Academic Discourse: 4 Key Aspects

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Academic Discourse Barbara Blackburn
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When we think about traditional student talk and academic discourse, whether it is in response to a teacher’s question, discussion with other students or generating questions, there are common problems.

In recent years, the conversation has shifted from classroom talk and discussion to student discourse. What exactly is the difference? Student discourse is focused on “on-task” talk, as well as the use of academic vocabulary. In other words, not only is discourse more rigorous, it is more purposeful. There are four strategies you can use to increase discourse in your classroom.

Aspect One: Critical Thinking
Simple, low-level conversations should be, at best, a minor part of your classroom. Although there is a time and place for basic information, it should always lead to higher-level, critical thinking.

Aspect Two:  Reflection Encouragement
Reflection should be an ongoing part of discourse. Students should self-reflect, which then results in partner or group reflection. Students may need starter prompts to guide the reflective process.

Aspect Three:  Classroom Norms
If we want to incorporate discourse into our classroom, we cannot assume that it will automatically occur. In addition to teaching students what to discuss, we need to provide and teach a set of norms explaining how to discuss.

Aspect Four:  Student Participation
As we said earlier, a challenge you likely face is when a few students dominate discussions, whether it is in the whole class or in small groups or pairs. When you are guiding a whole class discussion, you can minimize this by calling on a variety of students, regardless of who raises their hands. You can also provide an opportunity to share with a partner before you ask for answers as a whole group, which encourages participation. In small groups, if you have issues with particular students and an individual conversation does not take care of the issue, you might consider using a timer or a timekeeper to limit the amount of time each student can speak or using tokens to be used for each comment. When a student runs out of tokens, they are no longer allowed to speak. Although neither of these is ideal, since they inhibit conversation, it may be necessary to ensure all students can participate. A related challenge to participation is when students get stuck or don’t know what to say, and therefore, they don’t say anything. In this case, we want to encourage students, which we can do by providing question starters. The goal is for other students to ask the starter questions so that the group can continue its discussion.

Adapted From: https://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780205627585/downloads/Echevarria_math_Ch1_TheAcademicLanguageofMathematics.pdf

 A Final Note
Academic discourse is a critical part of your classroom, but there are four key aspects to consider.  Critical thinking, reflection, norms, and participation facilitate discourse rather than simple conversation. 

  1. WNEP – Taking the Classroom Outdoors
  2. edCircuit – 3 Ways to Use Exit Slips in Your Classroom

Authors and Participants

  • Barbara R. Blackburn

    Barbara R. Blackburn, Ph.D., a Top 30 Global Guru, is a best-selling author of 30 books, including the bestseller Rigor is NOT a Four-Letter Word, Rigor for Students with Special Needs, Seven Strategies for School Improvement and the Rigor in the Remote Classroom.   An internationally recognized expert in the areas of rigor, motivation and leadership, she regularly collaborates with schools and districts for on-site and online professional development.  Barbara can be reached through her website: www.barbarablackburnonline.com.

  • Abbigail Armstrong

    Abbigail Armstrong, co-author of the upcoming books Rigor in the K-5 Math and Science Classroom and Rigor in the 6-12 Math and Science Classroomhas seen the challenges of impoverished children; she lived through it. She overcame early challenges to become a veteran public school teacher. She received her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Gardner-Webb University in 2010. Building on her classroom experiences and specializations in math, content literacy, and middle level education, she became a professor at Winthrop University in 2005.

    She now teaches undergraduate courses in the Middle Level Education Program, and graduate courses in the Master of Arts in Teaching program, the Middle Level Education master's program, and in the Curriculum and Instruction specialty program. She supervises elementary and middle school student teachers, and collaborates with area schools on special projects. Dr. Armstrong has worked on several projects involving assessing rigor in schools and program evaluation. She also has a strong background in working with at-risk students, particularly those from a poverty background. She has worked with Dr. Blackburn for ten years, and is a skilled presenter who brings a real-life, down-to-earth perspective to her presentations. Participants are most excited about her practical approach and hands-on learning.

  • Melissa Miles

    Co-author of the upcoming books, Rigor in the K-5 Language Arts and Social Studies Classroom and Rigor in the 6-12 Language Arts and Social Studies Classroom, Melissa Miles is currently back in the classroom teaching middle school Language Arts. Previously, she was the Director of Educational Resources at a K-8 school in Charlotte, NC, where she served as supervisor to tutors, coordinator of resources for students with special needs, curriculum and pacing guide developer, and a resource leader for faculty. She has eighteen years of classroom teaching experience in grades 5-8. Melissa holds an undergraduate degree in Middle Level Education with a concentration in English and also holds a Master’s degree in Middle Level Education with a concentration in Language Arts. She is also credentialed as a National Board-Certified teacher for young adolescents, works as a SpringBoard Curriculum consultant to College Board, and is a certified member of the site visitation team for the “Schools to Watch” award. Melissa served as Dr. Blackburn’s editorial and research assistant for Classroom Motivation from A to Z, Classroom Instruction from A to Z, Literacy from A to Z, and Rigor is Not a Four-Letter Word. Her workshops are filled with humor, practical content, and a focus on student ownership of learning.

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