image or pattern that we assemble on the

spot as we communicate in a given context, based on our construal of that context and on our past

experiences (94). By asking questions employing Gees building tasks, which will be discussed

later, discourse analysis itself becomes an inquiry which reveals facets of the actual functions of a

given communitys locally-situated network or system.


In the process of critical discourse analysis, in this case an elementary reading classroom,

reflexivity must be employed in order to reach authentic understanding of the language-in-use. What

meanings are held by the members of the classroom being observed? What meanings are held by the

researcher? In order to authentically and critically analyze their discourse, a researcher must be

willing to reflect on and consider findings that have relevance to the original research question.

Reflexivity is a reflective response during social discourse. James Gee (1999) defines it as

simultaneously giving meaning to others and getting meaning from them (102). In this discourse

analysis, it will be valuable to observe and frame the connections, even the disconnections, made by

students and between teacher and students. Observable connections include the interactions, the

gestures, the words used in dialogue, responses by others, and the specific text-to-text, text-to-world

and text-to-self connections that are revealed in the classroom discourse while engaging with a text,

in this case, poetry. Reflexivity is revealed through reactions and responses shared and integrated or

co-constructed by the individuals and the whole group to achieve understanding about situations

being confronted (78). When students and teacher ask questions, they are making an effort to connect

with the text in various ways. Reflexivity requires them and the researcher to be willing to ask

questions that expectantly will reveal and extend understanding. For the researcher, reflexivity

involves observations that include the posing of questions or sharing of ideas about understanding of

a specific topic within discourse and interpreting why the classroom members use a particular

definition or assumption to draw their shared conclusions or situated meanings. Gee (1999) explains

that these situated meanings activate certain Discourse models and not other ones (104). For the

students and teacher, reflexivity involves prompts and sign systems in the practice of discourse. Gee

states that learners employ cues and clues attempting to use their current knowledge as they engage

with a text to reflect upon and extend meaning, knowledge and connections (105).

In an examination of the co-constructive approach to reading activities, interdisciplinarity can

avoid narrowly examining one classroom environment. It may seem counter-intuitive to suggest that

teachers find themselves all too often in an isolative process, but isolation is common. When busy


with the academic, behavioural, and administrative needs of a classroom, teachers tend to shut out

any unnecessary distractions and can become very efficient in their planning. This can be costly in

terms of the rich and valuable insights of colleagues and educational researchers. There also is a risk

of compartmentalizing the planning process, narrowing it to what is known, rather than embracing

what is possible. John Dewey (1897) states,

I believe that the only true education comes through the stimulation of the child's powers

by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself. Through these demands

he is stimulated to act as a member of a unity, to emerge from his original narrowness of

action and feeling, and to conceive of himself from the standpoint of the welfare of the

group to which he belongs (77-80).

Students suffer when their educators avoid focusing on connections between personal and social

knowledge. They need to know that what they learn holds meaning within their social world and

perhaps that their personal and social knowledge can contribute to classroom knowledge-building

activity.

For educational researchers, it is important to search outside the efficient needs of intended

classroom discourse to authentic models of social language. By engaging students where they are at,

and guiding them in the direction of their interests about a given topic, they become more proficient

in seeking significant and personally meaningful knowledge. From findings of their study of an

elementary science classroom, Gee and Green (1998) propose that social discourse enhances

understanding while the interaction itself over time advances the discourse. Learning and

development are in a reflexive relationship, as are the individual and the collective (148). Members

of a classroom benefit when their educators focus classroom discourse on bridging gaps in knowledge

as well as on extending knowledge and interests. Members have agency and thus take up, resist,

transform, and reconstruct the social and cultural practices afforded them in and through the events of

everyday life (148). With an inquiry approach, individuals within the reading classroom can interact


as a community to co-construct diverse and meaningful social knowledge which presents rich

opportunities for expanded personal knowledge.

Educational methodology provides interesting positions from which to observe and process

classroom discourse. Gee (1999) identifies a list of seven building tasks for analysis of language and

community practices which includes building of: significance, activities, identities, relationships,

politics, connections, and significance for sign systems and knowledge (110-113). Understanding is

built socially in relation to the knowledge, identities and practices of the participants in that time and

place. Research transcripts can render only narrow facets of how, when, and why participants interact

as they do, but these facets can contribute to an enhanced overall view of that particular learning

environment. The subsequent examination of Discourse using Gees building tasks can reveal

patterns that explain the strengths and weaknesses of the given classrooms discourse practices. Gee

(1999) suggests that

as a teacher or a student of a certain sort, or any of a great many other ways of being in the

world you use language and other stuff-ways of acting, interacting, feeling, believing,

valuing - to recognize yourself and others as meaning and meaningful in certain ways. In

turn, you produce, reproduce, sustain, and transform a given form of life or Discourse (7).

Educators can engage a rich variety of methods to immerse their students in reading activities

to spark interests which reflect their real-world experiences. John Dewey (1897) proposes that the

inquiry nurtures the whole childs growth. I believe that interests are the signs and symptoms of

growing power. I believe that they represent dawning capacities. Accordingly the constant and

careful observation of interests is of the utmost importance for the educator (77-80). Teachers can

guide students towards a self-regulating management of knowledge by relating what they know and

share to what others know and share; this is the practice of inquiry. To avoid purposeless inquiry,

students and teachers need to enthusiastically ask and explore questions that inspire curiosity. J.

McLeay (2005) describes this engagement of students in inquiry as awakening wonder (1). This

suggests that the questions are socially relevant to and driven by student interests. Social relevance


means whatever the students think, experience, or act upon in their cultural and social activities with

family and community, including empathy and charity. J. Fuscos (2005) summary of Catholic

schools since 1966, Exploring Values in Catholic Schools, reveals the significance of shared

values in the Catholic social relationship, including the meaning of community, social caring for

each other, and school life mirroring humanity, or life in the real world (84).

To relate to comprehensive social and cultural student interests found in the British Columbia

English Language Arts learning outcomes, a teacher can customize inquiry activities that enhance

specific student skills while deepening students understandings and associations with their world.

Transcript analysis of actual classroom events also reveals reflective opportunities. L. Kucan states,

Thoughtfully adaptive teachers exhibit mindfulness that allows them to respond to moment-by-

moment shiftsand make adjustments (228). These curriculum objectives aim to increase student

responsiveness through personal connections to or between texts and to assist students in their ability

to make world connections of interest to the texts that they read. These skills in turn animate and

energize the reading practices of learning communities.

