Authentic Conversation in the Classroom

Submitted by Frank Champine on 03/11/2008

This idea can be used in most any classroom where students have the skills of independent reading.  Where students are weak in this area, some differentiated strategies may be necessary.

Select a editorial from your local newspaper, better a commentary.  Notice at the bottom of the article you will find the email address of the writer. This is critical. Hook the students by asking open-ended questions about the theme or topic of the article. Develop strategies to open the reading in a deeper fashion. Example: Have students decide on one word that captures the meaning of the article. Place that word in the center of the circle and have students find supporting evidence from the article to enhance the Big Idea of the article. (See K. Gallagher's Deeper Reading: Comprehending Challenging Texts, 4-12 for more strategies.) Have students form teams and begin a free discussion of their "Power Word" and why they feel the article targets that idea. This sharpens students argumentation skills.

Next move the class into a large circle and conduct a Socratic Seminar on the questions you develop that require students to support their responses from the article. (Search this site for more information on how to run a Socratic Seminar.) This helps deepen the meaning of the big ideas discovered by the other students and it provides students with time to reflect and revise their own thinking. Allow 15 minutes for the discussion.  Keep teacher input to only asking questions or clarifying active listening responses.  Ask students to evaluate the seminar and see if their is a conclusion that can be drawn from the reading and the discussion.

Finally, have students write a response to the author of the article. This provides a meaningful method and motivation to enter into the writing process to develop a publishable response. Allow students to Email their response or questions to the author and to you the teacher.  This authentic writing provides purpose to the assignment, it puts student work in the public domain, and it provides students with a sense of civic involvement - participating in the flow of ideas in the real world.

 

  

 

Subject:   Vocational and Technical  Social Studies  Science  Library and Technology  Family and Consumer Science  English / Language Arts
Grade Level:  University  Middle School  High School  Elementary  Adult