This document discusses using Accountable Talk to promote literacy in ESL students. Accountable Talk involves students leading class discussions and justifying their ideas with evidence. It shifts the focus from students answering the teacher to discussing information together. Research shows peer interaction is critical for literacy development and engagement. The document provides examples of how teachers can support ESL students' participation, such as using sentence frames to scaffold discussions. Teachers should present language objectives and provide prompts to help ESL students engage in academic conversations.

1. Promoting Literacy through Conversation Workshop IV: ESL & Accountable Talk Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

2. Minute Reflection Please take a few minutes to respond on the discussion post labeled “Workshop IV Minute Reflection.” What experience have you had teaching ESL students? If you have taught such students before, what was the experience like? What did you find to be the most challenging? The most rewarding? If you have never worked with an ESL student, what do you think the experience would be like? What would be challenging for you? Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

3. Consider this… Although they need to learn the specific skills and strategies involved in critical thinking and discussion, native English speakers come to school with the necessary vocabulary to compare & contrast, interpret, evaluate, and describe. So, how do teachers include students whose linguistic background has not exposed them to the vocabulary needed to engage in academic discussion in English? Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

5. Students are taught to lead the class discussion of material presented to them.

6. The focus shifts from students feeding information back to the teacher to students discussing the information together.

7. Students are required to justify their ideas with verifiable evidence and respond to each other’s opinions. Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

9. Teacher-centered lessons are not the most effective means of ensuring that students develop effective speaking, writing, reading and listening skills. -Pitcher & Mackey, (2004), p. 81-82. Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

10. As dedicated educators, we… want all ourstudents to develop the listening, speaking, writing and reading skills necessary to function in the 21st century world. want ESL students to be able to use English for effective communication as well as learning content material. Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

11. Reflection Take a moment to consider this quote before answering the questions on the following slide. “Even in the very best of classrooms, the ones in which teachers ask sophisticated questions of ESL students and provide prompts to guide these students’ thinking, learning is stunted without peer interactions.” -Fisher, Frey & Rothenberg, p. 2 - Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

14. listen, speak, read and write in English.

15. learn & think critically about material that is taught and presented in English. -Fisher, Frey & Rothenberg, p.2 Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

17. Therefore, ESL students typically understand more than they can verbally express.

18. The peer and teacher interaction involved in Accountable Talk exposes these students to the language they need to develop while they participate in a supportive, group environment.-Fisher, Frey & Rothenberg, p. 5 Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

19. Supporting ESL Students’ Participation in Accountable Talk Sentence frames can help ESL learners bridge the academic communication gap. They provide a framework into which ESL students can “plug” their ideas. enable them “to focus on the content while they practice academic language.” support them until their academic productive language skills develop to the appropriate level. -Fisher, Frey & Rothenberg, p. 4-5 Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

21. Presenting the Use of Sentence Frames to Students Make students aware of the objective for each type of language they will use in academic discussions. Create and display “prompt” posters to be referred to during guided instruction. Model use of each frame with gradual release of responsibility. Provide frames for each type of thinking involved in learning. -Fisher, Frey & Rothenberg, p. 2-5 . -Fisher, Frey & Rothberg, p. Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

22. examples The following slides give examples of sentence starters presented in a “language of learning” poster and an “Accountable Talk” poster. Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

23. Language of Learning Poster Language ObjectiveWhat is it? What does it sound like? Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

24. -Adapted from Fisher, Frey & Rothenberg, p. 2 Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

26. Accountable Talk Poster -Adapted from Fisher, Frey & Rothenberg, p. 4

27. Post-Assessment Thank you for participating in the Accountable Talk Workshop IV. Please take a few minutes to share your comments, thoughts or questions on the Workshop IV Post-Assessment discussion page and respond to these questions. Has this presentation given you ideas that you will be able to use with ESL students? Please share your thoughts. Can these ideas also be used for native speakers? Why or why not? Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

28. For further information… The material presented here is taken from Content-Area Conversations: How to Plan Discussion-Based Lessons for Diverse Language Learners, by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey and Carol Rothenberg (2009) and provides only a brief overview of what one chapter has to offer. The book is available for purchase on amazon.com and other bookseller’s websites. Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

29. Now…. please complete the workshop by following the instructions for the book club activity. Thank you!!

30. References Fisher, D., Frey, N. & Rothenberg, C. (2009).Chapter 5:Procedures for classroom talk. Retrieved October 16, 2010 from: http://www.ascd.orgpublications/books/ 108035/chapters/Procedures-for- Classroom-Talk.aspx Institute for Learning (2001). Accountable talk: Classroom conversation that works. Pittsburgh, Pa.: Learning Research & Development Center, University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved October 20, 2010 from http://www.instituteforlearning.org. Sarah De Bruin c. 2010

31. Pitcher, S. & Mackey, B. (2004). Collaborating for real literacy: Librarian, teacher & principal. Washington, Ohio: LinworthPublishing, Inc.