Good readers can express their ideas, questions and conceptions about texts. An inquiry is an

excellent opportunity for the teacher to support struggling readers in their efforts to be responsive to

textual studies. Dialogic opportunities allow the teacher to step out of the situated identity of

knowledge giver and into a social identity where actual dialogue provides social interactions amongst

and between participants. M.K. Wolf, A.C. Crosson and L.B. Resnick (2005) suggest that the

teachers talk moves play an important role in generating the interaction with the students (48).

Research by C.A. Chinn, R.C. Anderson and M.A.Waggoner (2001) characterizes the collaboration of

the dialogic process whereby discussions are intended to grant extensive local control of the topic to

students (384). The teaching of a variety of reading strategies provides students with effective tools

to make connections with and between content found in their textual studies and dialogue with

classmates. Assuming that social interaction supports and increases cognitive development in

students learning, discourse-based instructional approaches have been developed to facilitate


effective reading-comprehension instruction (Wolf, et al, 2005, 27). Two reading strategies, the

Think-Aloud and Compare/Contrast, can assist students in understanding literature more deeply. The

goal of reading strategy instruction must be to engage students in discourse practice, self-monitoring

and in self selection of applicable reading strategies. Although reading strategy instruction initially

requires direction, modelling and practice, teachers must take great care to talk with not at their

students to engage dialogic experiences. The art of question use by teachers less to evaluate and more

to extend and deepen knowing will enhance self-monitoring. Mary Coe (2001) suggests teachers

must withhold judgment, and increase student questioning, synthesis and risk-taking during this co-

construction of knowing (14). If students are to undertake self-monitoring of their own reading

successfully, they must clearly understand that dialogue within their reading classroom entails co-

construction of knowledge in which their individual input is valued.

Research about dialogue in a reading classroom reveals the multi-faceted existence of

relationships. Walter Parker (2006) states that [w]hereas students have been apprenticed to raising

hands and addressing the teacher in brief spurts, discussion rests on an alternative platform of

exchange that nurtures political friendship and a culture of argument (16). This indicates the

development of a commitment to open-ended discourse by the group. Student disruptions or

interruptions, on the other hand, force teachers back to behaviour management actions like turn-

taking and other administrative actions and further reduce both teacher and student interest in

becoming engaged during further dialogic opportunities. In order to establish opportunities for more

dialogue, relationship-building will be important. Relationship-building within a classroom engages

student interest and allows dialogue to emerge. C. Chinn, R.C. Anderson and M. Waggoner (2001)

state that as students gained the right to choose when to speak, competition for the floor

escalatedthe increased competition for the floor probably reflects high student motivation as well as

changes in turn-taking procedures(406). Student engagement, therefore, can be insightful and

comprehensive, or indifferent, even frustrated. Where students have an opportunity to express ideas

and feel that their contributions are valued, dialogue can be launched. While teachers focus on time


limits and a predetermined goal, and are relentlessly assessing student performance, the rich meaning

of student discourse may be overlooked. Students benefit from understanding the nature of

relationship-building within their classroom discourse. To disregard relationship-building within

classroom discourse is to resist the relational nature of real-world experiences; relationship-building

should be a methodological consideration in the planning process of instructional goals of reading

activities.

Reading activities that work effectively in the social setting of group reading activities

include the Think-aloud and Compare/Contrast reading strategies. These two methods are

particularly helpful for struggling readers as they provide clear verbal or visual processing

opportunities to follow and to implement. The Think-Aloud can be used with poetry or stories

purposefully to reduce uncertainty about what is being read. C. Collins Block and S.E. Israel (2004)

advocate that highly effective think alouds also describe why a specific thought process would be

effective in overcoming that confusion or reading difficulty (154). Showing students the explicit

tools that they can use to solve problems or frustrations with reading texts can support their

willingness to express, to develop and to extend their own responses with a growing confidence. T.

Janssen, M. Braaksma and G. Rijlaarsdam (2006) note that in this process, they draw not only on

their linguistic knowledge and world knowledge, but also on their personal knowledge and

experiences (36). Representing effective thinking processes helps students to experience effective

thinking processes. In her 2006 book, Bringing the Outside In,, Sara B. Kajder writes that this best

practice in reading instruction helps to make the mostly invisible process of readers and writers

open and tangible (66). Once struggling readers become familiar with this process, they can assume

a deep level of explicit understanding, interpretation, and confidence in their responses to the text.

Student contributions do not have to be analyzed by quantity, but tacit acquisition of knowledge plus

the willingness and ability to express these connections. C. Boardman Moen (2004) discusses the

social benefit of reading texts aloud in class, the more connections we can help our students make

between different read-alouds and other texts, the more we aid comprehension (12). Text-to-self


connections, text-to-world connections and text-to-text connections increase as students share their

ideas out loud which in turn can help other students think about and bring out their own connections.

Similarly, compare/contrast practices help struggling students to make connections more

successfully. When they identify patterns between two aspects of a reading event, two periods of

time, or two characters, students become more proficient at their interpretations of those findings.

Each approach helps the brain process new information, recall it and learn by overlaying a known

pattern onto an unknown one to reveal similarities and differences

(http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/iden.php). Specific reading strategies, once explicitly modelled

by the teacher, can be practiced, and applied independently by elementary readers to future correlated

activities.

The task of critical discourse analysis is to examine what is being observed in the discourse.

James Gee (1999) uses the metaphor of a map on which a researcher can study discourse and notes

that, such a map is a Discourse grid against which you understand your own and others thought,

language, action and interactionit is an ever-changing map with which you can engage in

recognition work (32). Specifically, in this project the examination of discourse will involve a study

of connection-building processes within the interactions of the classroom members. More

specifically, Gee (1999) refers to the importance of perception or point of view, noting [o]ne device

that helps us think about what something means is to ask in what other ways it could have been said

or written. Once we see what alternatives existed, we can ask why the person said or wrote it as they

did and not in some alternative way (15). This suggestion reminds researchers that questions must be

relevant. If analysis is too narrow, valuable insights from within the discourse may be either missed

or misinterpreted. As we analyze discourse, we can expect to reveal a more complete picture of

meaning through careful and thorough consideration of a speakers purpose.

