Did the teacher establish talk routines that empower students to debate, reflect and analyze a particular concept or topic?

Why does this matter?

It's a safe bet that the Nobel Prize–winning chemist and peace activist Linus Pauling didn't arrive at all of his good ideas by remaining silent. Chances are very good that there was a lot of talk going on at his Caltech lab as he and his colleagues worked out the problem of electronegativity and its relationship to ionic bonds between atoms. (Talk about academic discourse!) Of course, this didn't occur in an unruly or chaotic environment; the learning goals and social rules of conversations were just as important there as in any classroom. - Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey and Carol Rothenberg

Talk routines or discussion protocols invite students to value different perspectives and find new insights. Protocols make room for listening as well as contributing to the discussion. Following guidelines for time keeping, turn taking, and focusing on the topic are essential to a productive discussion. These are not skills that come naturally to students and must be explicitly taught in order to achieve mastery.

What does this look like in a classroom?

• Students should be familiar with the established discussion protocols or be explicitly taught how to utilize new discussion protocols.

• Students should be able to engage in independent discussions independent of the teacher.

• Questioning and discussion should be used as techniques to deepen student understanding rather than serve as recitation, or a verbal “quiz.

• Students’ responses to questions are valued; effective teachers are especially adept at responding to and building on student responses and making use of their ideas.

• High-quality questions encourage students to make connections among concepts or events previously believed to be unrelated and to arrive at new understandings of complex material.

• Students are challenged to explain their thinking and to cite specific text or other evidence

• Students are expected to formulate their own questions

• Effective teachers also pose questions for which they do not know the answers.

The two resources below may help:

Discussion Protocol Video

Discussion Protocols "Making Thinking Visible"

What does this look like in a remote learning context?

• Teacher utilizes an online platform that enables students to hold discussions either verbally or written with one another.

• Teachers make sure that discussion prompts are actually discussion prompts and not a regular assignment in disguise.

• "List three reasons why X happened. Justify your answers from the text" isn't actually a discussion prompt. It's a question that the student answers and then walks away having proved to the instructor that they read the book.

• If you want students to discuss why X happened, phrasing the prompt in a way that opens the door for discussion, such as:

"Based on the text, what do you think is the most logical reason that X happened? Explain your reasoning. Reply to at least two other classmates who suggested different reasons and explain whether or not you think that both reasons could have influenced X. Make sure to reply appropriately to anyone who replies substantively to any of your posts."

The two resources below might help:

Using Online Tools For Discussion

Remote Teaching Good Practices

What are some key PD resources related to this topic?

Procedures for Classroom Talk

Structured Student Talk

What are special considerations / resources for Multilingual / English Language Learners?

The two resources below can be very helpful:

ELL Tips Question and Discussion

Best Practice ELL Instruction

How is this related to CR-SE? (Culturally Responsive /Sustaining Education)

Culturally responsive- sustaining education is grounded in a cultural view of learning and human development in which multiple expressions of diversity (e.g, race, social class, gender, language, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, ability) are recognized as assets for teaching and learning. Effective classroom discussions incorporate the knowledge and skills that students already possess and leverage them in classroom discussions to improve student skills.

How is this related to the Supportive Environment Framework / Social-Emotional Learning?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. The ability to effectively communicate is critical to this development.