Spider Web Discussions (SWDs) are a classroom philosophy that aims to create authentic student collaborators, communicators, and self-evaluators through ongoing, sustained student-led discussions. The process involves students preparing for discussions, engaging in discussions without teacher interference, and reflecting on discussions using a shared rubric. Research indicates that SWDs can lead to improved participation, assessment data, and development of collaboration skills when implemented as a long-term practice with clear expectations, modeling, and feedback.

1. Spider Web
Discussions
STLinATL August 2019
Lynn Mittler, JK-12 English Dept Chair MICDS
lmittler@micds.org
https://tinyurl.com/y3y2d9wd

3. What we may think discussion is…
“The common pattern of interaction between
teachers and their students has been called the
IRE for teacher Initiates, students Respond, and
teacher Evaluates. (Cazden 2001; Coulthard
1977)” (as qtd in Johnston 53).
“This sequence is very controlling”

4. Snyder

5. Who is asking the questions?
“Questions exert even more control by not
only insisting on a response, but also by
specifying the topic of the conversation,
and often the form of the response.
Questions that have, or suggest,
right/wrong answers exert further control
by constraining not only the topic, but the
range of response” (Johnston 54).

6. What is the standard?
Level 4 for using questioning and discussion:
• Students initiate higher-order questions.
• The teacher builds on and uses student responses
to question in order to deepen student
understanding.
• Students extend the discussion, enriching it.
• Students invite comments from their classmates
during a discussion and challenge one another’s
thinking.
• Virtually all students are engaged in the discussion.
Charlotte Danielson

7. Recipient of ideas vs. building ideas
“Learning to act as a recipient of information and to display receipt of
the information…[is not the same as] building on ideas in a shared
endeavor [in which] participants’ roles can vary widely, such as leading
a shared inquiry, playing around with an idea together, or closely
following other people’s lines of thought.”
(Barbara Rogoff and Chikako Toma as quoted in Johnston 54)

8. Framing
“Starting with the child’s observations
rather than the teacher’s has many
advantages...When children notice
things, instruction can begin with a joint
focus of attention because the children
are already attending” (Johnston 18).

9. Framing
“It arranges for instruction without
hierarchical positioning. Naturalizing
this sort of conversation opens the
possibility that students will continue
such conversations among themselves,
thus increasing the level of ‘explicit’
instruction without increasing the
extent to which children are being told
what to do” (Johnston 32).

11. Previous Experiences
• Socratic seminars
• Harkness method
• Graded discussions
• Fishbowls
• Backchannels
• Student-lead classes

12. • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.A
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw
on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to
stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.B
Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal
consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines,
and individual roles as needed.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to
broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify,
or challenge ideas and conclusions.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement,
and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new
connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.

13. The Real Deal
• Offers her own research on what employers want
and why this model builds towards that goal
• Has a specific process with multiple steps
• Suggests students need repetition, reflection and
practice
• Adapts to a variety of settings, disciplines, needs

14. “Spider Web Discussion is a classroom philosophy, not a one-off
activity. It’s a culture. It’s about understanding that learning is a
complex process that plays out over time, through allowing students to
grapple with challenging questions, ideas and people. The process of
Spider Web Discussions trains students to work together collaboratively
in solving problems and to self-assess that process. The result is deep,
high-level inquiry led and assessed by the students
themselves…Teachers using Spider Web Discussion aim to create
authentic collaborators, communicators, and self-evaluators through
ongoing, sustained discussion and assessment” (Wiggins 5).

15. S-P-I-D-E-R
Synergetic: it’s team-oriented, balanced, group grade
Practiced: ongoing, rehearsed, and debriefed
Independent: the teacher interferes as little as possible
Developed: discussions get deeper and build on itself
Exploration: discussion-based exploration of shared topics
Rubric: clear, concise rubric students use to self-assess

19. Keep in mind
“In the first weeks, the importance of norming the rubric, debriefing,
and doing self-assessment is paramount” (Wiggins 48).

20. The first few weeks:
• Create space (circle) where students can see each other
• Identify the appropriate amount of discussion time
• Remind goals they set during last debrief
• Do not speak during the allotted time
• Allow for at least 10-20 minutes for post-discussion debrief
• Have students self-assess
• Continue or deepen discussion as needed during post-discussion

21. • Suffer through the awkward silences
• Always leave pre and post discussion time for debrief and goal setting
• Engage them in the assessment

26. Equity maps

28. Self-Assessment

29. “Asking what went well draws attention first to the productive
(agentive) aspects of the process in order to reinforce a solid
foundation and build a productive community learning identity”
(Johnston 16).