Critical discourse analysis can also undertake an exploration of the existence of identity-

building in terms of the classroom culture itself. In addition to wanting to understand how students

express text-to-text, text-to-self and text-to-world connections in their reading activities, this project


is trying to determine how dialogue is achieved. Too easily, classroom talk gets directed towards the

comprehension of a teaching plan, not the revelation of diverse student ideas. In addition, at the

elementary classroom level, there is a risk of focusing more on content and less on skills and

attitudes, which stands in stark contrast to what William Parker (2006) refers to as wholeness, not

oneness (11). Although this project includes the examination of identity building as one of James

Gees (1999) seven building tasks, the study of the use of power is not one of its goals.

The maintenance of objectivity and rigour in analysis can be attained with the iterative

process of reflecting on the original research question during the study of findings. While this project

may not include detailed analysis of all seven of Gees building tasks, it strives to present an authentic

interpretation of this classrooms discourse model. M. Freeman, K. deMarrais, J. Preissle, K.

Roulston and E.A. St. Pierre (2007) explain that misunderstandings, alternative understandings, and

conflicting standpoints continue to complicate the generation of knowledge and most scholars

recognize the multiple layers of meaning in human experience can be inconsistent (28). Just as a

teacher will probe students about their knowledge to identify understandings and opportunities to

extend that knowledge, the researcher will carefully analyze discourse to interpret how knowledge is

shared or co-constructed in the locally-situated environment in direct correlation to the nature of the

original research question. This keeps the analysis within the relevant scope of the research objective.

Analyzing discourse includes an interpretation of the individual threads of personal

understanding that contribute to the collective and interactive building of knowledge. James Gee

(1999) explains that language has meaning only in and through social practices (8). Rebecca

Rogers (2004) corroborates Gees acknowledgment of learning that transpires in the dialogue

experience. She calls this an acquisition of language (13) by suggesting that [l]earning is related to

social transformation (13). Student ability to build knowledge in a classroom is collectively

enhanced in the act of dialogue and when no one member, including the teacher, purports to be the

expert holder of the knowledge being sought, all participants can gain knowledge within this act of

inquiry. Gee (1999) asserts that situated meanings are assembled. Different contexts invite different


assemblies. Concepts or meanings are jerry-rigged6 on the spot in integral interaction and

context (64). All contributions, even those of confusion or clarification become valuable to the final

product. While this specific inquiry could also examine language limitations, it intentionally does not

do so, as the characteristics of this specific classroom do not include English Language Learners

(second-language) or students with significant language limitations. The analysis of interaction in the

reading activities of this classroom project focuses upon variety in connections, language-in-use,

depth of understanding, silences, diversity of knowledge and socially-situated identity.

Studying discourse within a single classroom provides a window through which to investigate

its distinctive characteristics of discourse. The information that is revealed can be used to corroborate

current research, to extend current insights about classroom discourse and to improve classroom

practice. Inquiry is a valuable method to increase community building through language-in-use being

utilized by individuals and groups within that community. Discourse analysis is a valuable tool for

investigating the processes of sharing and co-construction of knowledge within any community,

including the reading classroom. Gee and Green (1998) caution against applying Critical Discourse

Analysis findings widely to general classroom reading events or groups (158). Although classroom

studies may reveal common traits, the distinctiveness of their individuals and groups will prompt

uniquely characteristic questions valuable for reflexive purposes; therefore, each classroom

community should be analyzed to reveal its distinctive characteristics.

Variables Two relevant variables shape the conduct of this particular discourse analysis. Both technical

and environmental aspects are explained below.

First, the procedural aspects involve the analysis of a fifth-grade classroom that consists of 13

boys and 13 girls. During the month-long project, no students are absent from class for any length of

time. Note that two students are absent from the third lesson. Their teacher, who has taught them for

6 James Gee presented this idea in this highlighted format in his 1998 book on discourse analysis.


four months, also is conducting the discourse analysis. The class project is audio-videotaped using a

stationary digital video camera situated in the back corner of the classroom. Although the teacher is

always visible on the videotape, along with students in the right half of the classroom, the left side of

the classroom is not visible on the tapes. This limits study of student gestures from half of the group.

Students are provided with copies of the poems, and graphic organizers and Post-it notes on which

to record their ideas and questions. An overhead pocket chart is used at the front of the classroom for

students who struggle with written output, allowing them to focus on shared idea construction without

influencing their participation or generation of ideas for and with the full group.

After each of the four tapings, the teacher makes a brief reflective summary of the lesson

noting both technical and environmental concerns and annotations. The teacher also notes the silence

of specific students, not for evaluative reasons, but in an attempt to engage as many of the students in

co-construction of ideas during later lessons. She determines that the microphone will be included in

the fourth lesson only when students read the poetry aloud and she anticipates that their voice levels,

hence full ideas, might not be picked up by the audio on the videotape. The teacher also makes

specific reference to any text-to-text, text-to-self or text-to-world connections that arose in these

discussions.

The environmental aspects include established routines and affective responses. The teacher

conducts Lesson One, a Think-Aloud activity during the 9:00 a.m. class first thing in the morning and

Lesson Two, two days later, is a Think-Aloud activity during the 1:10 p.m. class directly after lunch.

Lesson Three, a Compare/Contrast activity is conducted 21 days later during the 9:00 a.m. class and

Lesson Four the next day is a Compare/Contrast activity at 1:10 p.m. Lessons are scheduled at these

times as they offer students an opportunity to participate when their ability to focus is optimal. They

are fully rested. The first two lessons of the project are conducted immediately after Christmas break,

a time where students traditionally are best able to focus on challenging tasks and where trust levels

have been long-established between students and their teacher. Students demonstrate a growing

proficiency throughout the project. Although the teacher holds a discussion early in the project about


the matter of relevant versus irrelevant conversation activity, the ability and willingness of students to

carry on comprehensive and insightful dialogue during their study of a text becomes quite evident.

The teacher has been developing dialogue opportunities focused both on building acceptable voice

levels during group discussion with all students during the months prior to the study. General

willingness to participate in discussion and ability to integrate ideas in an effort to extend group

knowledge was explored in the fall term. During this project, the teacher asks all students to share

ideas in the first two lessons, but also intentionally notifies specific students in an attempt to engage

quiet students and alternatively to acknowledge engaged students who are patiently waiting to

contribute ideas.

