Dr Cynthia Greenleaf - Developing in Digital Worlds

Developing in Digital Worlds with Cynthia Greenleaf!!

Setting Discussion Norms 

• It is important to set discussion norms in your classroom. "How we support each other in the classroom" - Can co-construct with your class.
• Changeable 
• Can be added to over time. 

Those who do the reading, thinking and talking are the ones doing the learning. 

How do we get a dialogic argumentation? 
Allow students to engaged in texts that pose different ideas. Allow students to engage in discussions where they have to justify their ideas.

Slip or Trip Example:

Discuss in small groups.
Find evidence explain its importance.

Skill: Make a claim, can find evidence, can't link the two with critically reasoning.

Go Meta! - Metacognitive, go meta with our relationships

Refine our norm! - What supports collaborative argumentation? (Positive rules)

Think about online discussions? Students are in a world where they can talk online in many different forums. Are we allowing students to have opportunities to negotiate social norms?

Online forums create distances between those interacting and talking - we are unable to read facial cues and gestures.

https://www.readingapprenticeship.org/


Next Steps for myself:
What about another point of view? How could you use the point to support your argument?

Selective Bias -
Argumentation writing- Show all perspectives, weigh them up and then come to a conclusion.

Getting students to be comfortable with the 'unsolved' with wonderings. No right or wrong answer

Provocation/ Picture Idea!

Once a week where students have to respond and contest their beliefs. Could upload to the class blog. Students could write their response??- Do with Sally!

Could review their conversations 'go meta' or 'analyze evidence'.

MIT Tool

As the end of the year creeps up, I have been thinking about my 'Tool' for my MIT Inquiry. This year I have explored multiple options and ideas- each with its own advantages and disadvantages. I have to constantly take myself back to my problem; Student achievement in literacy. As my students have begun making accelerated progress I have reflected on the what? and how? What has made this shift and how has it helped them. I have changed many aspects of my literacy programme this year to suit the needs of my learners. The biggest change has been the use of argumentation boards to prompt critical literacy, critical reasoning and evaluating texts at a deeper level, and also my pedagogy has developed through my developing digital worlds PD.

Tool: 

My tool idea has been to create a resource bank of Argumentation Boards- to allow other teachers to use the resources that are already made. Sometimes the problem for teachers to give it a go is they don't know where to start. So I am wanting to have a place where the can view and copy our argumentation boards. 

Hurdles: 

- How will the site update? How can I ensure that it is added too?

- How can I ask other teachers for their resources to add to it?

- Should I include reflections on each argumentation board... What worked? 

- Could I add question cards as a resource? 

Observation of Reciprocal Reading

Today I went and observed Dani and a reciprocal reading group. 

What I noticed: 

Dani encouraged the student to ask questions to each other opposed to her

Encouraging them to google unknown words or answers to questions they have. 

The Boss 

The Predictor 

The Clarifier 

The Questioner 

The Summarise 

The boss sits at the top of the table. The teacher sits as part of the group. This was a big take away for me as I am trying to move away from being the center- and I think where I choose to sit is an important aspect. 

The students did a great job of asking questions and answering them. My students are currently writing down questions but I wonder if they should just ask each other. My focus is to get the students to think about the text- maybe there isn't much point getting them to write it down??

It was great for me to see what year 7/8 students are doing so that I can see the next steps for some of my students. I went away thinking I need to play more of a guiding role as opposed to being at the center of my reciprocal reading groups. I am finding it hard to juggle proving teaching and also letting them think for themselves and run the session. Dani had the balance perfect! 

Also as students used a strategy it is important to name the strategy. Dani told the students when they used different reading strategies- This would be extremely beneficial to my students so that they actually know and understand what strategies they are using.

This, with my argumentation focus, would help me create a strong reading programme for the rest of the year! And will hopefully see some accelerated progress :)  

Digital Worlds Session Four

Modeling and explicitly teaching the strategies to answer a multi-choice test

Reflection on making critical reading visible -

-We talked about how our students only read half the answers when doing multi-choice, they just click keywords they see without checking.

We talked about using comprehension short text, multichoice to develop these skills.

Disturbing students thinking

Choose an opposing

Organise prompt cards/signs

Get the students to argue with each other. This prevents the T:S:T response. We are wanting more S:S talking.

Get them to find a text to find out.

Look at the texts- this will tell you a lot about their searching skills

Take the texts (They gave to you) and make an argumentation board.

Get them talking use prompts

THEN Go Meta! (Reflect about what you are thinking/ metacognitive)

Next Steps: Fake News Inquiry Enactment

Idea for next class on-air episode.