30. Structured Silence
Ask students to consider the following questions:
• What is the MIP (most important point made) in the
discussion?
• What was the most confusing point made in the
discussion?
• What new perspective or interpretation do you have?
(Brookfield, 2011)

31. Grading
• Class and teacher agree on a group grade
• Indivualistic vs. Collectivist mindsets
• Grade is formative but is posted
• Other elements can be graded
• Allows for specific feedback for students
regarding Speaking and Listening standards
“the grade itself should always be thought of as a tool for
achieving your goals, not a weapon for wielding when the goals
haven’t yet been achieved” (Wiggins 120).

32. • “Recall that ‘children grow into the intellectual life around them’ and
that that intellectual life is fundamentally social. The social
relationships within which they learn are a part of their learning”
• “And learning communities are not simply about being supportive.
For them to be evolutionary, they also require challenge, not as a
contest for power, but to ‘help each other and check each other’s
tendencies to purely idiosyncratic or self-interested thinking’ (Young
1988)” (Johnston 65).

33. Let’s practice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2hTt2FxIYw

34. Let’s practice
• Look at your notes and reflect on the film
• Develop some questions you may want to ask the group
• Review the rubric and plan how to reach those goals

35. Self-Assessment

36. What’s our grade?

37. Debrief the Experience
Consider your experience in a Spider Web Discussion and answer the
following questions:
• How are SWDs connected to what you already knew?
• What new ideas did you get that extended or broadened your
thinking in new directions?
• What challenges or puzzles have come up in your mind from the
ideas and the information presented?

38. Possible Questions
• “The shy, reticent student, and the bright, talkative student…both of
these kinds of students feel that the dynamic has shifted in a way that
penalizes them for being who they inherently are” (Wiggins 68).
Openly address
Brainstorm strategies
Avoid awkward invitations
• “By creating very clear norms that value listening over quickness and
balance over loudness, we signal to the group that inquiry and
teamwork is the bigger picture” (Wiggins 81).

39. Troubleshooting
• What is the end goal? What do I want to achieve with these students
and this discussion method?
• What kind of personalities, background experience, and life stories
are in play here? Who is clashing or disrupting, and why do I think
that might be?
• Given the answers to the above two questions, what is the best way
forward? What immediate steps can I take to build bridges and keep
discussion calm, productive, and focused on goals?
(Wiggins 104)

40. Dialectical Journals

41. Take a minute…
What would a dialectical journal look like in your classroom?
What information do they need to come to the discussion with?
What do they need to spend a bit of time thinking about prior to their
discussion?

42. Notes
• No screens
• Taking notes
• Having notes
• Having books

43. Roles in discussions
Feedback giver: doesn’t participate in the discussion by takes copious
notes about the discussion (both what went well and topics and points
made)
Three-question asker: can only participate three times during the
entire conversation, must make strategic decisions about most
beneficial contributions
Host: asked to be aware of any peers who aren’t actively involved in
the discussion and invite them in during appropriate moments
(Wiggins 95)

44. Roles in discussions
Webgrapher: graphs the conversation rather than the teacher
Key Passage Leader: identifies the 2-4 key parts of the text that need to
be discussed and analyzed
Textual Evidence Leader: Keeps the discussion firmly rooted in the text
Rubric Leader: prompts group to remember parts of rubric that haven’t
been fully followed
Vocabulary Leader: Has class list and marks when used
(Wiggins 106)

45. Variations
• Book groups
• ScienceTeacher Magazine April/May 2019

46. Creating Good Questions
“Having students generate their own questions about topics (Crowl,
Kaminsky, & Podell, 1997) has been shown to be an effective
questioning practice. Students who can formulate quality questions can
become self-directed learners with high levels of intrinsic motivation”
(Love and Stobaugh 247).