For the final two lessons, the teacher selects slavery poems in order to integrate current

classroom learning from a study of the novel, Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker. The goal

is to engage students personal and common knowledge of this topic and allow them to draw upon

personal knowledge about historical events during the project lessons. Through increasingly more

complex reading and thinking activities in Language Arts, students develop working knowledge of

context and develop various reading strategies throughout the elementary years building towards a

level of mastery.

The teacher/researcher selects the middle of the school year to conduct the project as it is a

time when students are predictably not easily distracted by upcoming holidays. Students adopt a

more natural dialogue during the final two lessons, demonstrating a growing proficiency in the

inquiry. Students express a willingness to participate by volunteering to read poems and engaging in

the discussion at personal points of increased interest in the content. To the researchers knowledge,

no major emotional diversions or challenges are experienced by the students or teacher/researcher

during this project. The environment is characteristically unremarkable, although on average, four

students choose not to initiate participation during each discussion. The ability for students to self-

monitor their own affective responses to the lessons enables the teacher/researcher to analyze project


discourse critically without having to make extraordinary concessions about observed behaviour or

emotions.

Findings Findings reveal teacher and student understandings of four selected poems collected during

four 45-minute lessons in three content areas: these include text-to-text, text-to-world and text-to-self

connections. The development of effective connections by students between text and self, text and

world, plus text and text is a functional focus of the current British Columbia elementary English

Language Arts curriculum learning outcomes and the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver

Archdiocese (CISVA).

The methodology for this project, Critical Discourse Analysis, examines how members of a

Grade 5 elementary reading classroom co-construct and express meaning as they integrate personal

and shared connections. Findings from discourse analysis inside any classroom will be valuable

current research because this process provides tacit feedback from within a classroom that explains

how those students with a variety of learning styles and abilities authentically navigate their own

social worlds to create meaning and express their own sense of relevant and important issues.

*** ***

Transcript 1: Students study the poem Dog on Loan7

Sample 1-6 shared below are significant parts of January 19ths 45-minute morning class

transcript, not necessarily because they may capture every important feature of the discussion, but

because they demonstrate ways in which students draw text-to-text and text-to-world and text-to self

connections to understand and interpret the poem. These experiences of connections are evident in

the comments the Grade 5 students are willing to share.

Text-to-self and text-to-world connections are prevalent during the study of this poem.

Students and the teacher discuss their ideas in four significant ways by expressing knowledge through

7 Poem written by anonymous author retrieved from (http://www.4andatail.org/poetry.htm)


a Christian language-in-use frame of the poem, recalling personal knowledge, sharing relevant

experiences and responding compassionately with emotional honesty both to the poem and to shared

pet experiences. The Think-Aloud reading strategy models for elementary readers the need to recall

and internalize current personal knowledge and then to extend and externalize it by trying to

understand word meaning, asking questions and openly collaborating in the study of the text with

others.

Sample 1 - The teacher is demonstrating the Think-Aloud reading strategy for class including

identifying meaning of key words that every participant may not know.

Speaker Session 1 January 19, 2009 Green text to text; Orange text to self; Purple text to world; Red Gestures; Blue Dialogue; Magenta Social Language;;

The teacher

For you to love while she lives and mourn when she is dead. Hmmm so this poem seems to have a lot of ideas about emotions too. It says lending, and loving, and mourning. Hmm. I wonder what mourn means; maybe I should look that one up. Mourn. M. O. U. R. N. it means to grieve hmm. Grieve; well I dont know what that is so maybe I should look that one up. Grieve, G.R.I.E.V.E. (looking word up in a dictionary) Grieve means to cause or feel sad, sorrow, oh okay. So grief, mourn. (writing on board) So this poem is some kind of a sad poem about dogs. At least it looks like it. The years they may be six or ten, or even as few as three. Thats not very long. But will you till I call her back take care of her for me. Shell bring her charms to gladden you and shall her stay be brief. I hope not. Youll have her lovely memories as solace. Solace what does that mean. Better look that one up. More sadness it seems. Solace. S.O.L.A.C.E. hmm its a noun and it means comfort, consolation or comfort. Okay. (writing on board) So whos being comforted? Am I comforting this dog that I saved? Or does someone have to comfort me when I lose my dog? Shell bring her charms to gladden you, and shall her stay be brief, youll have her lovely memories as solace for your grief. I cannot promise she will stay since all from earth return. But there are lessons taught down there I want this dog to learn. Oh I can teach this dog lots, but not a girl dog. I have a boy dog. Ive looked the wide world over in my search for masters true. Masters, thats who looks after a dog.

In Sample 1, the teacher demonstrates the need to first make a mechanical understanding of

what is being read. Understanding enables all discussion participants to attend to the text with at least

a basic common linguistic understanding. The teacher begins by familiarizing students with the

Think-Aloud reading strategy, which is a new strategy to this group. For two reasons, this strategy

proves to be a valuable one for the participants. First, it allows the teacher to model to students how


to effectively focus thoughts on meaningful and confusing ideas in any text. If students witness how

to identify a main idea, significant supporting details, points of interest and ideas that could frustrate

their learning, the activity can enlighten their own knowledge. Second, the Think-Aloud allows

students to see what is usually not seen or known. Struggling students do not always understand how

good students process information and make connections, so a preliminary step to mastery is to learn

how to process the ideas being read. As more students acknowledge and practice effective reading

strategies, they can apply these skills to more independently and effectively process their other

curriculum content or grade texts.

Two text-to-world connections are elucidated by the teacher in this preliminary part of the

inquiry situating the students in the main activity of identifying and discussing three types of text

connections. The sample reveals two connections: the socio-emotional knowledge of pet ownership

and the Christian concept of willingness to be open to joyful and sorrowful life lessons being taught

within a social and humane world. Catholic students are familiar with the role of stewardship, that

everything including our own lives is part of Gods creation and that every person has a privilege and

responsibility to care for their world and all living creatures. Yet, the teacher is not absolutely certain

at this stage of the poetry reading what social and emotional connections might be elicited. Inquiry

entails setting guidelines as goals while at the same time being open to considering student

connections that will reveal what is significant to individuals and the group.

