The document discusses strategies for effective classroom discussions based on the Constructive Classroom Conversations (CCC) model from Stanford University. It outlines some of the challenges students face in discussions, such as lack of background knowledge or academic vocabulary. The solution is to consistently teach discussion norms and vocabulary, model discussions using various tools, and provide rubrics to assess students. Resources like discussion prompts, vocabulary posters, and transcripts can help build students' discussion skills.

1. Constructive Conversations
in the Classroom, Based
on the CCS
Presentation by Veronica Noyce
ELD Resource Instructor
Based on Experiences, Assignments, and Material from Online
Course through Stanford University, Constructive Classroom
Conversations: Mastering Language for College and Career
Readiness (Elementary)
https://novoed.com/classroom-conversations-elementary-fall-2014

4. THE PROBLEM:
Students may not fully understand the purpose for discussion, or the rules for
engagement. They may also lack the background knowledge, experience,
academic vocabulary, and in some cases, the socialization required to do so.
Cultural norms and proficiency with the English language also play
a part in their ability to converse.
“Fostering students’ respect for one another and nurturing an open, trusting classroom community are also
necessary to build a classroom culture of conversation for learning…while respect tends to be near the top of
most schools’ citizenship norms, it doesn’t always exist in practice. In some school and classroom
environments, there does not seem to be a climate to foster collaborative conversations.”
~Cultivating Constructive Conversations in Every Lesson: Inquiries, Insights, & Ideas

5. THE SOLUTION:
1.Consistently teach norms and vocabulary
2. Model discussions (using various tools)
3. Teach students to re-voice, re-state, and use reason
to create structured conversations
4. Provide rubrics for discussions and assess based on those rubrics
This video from the Teaching Channel is one of many great online resources to see discussion skills building in action.

6. Discussion prompt cards can be used at any level.

7. Frontload Discussion Vocabulary-
Using Visual Definitions!
This should include an explanation of the discussion
skill, and its relationship to the content being discussed.
See the examples below:
Think through what
you say or do

8. Some tools for recording
academic discussions
Prepare students for accountability by showing
them that they may be recorded, let them listen
and reflect. As the teacher, make sure to get
school, parent, and student permission to use
recording/video of their engagement. Listen to
recordings, and observe one discussion at a
time to fine tune future lessons.

9. The Four Constructive
Conversation Skills
This poster is a great resource to help the teacher and students prepare for
academic conversations that build on an idea, and provides vocabulary as well!

10. This is a poster with
associated discussion cards
and sentence starters that
can help students move
through discussions based
on Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Also provides the vocabulary
needed to get the
conversations going in an
academic and meaningful
way.
NEW SCHOOL CLASSROOM
POSTER - Questions for
Building Your Brainpower

11. Finally, apply the conversation skills (Speaking and Listening
Standards) to the content being taught. Provide a rubric for the
students, and assess them for the skill as well as the content.
Here is an example of a basic rubric. Student self-assessments can be used as well. This
can assist students with accountability and teachers with assessing discussion skills.

12. Sample Transcript from Partner Conversation, 3rd Grade
Subject Area / Topic:
Reading Comprehension, Realistic Fiction/Clarify
Text Using Visuals and Vocabulary
Grade Level(s):
3rd Grade ELLs
Objective:
Listening/Speaking: The students will demonstrate
understanding of oral communications by:
summarizing main ideas/concepts and supporting
details from text (fiction and nonfiction) in complete
sentences.
Reading: The students will demonstrate knowledge
of reading comprehension by: identifying and
describing the plot (specific events, problems and
solutions) from a fictional text (this supported by
use of visual information for clarification).
Prompt:
"In your discussions, use the text illustrations and
the sentence starters to clarify and talk about the
ideas from the selection, What’s Best For Red?.
What is the problem presented? How do the
characters solve it?"
In "What's Best for Red?" by Casey Eggars,
the premise is about a class project in the
works for a fictional group of students, who
must select a plant, flower or vegetable, and
grow it in class garden for use. They must
decide what kind of plant to grow that bears
a red fruit or vegetable.