54. Scaffolding Questions
Blooms Taxonomy:
Level 1: Remember
What are the first ten amendments of the Constitution?
Level 2: Apply/Understand
What is an example of how you demonstrate one of the
amendments?
Level 3: Analyze/Evaluate
How could the amendments be grouped in three categories?
Which amendment is the most important and why?
What new amendment do you think we should add?
(Love and Stobaugh 234)

55. Four Types of Questions
Factual Questions: have one correct answer
Ex. What is Jack given in exchange for a cow?
Interpretive Questions: have more than one good answer
Ex. Why does Jack make the exchange?
Evaluative Questions: ask you to decide if you agree with the ideas in the
text
Ex. Would you have made the same choice as Jack? Why or why not?
Speculative Questions: ask about information that is not supplied in the text
Ex. How might things be different if he hadn’t chopped down the beanstalk?
(Love and Stobaugh 235)

57. Question Exercise
Have students write DoK Level 1, 2, and 3 level questions for a shared
text.
Rotate the questions and then have students discuss what would need
to happen to move a level 2 question to level 3 and/or a level 3
question to level 4.

58. Can also use this diagram

59. “This is where the collective intellect in which a student is
participating manages to accomplish things that the solitary
intellect cannot, and in the process and over time, makes it
possible for the individual intellect to accomplish the same
complexity of thought...It is not a matter of the more advanced
‘other,’ who can already accomplish something, building a scaffold
up which the less advanced learner climbs; rather, it is a process in
which mutual participation produces development without the
associated asymmetrical positioning” (Johnston 69).

60. “Cognitive change takes place when learners must confront
and coordinate conflicting viewpoints, and as they resolve the
conflicts, children participate in their own development (Doise
and Mugny 1984; Schaffer 1996). Disagreement, more than
agreement, moves children’s thinking forward” (Johnston 70).

61. Time to practice
• How can you build instruction in your class to help students ask better
questions?
• What questions can you create for your class that will offer models for
your students?

62. Conclusions
• Successful group problem solving and collaboration
• Increased and better participation
• Enhanced communication and social skills
• Improved self-assessment
(Wiggins 131)

63. Conclusions
• Better assessment data on individual students
• Increase in homework completion
• An ethical and safe classroom environment
• Greater student autonomy
• Opportunities for greater equity
(Wiggins 132)

64. Closing
Respond to the following prompts regarding the use of SWD:
I used to think…
Now I think…

65. Works Cited
Spider web image: https://daily.jstor.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/spiderweb_1050x700.jpg
Dead Poets: https://readthespirit-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/visual-parables/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2014/03/KeatnOnDsk.jpg
Hopscotch: https://live.staticflickr.com/2414/2221162502_c464b52cd6_b.jpg
Hierarchy: http://thecontextofthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/hierarchy.jpg
Choice Words: https://stenhouse3.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/public/product_images/choice-words.jpg
Soccer ball: https://www.firstteaminc.com/application/files/9115/0291/6186/soccer-net.jpg
Best Class: http://ebusiness.ascd.org/serverfiles/productimages/117017b.jpg
Socrates: https://static.vecteezy.com/system/resources/previews/000/163/740/non_2x/vector-socrates-and-greece-illustration.jpg
Training wheels: https://compote.slate.com/images/a38b9088-3cd0-499a-8280-af7051829f83.jpg
Equity maps: https://equitymaps.com/
Gradebook: https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9WtLrqqBUjo/Wag2zHXO5qI/AAAAAAAAHso/4F0s1wrGJvUy6GDR5tsZ00qEFZaiufNNQCLcBGAs/s1600/Gradebook.jpg
Grade: https://www.thecollegefix.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/grades.reportcard_AlexMillos_Shutterstock.jpg
Notebook: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81nia28xsOL._SX425_.jpg
Hats: https://cdn4.vectorstock.com/i/1000x1000/24/43/man-and-woman-hats-cartoon-hat-and-cap-headdress-vector-21642443.jpg
Critical Thinking: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51gPJeew%2B6L._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
DOK: https://www.windham-schools.org/docs/DOK%20Wheel%20Slide%20for%20Teachers-0.pdf
Dogs and stick: http://i.imgur.com/IOT7O0F.jpg
Choosing a path: http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/xo/xo7xd3imam4qz7wn.jpg
Visible thinking: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51wyIpMiIAL._SR500,500_.jpg
Pen and paper: https://i0.wp.com/thepostmansknock.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1cursive_worksheet-12-of-15featured.jpg?fit=950%2C950&ssl=1

66. Works Cited
Johnston, Peter H. Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s
Learning. Stenhouse Publishers, 2004.
Love, Sandra L. and Rebecca Stobaugh. Critical Thinking in the
Classroom: A Practitioner’s Guide. Mentoring Minds, 2018.
Wiggins, Alexis. The Best Class You Never Taught. ASCD, 2017.