Next, emotional connections to the role of pet owner are elicited by the author from the

readers. As students progress through the oral presentation of the poem, the author is trying to draw

out personal knowledge about the experience of relationships. Shell bring her charms to gladden

you and shall her stay be brief, youll have her lovely memories as solace This elicits more than

the role of master/owner by entering the depths of the emotional realm to and including empathy and

sorrow, which reveal a breadth and vulnerability in the act of offering our emotions to social

relationships. Students reveal ideas about how pet ownership involves not only loving others, but the

experience of lending and the distress of mourning. The inquiry offers students a chance to explore


the concept of a relationship, an investment in the caring for a pet, with its joyful and sorrowful

phases. Students have an opportunity to identify with this experience and to reveal and integrate their

knowledge.

Sample 2 - In dialogue students and teacher reflect on caring emotions felt in pet experiences

#12 Um happy to have a dog like but happy to have a pet. The teacher Happy to have a pet or happy to have this particular pet right? Ok. Who in this class

has ever rescued a dog? #7 I rescued a cat The teacher I should say a pet. Who in this class has rescued a pet? #26? #7 I climbed a giant tree. The teacher

Is it from like SPCA? That kind of rescue? Sometimes #26 shares long detailed stories and I find myself cutting off the story. It didnt happen this time, but I find myself thinking about cut-off (disengaged at times with #7 and #26)

#26 Well I rescued my Chihuahua, from the SPCA and I rescued my cat from I rescued my cats who were just born but they had so many cats that they couldnt take care of them, so...

The teacher Ok. And #7 how did you do your rescue? Or What kind of a rescue? #7 It wasnt really my cat; it was someone elses, like some old ladys and the animal ran

away. There were a whole bunch of cats in the tree and I looked up and I asked like the old woman and she was like oh my cats up there I told him not to get out of the house and like and stay in the house.

The teacher So you rescued the cat and then gave it back to her? And you didnt keep the pet? #7 I had to climb a tree. The teacher Oh, so you were a helper you were the rescuer. Cool. And #9, how about you? #7 It was so funny they like called the fire department and they were like oh we dont do

any of that anymore The teacher No they dont do that anymore, so it was good that you went and helped her then.

How about you #9? #9 My cat Marjia is dead now, he was a stray bla bla bla bla (student actually said this).

He broke his back legs; he climbed across the wire The teacher

Yes. She is engaged and watching the student, nodding as she listens.

#9 the telephone wire and he fell and broke his back legs. And so my parents had to put him down.

The teacher That happened while you owned him? #9 Yeah. The teacher Yeah ...

In Sample 2, to establish dialogue, the teacher draws out text-to-world connections by

eliciting specific ideas of the happiness that caregivers generally get from pets and the text-to-self

satisfaction of being rescuers of vulnerable animals. Students must first use their reading strategies


by making a text-to-world connection as they identify with the poems main idea: choosing to get a

pet or to respond to solicitation for pet owners. The poem makes many references to emotional

words that readers may either share or at least connect with: love, grief, cherish, mourn, solace, and

lending. The teacher also establishes a guideline for the discussion with the text-to-world connections

about emotions felt when committing to care for animals. Although the guideline elicits relevant

knowledge, the students themselves can decide on their contributions. In other words, there is little

limitation set on the text-to-self connections that students might be willing to reveal.

Pay attention to the illustrative flow of students story lines. No one student needs to

monopolize the conversation; the teacher does not need to direct every facet of the discussion.

Instead, students willingly offer text-to-world concepts to the dialogue including the relatively

challenging worldly conceptions of strays and put him down. In response to these more general

concepts, others think about and then choose to add their Text-to-Self connections to the

conversation, focusing more specifically on the emotional attachment of choosing to protect those

strays by going to groups like the SPCA to prevent rescued animals from being put to death. The

stories flow from general to specific investigation as the teacher elicits details with questions without

evaluating what is being added; this is the natural world of inquiry.

The process of social language within this classroom observes the teachers use of visual

strategies to capture key points of coming discussion and politics to help students recognize and then

begin to consider and offer valuable and good input. Some of these gestures include recording key

words or guides on the chalkboard at the front of the room. Students know without the teacher stating

it explicitly that any information recorded on the board should be read as it is relevant material during

the classroom lesson. In addition, the teacher employs two actions to privilege and disprivilege

students during discussion. The first is to use a hand signal by raising a widespread hand in front of a

student requesting silent listening, or holding one finger to her lips, while looking at a student,

directing the student to silent listening. The second is to speak to the student directly about the need

to allow another student to speak first. In this sample, the teacher disprivileges Student #7, by


engaging Student #26 to continue with a storyline. While the teacher is aware that often Student #26

will share extended, detailed and often openly personal stories, this teacher expects other students to

draw on past classroom experience and to recognize turn-taking as a natural and necessary part of

dialogue. Immediately after Student #26 finishes the contribution, the teacher turns to privilege

Student #7 in the conversation, because that student was showing a willingness to grow the current

topic with relevant knowledge and experience. By taking this step, the teacher and the student

demonstrate to the class that unfair disprivileging will not happen.

Once Student #7 begins to speak, the teacher realizes that dialogue is happening. This

discussion demonstrates dialogue, because students and teacher are co-constructing knowledge about

pet safety and rescue without being evaluated by the teacher. Student #7 also moves to extend this

discussion by noting that historical fire-department rescues of cats in trees no longer occur in this

community. The teacher, whose husband is deputy chief of the volunteer fire department, concurs by

making a political connection with the student. This step elicits relaxed and engaged dialogue where

a teacher does not suspend the flow of ideas. Referring to one of James Gees seven building tasks,

the political building task in this conversation is the distribution of social goods through the use of

affirming words and phrases like, How about you?, What kind of rescue?, and You didnt keep

the pet?

The teacher also tries to involve Student #9 in the dialogue that Student #26 and Student #7

have launched. By prompting or inviting others to contribute, the teacher reinforces the social nature

of dialogue to facilitate the opportunity for many voices adding ideas. Effective dialogue will offer an

entry point to more students who also demonstrate that they are interested in revealing and building

personal connections to the concept of rescue and the social construction of this topic of rescued pets.

Notice in the transcript sample that students use gestures to enhance their stories for the group. While

the teacher may add revealed ideas to the board, she does not disrupt the flow of talk with incessant

questions.


