“When I engage in dialogue, I recognize that those I speak with are equal to me, and I work from the assumption that they hold within them wisdom, knowledge, ideas, and gifts.” That line from Jim Knight’s book Unmistakable Impact highlights the power of dialogue as a vehicle to learn from the people around us.
The value of discussions can hardly be overstated. They allow students to:
- Articulate their ideas
- Ask questions
- Learn from different perspectives
- Make connections
- Think critically about new information and ideas
- Receive validation from their peers
The act of telling or explaining what they know cements students’ understanding of concepts. Conversely, struggling students benefit from hearing their peers’ ideas, opinions, and explanations. Even the opportunity to ask questions can help students to begin to deconstruct challenging ideas or concepts.
I wholeheartedly believe that the potential of the group far exceeds the intellect of any one individual in the classroom–myself included. Despite my passionate belief that discussions are an integral part of the learning process, early in my teaching career I failed at generating successful equitable discussions in class. I asked follow up questions, used “wait time” and employed a variety of other strategies designed to lure students into discussion, but the same five kids dominated discussions and everyone else remained silent.
There are a variety of impediments to real-time discussions that result in excluding a majority of students from participating. This lack of equity in real-time discussions creates an imbalance that can be corrected when discussions take place asynchronously online. This asynchronous environment provides something in-class discussion can’t: time.
For the last three years, I’ve used Schoology’s robust discussion functionality to facilitate online discussions to complement our in-class conversations. This online space gives every single student the opportunity to engage in our class dialogue.
Most students need time to process information before responding to a question. Yet in traditional classrooms, time is a luxury most teachers do not have. In her article “Effective Classroom Discussions,” Selma Wasserman describes the common teacher experience: “So much to be done! So little time! The pressure on teachers to get everything done by the end of the school day is formidable. That race with the clock often forces teachers to speed up lessons and makes them lose patience with students who need more time to say what’s on their minds.”
Wassermann identifies a key conflict in the classroom: the race against the clock to cover curriculum versus the desire to give students a voice in class discussions. She accurately depicts the frustration many teachers face when attempting to incorporate dynamic discussions into their classrooms.
When teachers introduce an online avenue where students are able to express their thoughts outside the time crunch of a normal school day, all students can have a voice in the class. This equity of voice fosters relationship building, increases participation and encourages deeper engagement.
For those teachers who are frustrated with the quality of in-class discussions, I’d encourage you to explore how blending asynchronous online discussions with small group in-class conversations can lead to more powerful students interactions and deeper learning.
My first book, Blended Learning in Grades 4-12, provides concrete resources for creating a safe space online, building an online community, designing dynamic discussion questions, and supporting students in saying something substantial online.
17 Responses
Hi Caitlin,
Thank you for this post. My school uses Google Classroom and I am wondering if Google Classroom can be used to facilitate online discussions. I will be trying this for the first time this semester. Any additional tips for a first timer? I am thinking about using on line discussions to facilitate additional discussions about their Literature Circle book(s).
Hi Alexis,
You can definitely use Google Classroom to facilitate discussions about their individual literature circle books. I’d suggest you create an assignment in Google Classroom for each book group and they can post their discussion comments below the assignment directions. It isn’t the most robust discussion functionality, but it works. Here is a link to a blog that shares 3 strategies for using Google Classroom for discussion.
Catlin
Yes! We are lucky enough to have Schoology as well, and I do find this technique to be unsurpassed for bringing normally quiet voices into classroom discussion. Sometimes I will hold an ongoing discussion throughout a couple of classes. I have students post as their opening activity, then respond as their closing activity at the end of the class. I’ll have them respond again at the start of the next class and respond again to add new information at the close of the next class.
One tip I’ve found very helpful in helping students make effective posts is requiring them to end their first post with an original, open-ended question for the whole class. This means I had to give a quick lesson on what constitutes an open-ended question, but it makes it much easier for students to respond when the initial post ends with an open-ended question.
Also, if they do participate in live small group discussions during class, the groups can generate questions and post them in the online discussion for further contemplation.
Thank you for sharing your experience and strategies, Molleen!
I also have my kids end their posts with what I call an “exit strategy” that invites peers to answer a question, share a connection, reach a different conclusion, etc. It definitely improves the quality of replies to peers!
Catlin
[…] 'When I engage in dialogue, I recognize that those I speak with are equal to me, and I work from the assumption that they hold within them wisdom, knowledge, ideas, and gifts.' That line from Jim Knight's book Unmistakable Impact highlights […]
[…] Blend Online and In-Class Discussions: Tucker states that one of the impediments to discussion is time! One means of encouraging students to talk with one another is to provide them with an avenue to do so outside of the classroom, giving students time to process the material through platforms with a discussion function like Schoology. For ELA teachers, I also really like Tucker’s Shakespeare Soundtrack Project, where students use the Schoology discussion board to create a soundtrack for the play and can respond to each other’s choices. […]
Before I had technology, I would use a class list or seating chart to check off the names of each student as they participated. For students who had not participated during the beginning of the period, I would specifically call on each to give their thoughts or opinions. For some students I might ask them to elaborate on their statements by giving examples or more comments. For the student who had a lot to say, I might ask that particular student, “Please let other students comment who hadn’t said anything yet. If we have time left in class after everyone has commented, then you can continue your comments.” Absent or missing students are called on when they return. First, other students review what was discussed when they we absent.
