Collaborative Conversations PRESENTATION

Collaborative Conversations

presentation

Standards

10.1(A)

10.1(D)

10.2(B)

10.5(I)

Language Objective

Learning Intention

Success Criteria

• I can define the key components of collaborative conversations.
• I can apply collaborative conversation skills to analyze and discuss complex texts.

I will be able to use academic language and vocabulary related to collaborative conversations to express my thoughts and opinions.

Today's lesson will focus on improving your collaborative conversation skills of effective communication in both academic and real-world contexts.

Do Now:

• Reflect on the quote individually for 2 minutes and jot down your initial thoughts in the chat
• What do you think Tony Robbins is saying?
• Why do you think communication is important?

Define

• A collaborative conversation is a discussion among individuals in which the participants engage in collaboration. Collaboration is the process of working together to achieve a shared goal.
• Collaborative conversation involves offering insights and ideas, listening carefully to the ideas of others, and responding thoughtfully to each other. Participants in a collaborative conversation choose language that is respectful and encouraging and are careful not to dismiss or ignore others’ opinions. Participants must reflect on the ideas of others and adjust their own responses when valid evidence indicates an adjustment is warranted. When defending or challenging an author’s claim, a speaker must use relevant text evidence. The outcome of the collaboration is, ideally, the fulfillment of a stated plan or goal, or consensus around a problem.
• Learning to listen to and respond appropriately and thoughtfully to the ideas of others and working to express your own relevant ideas and opinions are essential life skills.
• *Watch Study Sync Video

claim

adjust

collaboration

verb to adapt or improve

noun the writer’s or speaker’s position on a debatable issue or problem

noun the process of working together to achieve a shared goal

collaborative conversation

text evidence

reflect

noun a discussion between two or more individuals engaged in collaboration

verb to think deeply or carefully, sometimes about the past

noun details from the text that a reader can use to support his or her ideas and opinions about the text

valid evidence

noun reasonable statements grounded in facts or logical arguments

Model

Directions: Review the Checklist for Collaborative Conversations below. Then read the Skill Model and watch the StudySyncTV episode to understand how to take part in effective collaborative conversations.Checklist for Collaborative Conversations

• In order to participate in student-led collaborative discussions, use the following strategies:
• Identify the shared goal or expected outcome of the conversation.
• Set ground rules for decision-making, as for determining leadership roles, voting on issues, or setting time limits.
• Identify how you will know when you have achieved your goal.
• Help develop a plan to build consensus, or general agreement among members, about what ideas or suggestions to accept in order to reach a goal or complete a task.
• Ask questions or make comments that start a discussion or help keep a discussion going.
• Contribute relevant information and thoughtful ideas.
• Consider suggestions from other group members by asking questions or making comments that build upon their ideas.
• Reflect on the ideas of others, adjusting your previous response(s) when valid evidence is presented.
• Challenge or defend an author’s or speaker’s claim(s) in a text using relevant text evidence, and listen to check that speakers offer evidence.
• Work to keep the discussion focused on the goal or plan.

Skill Model

Skill ModelPeople collaborate all the time, whether in families, at work, at school, or in society. To make collaborative conversations effective, the participants must develop good habits. Let’s take a close look at a StudySyncTV episode to see a strong collaborative conversation, as well as the habits the participants have developed to make this conversation purposeful. Watch each of the clips below, and then read the explanation and analysis of the group’s discussion. Ask questions or make comments that demonstrate you are prepared to discuss and can help keep a discussing going. * Watch StudySync Video The students begin their conversation by sharing personal thoughts and feelings about the author and his unique style, which helps to create a fun and safe atmosphere in the group. It is clear from their comments that they have all read the story and are prepared to discuss it. Collaborative conversations are only effective when they center on the task at hand or the end goal. Milo starts the discussion by asking the group to read aloud the prompt. This question and Willa’s quick response makes it clear that the participants understand the purpose of their conversation, which is to prepare to write in response to a prompt about the story.

Skill Model

Build on the ideas of others by asking questions or making comments.*Watch StudySync Video After hearing the prompt, Willa shares her interpretation of the town as “really isolated.” This focuses the discussion on a key concept of the prompt—the setting. Josh builds on Willa’s idea by reading aloud a passage from the text that supports her analysis. Milo paraphrases Willa’s idea by commenting that the people in the town are “pretty cut off.” Daniela adds to this idea by sharing her observation that it seems like the townspeople “don’t really know what’s going on in the outside world.” By building on one group member’s idea, individuals in the group can share their knowledge to move toward an interpretation together. Respond to others’ questions and comments by contributing relevant information, evidence, ideas, and observations. *Watch StudySync Video

Skill Model

Notice how no single student is doing all of the talking. Willa and Josh are asking questions. Every member actively engages in the conversation and responds to the other’s questions and comments by contributing relevant information. Milo observes that Willa’s question is “a good question.” When Josh asks whether anyone thinks the story is funny, Daniela asks him to clarify his question. Asking for clarification or challenging others to cite evidence is a part of any collegial discussion. Then, Willa provides relevant evidence from the text to support her own answer to Josh’s question, which helps to ensure that ideas are supported by the story. Develop a plan for consensus building, set ground rules for decision making, and collaboratively make decisions that move the group toward the group goal(s). *Watch StudySync Video Here, the group gets a little sidetracked by Milo’s comment about the “Kafka-zone.” When the group members joke about the author’s unique style, it’s clear they are engaged in the story. However, Josh respectfully and quickly brings the group back to their shared goal of covering all parts of the prompt. Willa then suggests a plan for how the group could proceed— “Can we take a pause and reread the story again?”—and all members agree, effectively building consensus. It’s clear from this consensus

Skill Model

that the students have a shared set of ground rules for ensuring that their discussion time is productive and purposeful. Reflect on or adjust your ideas and opinions based on new information and evidence presented by other group members. *Watch Study Sync video Initially, Milo thinks there might not be a conflict in the story, but then he reconsiders this perspective after listening to Daniela’s perspective on the townspeople. He then wonders if maybe the townspeople “don’t think to ask for things from the colonel” and goes on to support this adjustment of his previous response with text evidence. This adjustment offers a deeper understanding of the text than he had before.

VIDEO

Encouraging Academic Conversations With Talk Moves

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