Sample 2 features an example of both politics-building and identity-building, two of James

Gees seven building tasks. First, when Student #7 is disprivileged or ignored by the teacher, it is not

because she does not want to hear the students idea, but that Student #26 already had a hand up and

the teacher has signaled Student #26 to share an experience. Student #7 is able to share a personal

idea immediately afterwards. Both students raise the worldly connection of pet rescue. Teachers in

elementary grades will wrestle with the experience of teacher power as they are more commonly and

easily given the role of leaders in conversations with children. The teachers subsequent research

goal to engage authentic dialogue in these lessons requires her to relinquish teacher power whenever

possible. In another aspect of teacher-as-leader, or her situated identity, in this sample, the teacher

can only attempt to identify when one students story is completed, but at times errs in this task and

needs to reconnect with that student to allow him or her to finish sharing the experience. It is

noteworthy that later in Sample 2, the teacher acknowledges the text-to-world concepts of rescue

and changing historical fire department duties shared by Student #7.

Sample 3 - dialogue occurs when students collaboratively participate in the flow of discussion

#10 Yeah but then um some days he didnt come then we knew something was wrong. The teacher Oh so maybe he had been sick? #10 Yeah The teacher Oh #10 He doesnt come out now. The teacher We have lots of dogs in our neighborhood. Lots of dogs and one cat. And the dogs love

the cat and for some reason that cat doesnt love the dogs. #1 Yeah, is the dog Is it older? Is the cat older than the dog? The teacher Yes. #1 That means that when they were little they learned to respect the cat a lot more than they

would if they were older

Sample 3 reveals one text-to-self connection which happens to be revealed by the teacher, but

the comment could have been made by any participant. It is neither a statement of assessment of

students, nor a disruptive one. This sample features authentic dialogue and identity-building,


described by the teacher as a purposeful learning discussion where no one individual is identified as

leader, but all participants can choose to engage in co-constructing the groups shared meaning.

In Sample 3, as the students continue to co-construct knowledge about the concept of pets,

Student #10 also introduces the idea of community empathy towards animals. The teacher responds

with a text-to-self connection about animals in her social and ends with a sense of uncertain confusion

about one cats actions. Another of the building tasks of social language developed by James Gee is

the concept of relationship-building. In response to the teachers effort to participate on a personal

level Student #1 offers a possible reason for the cats actions. The teacher also gives up power to the

person or people who might be able to extend her own knowledge about cat behaviour. When true

dialogue occurs, power is shared and can be for a short time assumed by any group member who

might offer expertise on the topic.

Sample 4 - text-to-self connections lead to text-to-world connections

The teacher Any ideas? #9? (Looking around class). #9 Two things. Where, the verse, Ill lend you for a little time, a dog of mine. I just

thought of my piano. The teacher Why? #9 which we lent to somebody. The teacher You lent your piano to someone, oh, so still a lending but not an animal. Cool.

Well that is a connection. Thats called this kind of connection (pointing to text- to-world on board). This one is your personal connections right?

#18 Text to self and text to world. The teacher

Right. So the one thatoops-- the one that #9 just did was the text to world one because it is thinking about the idea of lending, its also a text to self because even though it wasnt a pet it was a lending. Right? Any more ideas anyone had?

#12 How would God lend her a dog? The teacher How would God lend her a dog? Who has an idea? How would God lend her a

dog? #1? #1 Simple. He would go snap and the dog would appear The teacher (laughs) snap and the dog would appear. Maybe. We never know where those run-

away dogs come from. Perhaps. #15?

Sample 4 features language-in-use and significance-building activity. These activities are

demonstrated in the religious theme of the sample, commonly used in this classroom as teacher and

students try to illuminate spiritual connections in any possible class during the week. Significance-


building is highlighted in the concept of lending, which discloses the aspect of trust between lender

and lendee. This sample also features both text-to-self and text-to-world connections. First four

student participants in the discussion contribute personal ideas or affirm their connections with other

students.

In this sample, Student #9 shares a text-to-self connection, the concept of choosing to lend a

valuable possession. The poem speaks of God lending a dog to the human for a while and this

activates prior knowledge. As well, Student #9s personal story leads the group to consider the

general world concept of lending. Students begin to discuss the importance of lending as having

significant value to it, by example, this object or creature that has personal value and meaning for me

will require signify the act of caring by the person I choose to lend it to. The idea that God expects a

human to respond with a demonstration of caring is significant as the group of students is Christian

and on the whole Catholic. They reflect on the omnipresence of God when they say snap and the

dog would appear.

The teacher is acting in the role of participant here by presenting potential grounds for so

many runaway dogs. As this inquiry activity draw to a close, a student asks an important question

that could have led to profound explorations of the ideas held by participants about the religious and

community issue of learning. At the end of this sample, the teacher, aware of time constraints,

mentally acknowledges that time limit is about to reach an end. Although inquiry recognizes that

significant ideas of participants can be revealed with patient attendance to the topic from various

perspectives, time is always a limitation, so it inadvertently influenced the revelation by Student #12.

Note that one goal of this inquiry is to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of this process. One point

is to consider time restraints and their potential impact on the process. For example, with more time

to explore issues, the class could in the future return to this point and reflect further on its

significance.

Sample 5 - class dialogue leads to more text connections and societal experiences


#10 Well she ran away, but then she found, I found her. The teacher So she came back. 10 & others Yup. Um. Well. The teacher I think so um #15? #1 Well actually, some need like less than a day because they really need to mark

their territory like its a huge yard you might not see it for a couple of days. The teacher (laughs) it takes a long time to mark its territory. #15? Others Undetectable; Others talking over #15 #15 I had an older cat and another cat, and theyd be like they treat them like their own

children and but when the other cat died, it got really sad. The teacher Yeah. I think that thats part of the story of taking on a cat. Its also about

emotions too. Its about how you feel when you have a pet. Yeah. #17? #17 My family, we were at that movie Marley and Me like in the end like I read the

book and in the end it said like at the end that she died, but umm Marley she was afraid of thunderstorms. If you leave them alone and they like totally destroy the house

The teacher Why do you think she was afraid of thunderstorms? #1 cause of the loud noise The teacher A loud noise. Yeah. My dog is afraid too. #17 Hed destroy the house and be afraid when they find him so they just left him in

the garage. The teacher Was that better? #17 It was worse.

