Differentiating for AIG Learners: Seminars Session #6

AIG Booster Shots Differentiating for AIG Learners: SeminarsSession #6

4-Minute Reflection • Create a Top-10 list of ways we can modify instruction for AIG learners. • How can we ensure that these students are challenged? • What types of questions should we be asking them?

Good, high-level questions… • Move students beyond recall and summarization. • Require evaluative thinking. • Encourage the testing and creating of new ideas. • Are open-ended and provocative.

Clarifying terms: Socratic teaching: teaching based on questions Paideia seminar: includes Socratic questioning as students apply big ideas to the world

What is a seminar? • “A collaborative, intellectual dialogue facilitated by open-ended questions about a text” • National Paideia Center

Seminar vs. class discussion

Seminar length: Short vs. long Shorter (10-15 minutes) • Analyzing a chart in math • Responding to a photograph in social studies Longer (a whole class period) • Discussing a lengthy text focused on a complex issue

What makes a good seminar text? • Thought provoking and complex • Raises important, current issues • Provides ambiguity…students can’t just agree/disagree • Invites multiple perspectives • Related to a big idea or concept (for example, progress, change, power, values, balance) • Linked to curriculum • Examples: song, image, short story, chart, speech, book

4-Minute Reflection • Brainstorm possible seminar texts related to your curriculum: • Consider a unit or two that you will be teaching soon

Opening questions: • Engage quickly with text • Open-ended • Quick responses from all • Round robin format

Examples of opening questions: • What might be a good title, or another good title, for this text? • What word or phrase in the text stands out to you? • What word or phrase would you use to describe this text? • Which person or character do you relate to more? • Given this statement, do you agree or disagree?

Core questions: • Majority of seminar • Text specific and closed • Require explanation • Reference text

Closing questions: • Application to lives and real world • Reflection on seminar itself • Revisit previous responses • Can extend to a written response

Examples of closing questions: • What does this text ultimately teach us about this issue? • What implications does this text have for us today? • What does this text make you think about in your own life? • What did you learn during this seminar?

The Giving TreeSeminar Questions Opening: Was what the boy did over time right or wrong? Core: • What did the tree give to the boy? • Did the boy give anything to the tree in return? If so, what? • Who was more giving, the tree or the boy? On what do you base your answer? • Who was more “right”? Why do you say so? Closing: Do you think you’re a giver or a taker? Why?

2-Minute Reflection • Consider the possible benefits to your students of using seminars. • What will your students gain through seminars?

Seminar success: Expectations Review before each seminar: • Speak up at least 4 times • Be willing to be uncertain • Reference the text • Respond respectfully

Seminar success: Flow • Seated in circle • Pages/lines numbered • No hand raising • Connect using statements (“I want to build on…,” I disagree because…,” I have a question about….”)

Seminar success: Evaluation • Focus on helping students develop appropriate behaviors • Map seminar using diagram of seating • Take notes as dialogue unfolds

Student behaviors to look for: • Looking at the person speaking • Speaking clearly and loudly enough • Showing concern for accuracy • Examining an issue from another’s point of view • Disagreeing respectfully • Coming up with a new idea • Asking a question • Thinking about an answer before giving it • Staying on topic

Student self-evaluation: • I came prepared for the seminar. • I was respectful toward my peers. • I listened to others give their ideas. • I kept an open mind. • I used examples from the text to explain my thinking. • I built on what was said before giving my own opinion. • I stayed on topic.

How do we know when a seminar is going well? Students are… • Referring to the text. • Asking good questions. • Changing their minds. • Encouraging one another to speak. • Piggybacking on ideas. • Laughing!

Rescuing a seminar! Review expectations and discuss the seminar process: • What are we doing well here? • What can we work on for the next few minutes? Or during our next seminar?

Adjusting participation… Consider using “talking tickets” or poker chips

When to step in: • Students are being disrespectful or hurtful • Group is operating under a misconception/confusion • Too much/too little participation • Group is off topic

3-Minute Reflection • Think about the strategies for managing a seminar: • Which will be most useful to you? • What other strategies can you use to make seminars successful?

Upcoming AIG Booster Shots • Concept-based teaching • Concept Development

Differentiating for AIG Learners: Seminars Session #6