[…] Blended learning is a powerful approach. How many times do you remember as a student or remember a friend who needed to review the materials covered for the week? Students, like adults, are different types of learners and some students may need additional resources to grasp certain concepts. For example, in a hybrid blended environment, teachers can record their lessons and make them available online for students to review. Teachers can also pre-record parts of their lessons and move around the classroom to interact with students as they are working on assignments at their own pace. It one way easy way to “flip the classroom” for your students. Do you have any student experts in your class? Students can record themselves explaining a math problem or how to use a graphic organizer for reports. Having the students actively participate in peer learning is a great way to help everyone learn. Some useful blended learning teacher blogs posts include: Jaclyn Calder – Blended Learning and Catlin Tucker – Blended Online Classroom Discussions. […]
[…] Blended learning is a powerful approach. How many times do you remember as a student or remember a friend who needed to review the materials covered for the week? Students, like adults, are different types of learners and some students may need additional resources to grasp certain concepts. For example, in a hybrid blended environment, teachers can record their lessons and make them available online for students to review. Teachers can also pre-record parts of their lessons and move around the classroom to interact with students as they are working on assignments at their own pace. It one way easy way to “flip the classroom” for your students. Do you have any student experts in your class? Students can record themselves explaining a math problem or how to use a graphic organizer for reports. Having the students actively participate in peer learning is a great way to help everyone learn. Some useful blended learning teacher blogs posts include: Jaclyn Calder – Blended Learning and Catlin Tucker – Blended Online Classroom Discussions. […]
I think this is an excellent way to keep students engaged, motivated, and on task. Thanks for such a great content!
My school uses Google Classroom and I am wondering if Google Classroom can be used to facilitate online discussions. I will be trying this for the first time this semester. Any additional tips for a first timer?
You can definitely use Google Classroom for online discussions, but the functionality is really a simple threaded conversation. I use Schoology because I want my students to be able to reply to one another’s posts and engage with each other in a more dynamic way. I use Google Classroom to disseminate and collect assignment, post announcements, etc. but it is not my choice for online discussions. Hopefully, this is an area of Google Classroom that will develop over time.
Catlin
You can set a Google Classroom question so that students can respond to one another. We’re reflecting on a research project and going to try tomorrow,
, Great post!
[…] Blended learning is a powerful approach. How many times do you remember as a student or remember a friend who needed to review the materials covered for the week? Students, like adults, are different types of learners and some students may need additional resources to grasp certain concepts. For example, in a hybrid blended environment, teachers can record their lessons and make them available online for students to review. Teachers can also pre-record parts of their lessons and move around the classroom to interact with students as they are working on assignments at their own pace. It one way easy way to “flip the classroom” for your students. Do you have any student experts in your class? Students can record themselves explaining a math problem or how to use a graphic organizer for reports. Having the students actively participate in peer learning is a great way to help everyone learn. Some useful blended learning teacher blogs posts include: Jaclyn Calder – Blended Learning and Catlin Tucker – Blended Online Classroom Discussions. […]
Approaches intended to lure scholars into conversation, but the similar kids dominated deliberations and everybody else continued soundless.
A Blended learning approach is an effective method. It opens up a way for continued reflection and future learning and conversation.
These conversation can be held during small groups, to whole class discussion and beyond the class setting such as to during family discussion.
How so? It could be as simple Assign/give an heads-up to students/families the topic for Next Day where the conversation starts. (starting discussion)
To have meaningful and effective discussion were many participate, can be such a challenge. How do we create a shift?? First, start by asking the person who readily shares thoughts, opinions, outcomes they could be asked to share instead of outcomes, what Strategy used(talk through steps) in other words, how did you get there.
(2) Limit comments to 30 seconds or less (challenge) This helps the rest of the audience who may be a bit shy, quiet, or nervous to know that commenting can be brief and doable. In fact, this method eliminate or minimize the need to compare comments/participation which when done create the space for more commenting/participation with effort on the conductor Why? because it’s student led
(3) Instructor cannot share too much word-wise, over tax the brain (All discussions no more that 30 mins)
(4) Spend extended time on the introduction portion of a lesson making it bite-size for commenting
(5) Be and make all discussion conversational (pause) and pleasantly directing eyes/attention to Artwork.
(6) Ask for comment and thoughts 30 seconds or less
(7) Make reference to source material and in summary
(8) Always have a form of Summary at the end of each Material and/or at intervals of lesson learnt along the way(PAUSE) allow for think time and participation No wrong answers. (What do you think and what lesson learnt)
(9)Have and make learning enjoyable(fun)
(10)Use project based learning and think of group participation and conducting as an Orchestra alongside its conductor!
One of the most compelling ways to do these steps is to let or have a demo video do the talking of (how and what does a well modeled session) looks like. Save and share to each for use as a guide, resource, and reference video. Model an entire day or a typical day varying the topic throughout.
Another option is to give those students/participants a jump-start by assigning them ahead of time prepared comments from the day/night before or way ahead of time thus making room for practice.
They raise their hand or call on them and they participate/share their prepared comments freely.
All above comments can be done virtual or otherwise
Thanks for reading,
Blending Learning is a new interactive way for students to work and develop their potential, make their point of view known to others and enrich themselves with the comments of their peers. It shows us other ways in which students who are not used to participate are encouraged to share their voice.