Sample 5 presents a situation or theme where dialogue naturally results that evolves from the

concern that students feel for rescuing animals at risk. Many students have had this experience and

can easily relate to the content. The teacher needs to quickly step into a monitoring mode and out of

leader mode to participate in the sharing so easily happening here. In this sample, Student #17 shares

a relevant text-to-text connection to a recently-viewed major motion picture about the intense work

involved in animal ownership, the ups and downs, the images, and the compelling memories.

More significantly, this sample demonstrates authentic dialogue. Dialogue is the ongoing

discussion of a concept where several perspectives and sentiments may be voiced. As well, Student

#17 extends those personal feelings when you have a pet connections by making the text-to-text

connection and furthering the concept of feelings as explored in the movie, Marley and Me. The

family placed its dog in the garage during a thunderstorm thinking that shelter would suffice; sensory

connections were made to consequences of fear experienced by pets and owners. This students

comments helped to extend the concept of pet ownership beyond love to more authentic and

complicated feelings experienced in the act of pet ownership. This sample reveals one text-to-self


connection which happens to be revealed by the teacher, but the comment could have been made by

any participant. It is neither a statement of assessment of students, nor a disruptive one.

Sample 6 - original content about caring for others comes up again at discussion end

The teacher Does anyone have a wrap up point, #12? #12 Um, well, what does sincerity mean? The teacher Sincerity means What does sincerity mean? #18 Truthfully. The teacher Truthfully, honesty, ah but it has emotion in it too. Meaning, that I really mean it.

Does that make sense? #12 Yeah. The teacher So sincerity means, so when you say sincerely you would say sincerely #12, when

you are sending a letter to someone, youre saying that I really mean this, or in friendship perhaps. Um #11?

#11 It kind of sounds like Jesus story because its like Mary, its kind of like Mary wants a dog, but then um

The teacher Or a child. #11 And then um God wants to take him back sooner than she wants

The final sample in this first transcript, Sample 6 is included, because it features a valuable

example of language bits, where the question about word meaning by one student helps to clarify

understanding for several other classmates. This query brings out a profound text-to-world

connection by Student #11 about the enduring meaning of love, of all the emotional experiences we

have when we show love, good and awful, simple and agonizing.

One approach by which these students can make appropriate text-to-world connections is to

identify points of confusion in the text they are reading. In this sample, students discuss the meaning

of sincerity, a word unknown by one student. This word has some worldly meaning that effectively

wraps up the discussion in the context of emotion and of caring for animals and rescuing ones that

need help, yet does not hold any meaning if one or more students do not recognize its significance.

At the end of the sample, Student #11 makes a reference to the Bible and also makes a social

connection for the entire group to the Christian concepts of empathy, compassion and sorrow. They

can relate more easily to these abstract words when making direct connection to the feelings

associated to caring for vulnerable creatures or loving those who will eventually be taken from us.


After the teacher gestures to students and requests a wrap-up point, this final sample of

Transcript #1 provides further evidence of politic building activity, one of James Gees building tasks

through the distribution of social goods, whereby students respond by offering ideas to conclude and

summarize their explorations. In this summation process to an inquiry activity, students may

recognize that the natural limits imposed by time upon dialogue do not necessarily simultaneously

inhibit development of thoughts and ideas; rather, they provide an open-ended option for future

personal exploration.

*** ***

Transcript 2: Students study the poem, Joys8

Sample 7-12 shared below are relevant parts of January 21sts 45-minute afternoon

class transcript because of the text-to-self connections which are significant features of the study of

this poem. Students demonstrate interest immediately because they can readily relate to a variety of

comprehensive images of personal experiences which are relevant to the purpose of the Think-Aloud

reading strategy and inquiry. This personal topic of joy is enhanced by text-to-world experiences as

well when students and teacher discuss a variety of corresponding topics relevant to the central theme

of joy, including sorrow, sharing, memories, humour, celebrations and gratitude. The issue of

sensory experiences is a central finding in this conversation. It is challenging in this lesson to

determine whether the Think-Aloud reading strategy spurs student connections or whether the

socially-situated identity of participants enables their willingness to extend knowledge of joy as an

abstract term into a more comprehensive and tacit understanding of that single emotion.

Sample 7 - Teacher establishes focus for significant and relevant student activity Speaker Session 2 January 21, 2009

Green text to text; Orange text to self; Purple text to world; Red Gestures; Blue- Dialogue; Magenta Social Language

8 Poem by Misty Mischelle Snyder (http://www.netpoets.com/poems/friends/0105002.htm)


The teacher Write down why it is interesting and what you want to share. Now, when you are thinking about sharing before I am quiet, when you are thinking about what sharing you want to do think of these things. We talked about them the other day; these are the four things that we talked about. You might choose this one (writing Authors Main Idea on board) maybe for some reason its making a connection for you. So well identify that together. You might be talking about this. (writing Activating Relevant Knowledge on board) The last time it was a rhyme. Be looking at that maybe this is interesting to you. We want to try and identify what this poem is. How is it written? How What is the pattern that theyre using #26 (The teacher signals to student to listen) to write this poem? You might decide that this is what you want to talk about. (writing Pattern of Words on board) Relevant knowledge anything that connects this poem to something you know. Relevant knowledge is also anything you think would be important for us to understand this poem more correctly or more thoroughly or more accurately. Okay. Heres another one out of the four. You might say oh (writing Trigger words on board) there is a word I dont understand or a really interesting word called a trigger word. It triggers my brain to start working. So you might use your sticky to point out a word that you want to put your hand up and talk about. And the last one is this one um this strategy that would be part of the Think Aloud would be asking a question (writing Ask a Question on board) so you might say oh it makes me want to ask a question, put up your hand and then well stop there and let you ask the question and then well try to help you together to answer that.

#1 Whats it for? The teacher Leave the yellow sticky on your desk we are going to use that later okay? #1 Keep it? The teacher Well use that in the second reading when I go quickly. Okay. #1 #1 Um all the sentences but the last two starts with a. The teacher Oh. Good point. All right. So as we go through Im not just going, Im going to

lead you but Im not going to be the only one giving ideas. Hopefully everyone can give ideas. Are you ready?