13. Participants:
Student A
Female; Grade 3; Language Proficiency: Beginner; Primary Language: Spanish
Student B
Female; Grade 3; Language Proficiency: Beginner; Primary Language: Tagalog
Discourse:
(1) Student A: I remember that the students in the other groups wanted flowers for their
project, but that the last group wanted a red plant.
(2) Student B: Yes...and, the boy was like "What is best for red?", so the students in his
group talked about different plants with red fruits or vegetables.
(3) Student A: What was the fruit or vegetable they said? (Looks at the book)
(4) Student B: It was a beet. Beets are not fruits, they are roots.
(5) Student A: The boy wanted to make pie or jam with beets (laughs), but the others
thought it was yucky!
(6) Student B: Here the boy thought cherries, but the teacher said it would take too
long to grow. Why did he say that?
(7) Student A: The picture shows the kids are old now, under the tree. They would be
too old!
(8) Student B: That's when they decided on berries that are red, like raspberries and
strawberries. They picked strawberries.
(9) Student A: Yes, because they are easy to grow, and make pies and jam. The teacher
says yes, and that is how they solved the problem.
(10) Student B: Then the students had new plants for the garden after they were done
​(with the project).

14. Conversation Analysis Tool from Stanford Online Course
If you had scored this transcript, what rationale
would you give for your score? Discuss.

15. Conversation Analysis Tool from Stanford Online Course
If you had scored this transcript, what rationale
would you give for your score? Discuss.

16. Takeaways…
 A constructive classroom conversation is one in which two students, or a group, discuss
what they learned from content, based on a lesson-related prompt, and using a conversation
skill (such as clarification) to show understanding and build on learning.
 This conversation should meet the Common Core Standards for Career and College
Readiness, as articulated by grade-level, therefore must be developmentally appropriate.
 A constructive conversation looks like two or more students, at various proficiency levels,
discussing a topic in depth. They are using a conversation skill (such as negotiation for
meaning, clarification, fortify, or create), to elaborate and build on the conversation. Their
body language is receptive (looking at the speaker, nodding when appropriate, showing
interest), and they are displaying respectful behavior, following pre-determined norms for
academic discussion.
 Their interactions meet the objective(s) and build toward new learning--in other words, they
expand on an idea for the purpose of meaningful engagement and synthesis, to reach
greater understanding (thus mastery) of a topic.
 These interactions occur with little or no teacher input or intervention, and provide
authentic evidence of new learning.

17. Resources and Citation for This Presentation (In order shown)
IMAGES/VIDEO:
• Teachers Pay Teachers Resource- https://www.pinterest.com/explore/listening-rules/
• Elementary Discussion Group- www.gettyimages.com
• Classroom Image- www.pval.org
• Talk Moves: Developing Communication Skills- (TSK Website)
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/developing-communication-skills
• Accountable Discussions- Discussion Cards (The Teacher Toolkit Website)
http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/accountable-discussions
• Student Led Discussion Prompts- (Ms . KinBK Blog)
http://misskinbk.blogspot.com/2013/10/student-led-discussion-prompts-freebie.html
• Class Discussion Protocol and Rubrics on Pinterest-
http://www.pinterest.com/asiakinshasha/class-discussion-protocol/
• Technology Education on Pinterest-
http://www.pinterest.com/lisadgogo/technology-education/
• Constructive Skills Poster- http://aldnetwork.org/sites/default/files/pictures/1%204convo_skills_poster-PDF.pdf
• QUESTIONS-Building the Foundation for Critical Thinking (via Pintarest)
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/278801033156048283/
ARTICLES and DOCUMENTS:
• Common Core Standards for Speaking and Listening: Common Core State Standards for ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ART S & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, 2010. PDF, pp.23-24
• Cultivating Constructive Conversations in Every Lesson: Inquiries, Insights, & Ideas (Stanford University)
PDF article by Jeff Zwiers, Sara Rutherford-Quach, Hsiaolin Hsieh, Diego Roman, & Kenji Hakuta, Understanding
Language Initiative/ OELA/NPD/December, 2013. Quote from pp. 2-3
https://stanford.app.box.com/s/tovx5uef4f9g1yxwcvl8
• Sheltered Instruction Strategies That Actually Work for All Students, by Suzanne Kaplan and Alisa Leckie, 2009
Adobe Acrobat PDF document
• CAT Tool Example: Constructive Classroom Conversations MOOC, Stanford University, Hakuta,
Zwiers, Rutherford-Quach, 2013.