#1 Keep it on the desk. The teacher Okay here we go. A brilliant sunset. #9 #9 Um well I dont really know when to put this thing, when I first read it I went

hmmm then the second time I read it its kinda naming all the seasons The teacher Oh. So it sounds to you like its a seasons poem? Does anyone else think it was

maybe a seasons poem? #2 Christmas Something like winter, summer, springish.

Sample 7 presents how the teacher establishes the key tasks that students can focus on when

practicing the Think-Aloud reading strategy in this inquiry activity. The teacher asks students to

share ideas that are relevant to the perception of emotions and feelings by employing their generalized

text-to-world connections to relate the poem to their more personal experiences. This includes

voicing any thoughts and feelings about which students might be uncertain or only partially certain.


By understanding the process and objectives clearly, students are free to explore openly with their

thoughts, ideas and feelings.

The process of inquiry is both established practiced from the context of Lesson One. Another

of James Gees building tasks, connection-building, is demonstrated here as students are given a few

key strategies for Lesson Two; looking for rhythmic pattern of words in poetry, identifying trigger

words that are causing either confusion or understanding about the poems main idea, and asking

questions that help to make connections for individuals and the group. These are three aspects of the

Think-Aloud reading strategy. Student #9, #2, and #1 willingly share queries and ideas that

demonstrate their efforts to situate their identities most efficiently at the beginning of the activity.

In the process, the teacher responds with visual cues on the board as a way of providing tools for

students. For another example, see Transcript 2, on page 105, of the sense-making language that

occurs in a classroom where the students try to situate themselves in a way that will bring them

success and satisfaction.

Sample 8 - Students listen to and think about poem then vocalize personal and shared images

The teacher Here we go, help me out if you have more ideas. A robins song, an apple pie, a cup of coffee, a lullaby. #6?

#6 Um my mom likes to drink a lot of coffee in the morning. The teacher I do too. #4 So do I. The teacher So do you? (laughs) #1 My sister and brother do. The teacher (She instructs a student to focus). Put them away. #1 I have (closing desk drawer). The teacher Put them away (Hand on students desk, pointing to storage compartment). #1 (putting items away). The teacher Put them away now. #12. #12 I kinda thought that this one was more interesting, because it was kinda more

relaxing to me, like a lullaby and like apple pie. (laughs) The teacher This part of the poem or the whole poem? (writing relaxing on board) #12 Yeah. This part or this kinda part of the poem The teacher Is it more relaxing than the last poem? #12 What? The teacher Is it more relaxing than the last poem? #12 Well, yeah. But also this part #18 This one is, like the other one is like its really


Others (Talking over #18) The teacher But we cant hear #18. So lets attend to #18 talking so we dont interrupt #18

being taped. Okay? #18 The other one is sort of like more of a like the most joyful things and the other one

was just a collection. The text-to-text discussion initiated by Student #12 focuses on comparison to yesterdays

poem. This step allows the student to willingly offer a text-to-self connection with the content of the

poem which seems to elicit both a sensory response and a recall of personal experiences. The student

makes a relevant and individual response to the wording of the poem and identifies the feeling or

sensation that the poem draws out. Once this happens, Student #18 engages with further text-to-text

connections that develop and extend the groups concept of joy through abstract connections.

In Sample 8, as student #6, #1, #12 and #18 listen to the poem being read out loud, they begin

to develop the lessons social language as they recall sensory images from personal experiences with

coffee and lullabies that have relevance to understanding this poem. Some other students have not yet

engaged with the poem. This is evident in the way their distractive activities affect the teachers talk

which becomes authoritative and disrupts Student #18s contribution. At one point, the teacher

chuckles out loud at the idea of children loving coffee, but, within seconds also needs to work to re-

establish the lessons objective for those who are not yet engaged. The teacher needs to remind a

student to store materials in desk that might cause lack of focus on task at hand. This includes student

contributions that may be missed if students are distracted too much. As a building task, the teachers

gesture is to record accompanying visual cues for everyones reference. Such sign systems serve to

build a group commitment to the task, otherwise, the lesson may be at risk of being only partially

successful.

Sample 9 - Examples of inevitable challenges of co-construction of meaning

#17 I um forgot what I was going to say. The teacher Think about the idea, itll come back to you. #24 and #27 if youre listening to

#17 perhaps he can uh get his idea. #17 and then #26. #17 I think for some reason the fresh cut lawn cause some people are like allergic to

the smell of it, like our Mom.


The teacher So its not a joy. #17 Yeah its not really a joy. #18 No its um a not joy. The teacher Its a not joy. Well put that down I like that. Its a not joy. #26. (Writing joy; not

joy on board). #26 Well that part reminds me like in the morning time, at dawn, my dad um once he

made me come out and he made me do the lawn, but he forgot that I was allergic to grass and fresh cut grass and I get all these welts on me. So then he made me cut the grass and I was trying to tell him but he was like half away asleep.

Sample 9 also features the diversity of challenges presented by individual distractions that

may at times lead to periods of non-productivity. In this case, however, Student #17 simply forgets

an idea and the teacher responds with an invitation to join back in when the idea returns. The student

makes a text-to-world connection about the characteristics of real-life that do constitute. The student

is neither unwilling nor distracted, but momentarily unable to articulate a thought effectively. A

feature of effective discourse should be to present input in a relaxed but focused manner. In this case,

the idea that Student #17 takes a moment to formulate, it is the idiomatic concept of a not-joy

which introduces the opportunity to branch out and diversify current classroom knowledge from what

is joy by understanding what it is not, by one students interpretation, an example of joy. Although

Student #26 follows up this story by going off on a bit of a tangent about a personal allergic reaction

to fresh-cut grass, the content is relative to the not-joy experience shared by Student #17 and of

enough significance that the student chooses to share it at this time with classmates. For a further

example, please look at Transcript #2, on page 113 for similar evidence of the ways in which dialogue

captures a diversity of personal experiences about one common theme, in this case, holidays. By

focusing the inquiry activity openly on the goal of sharing ideas and essentially mapping or fleshing

out a concepts boundaries, participants can interestingly engage several others within the social

group in extending the groups perceptions of a concept.

Social language involves the use of words and phrases that encourage thinking, rethinking

and signalling a will

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DISCOURSE ANALYSIS of INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING FOR …dtpr.lib.athabascau.ca/action/download.php?... · Judith Green (1998) provide a concise account of language and cultural discourse