AVID Philosophical Chairs

faculty Pd offering overview

Faculty PD Offering Summary: This session explores Philosophical Chairs as a powerful strategy for fostering academic discourse. Participants will experience the strategy firsthand, analyze key planning considerations for effective implementation, and identify support structures to ensure all students can engage meaningfully in debate and discussion. The provided debate topic is AI and Education, though schools may adapt it to fit their specific needs. Program/Initiative Alignment: AVID, Collaborative Strategies Content Creator: Tanner DeFrancisco, Professional Learning and Growth Coach​ tanner.defrancisco@mnps.org ​

facilitator notes

Presentation Links: Philosophical Chairs OneDrive Folder Needed Materials:

• Pencils/pens
• Sticky Notes (3 for each person)
• Labels for Four Corners (Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree)
• Session: Participant Session Handout (print for all), AI and Education Articles (print or share digitally) to build background knowledge or upload a different topic to best fit your school's needs.

Facilitation Notes:

• Label four corners for Welcoming Ritual
• Set up online folder for handouts and resources for this session to share with participants.
• Session topic is set up for AI & Education. This can be changed to meet the specific needs of your school. A blank slide has been included to change the topic.

PHILOSOPHICAL CHAIRS

The Art of Persuasive Discourse

Faculty PD 2024-2025

Welcoming Ritual

Agree

Strongly Agree

Four Corners

Collaborative AVID Strategy

Listen to the statement and walk to the side that best represents your answer based your opinion. Discuss your reasons with your group.

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Four Corners Statement

Binge-watching a TV show is better than watching it weekly.

Four Corners Statement

Morning people are more productive than night owls.

Welcoming Ritual Debrief

1. How did hearing opposing viewpoints impact your understanding of the topic?
2. How did the physical movement affect your level of engagement?
3. How might using Four Corners in your classroom support student engagement?
4. What adjustments might you make to ensure all students feel safe and confident in sharing their perspectives?

This is an AVID strategy!

Learning Commitments

In every chair a learner, in every chair a leader Listen to understand, speak to be understood Return to being present, work to stay engaged Maintain a safe space for meaningful conversation Take care of yourself, take care of each other Expect and embrace experiences of non-closure

Enjoy the work and have fun

Learning Outcomes

Define Philosophical Chairs and analyze its four-part structure.

Learning Outcomes

Experience each element of Philosophical Chairs to understand the planning considerations for effective implementation.

Define Philosophical Chairs and analyze its four-part structure.

Learning Outcomes

Experience each element of Philosophical Chairs to understand the planning considerations for effective implementation.

Define Philosophical Chairs and analyze its four-part structure.

Engage in a Philosophical Chairs debate and identify key supports to ensure all students can participate in academic discourse.

Philosophical Chairs

• A structured form of academic discourse.

• A discussion and informed debate, which relies on a prompt as the foundation.

How does this connect to the AVID College & Career Readiness Framework?

Why incorporate it?

Develop:

• inquiry
• oral-language
• argumentation skills, while considering various points of view.

Improve:

• verbal capability and fluency
• academic language
• critical-thinking
• listening and perspective taking skills

What moves us from exploring ideas to standing behind them?

Philosophical Chairs Structure

Prompt

Stance

Discourse

Reflection

Philosophical Chairs Topic

Recent Developments in AI and Education Read over the provided articles to build your background knowledge and form an opinion on the topic.

Philosophical Chairs Structure

The prompt must be:

• engaging
• easily understood
• clearly divided into (atleast) two sides.

Prompt

Prompt Structure

Subject + Action Verb + Specific Issue + Alternative Choice

___________

_______________

______

_________

Students should learn how to ethically use AI in research instead of being prohibited from using it.

Educators should use AI to assess student work instead of relying solely on human grading.

________

_________

_____

___

________

________________

_______________

______

______

______

____________

_________

____________

___________

_______________

_______

________________

Prompt Structure

Subject + Action Verb + Specific Issue + Alternative Choice

___________

_______________

______

_________

Pair & Share:

fill in the blanks and share with a table partner.

Schools should prioritize _____ rather than _____. Administrators should focus on _____ instead of _____. Students benefit more from _____ than from _____.

______

_____________

____________

____________

_______

______________

Create the Perfect Prompt

Using the provided structure, create a prompt to debate over or create your own!

[Subject + Action Verb + Specific Issue + Alternative Choice]

_______ should ______ _________ instead of _________.

(Subject) (Verb) (Specific Issue) (Alternative choice)

Prompt Reflection

Reflection QuestionHow does statement phrasing impact participation?

Prompt

Philosophical Chairs Protocol

Solidify stance by:

• Brainstorming all supporting and opposing points
• Summarizing current personal position

Prompt

Stance

Solidify Your Stance

Each participant must choose a side to defend.

Using the 'Pre-discussion Organizer', brainstorm as many supporting and opposing points.

Stance Reflection

Reflection QuestionHow does taking a stance affect thinking?

Prompt

Stance

Philosophical Chairs Protocol

Prepare for discourse:

• Use sentence starters to build and challenge ideas.
• Support arguments with specific evidence

Prompt

Stance

Discourse

Silent Philosophical Chairs

One partner starts by passing a sticky note that supports their argument. The other reads and responds with a new sticky note, using evidence.

Continue passing notes back and forth, building on reasoning until all sticky notes are exchanged.

Pair with someone holding the opposite view and sit facing each other with 3 sticky notes each.

Discourse Reflection

Reflection QuestionWhat was the opposing sides’ strongest argument?What might make someone shift their stance?

Prompt

Stance

Discourse

Philosophical Chairs Protocol

Prompt

Stance

Discourse

Reflection

Reflection questions should steer participants toward your intended outcomes.

Reflection

Review previous reflection statements. What were the intended learning outcomes for each component?

How does statement phrasing impact participation?

How does taking a stance affect thinking?

What was the opposing sides’ strongest argument?What might make someone shift their stance?

Reflecting on Reflection

Prompt

Stance

Discourse

Reflection

Reflection QuestionWhy is reflection a critical part of Philosophical Chairs? How can it extend learning beyond the conversation?

Protocol Debrief

1. Which element was most challenging for you? Why?
2. What role does each component (Prompt, Stance, Discourse, Reflection) play in Philosophical Chairs
3. What adaptations might be needed for different learners?

Facilitating Philosophical Chairs

Start simple - pick familiar topics Set clear expectations Teacher-led to Student-led discussions Choose the right variation of Philosophical Chairs for you

Optimistic Closure

Mic drop one key takeaway from today's sessions in 5 words or less. Get ready to mic drop it!

Affirming Outcomes

After participating in this learning, I can confidently.......

• envision what Philosophical Chairs structures look like in practice.

Affirming Outcomes

After participating in this learning, I can confidently.......

• envision what Philosophical Chairs structures look like in practice.

• plan for and implement Philosophical Chairs structure.

Affirming Outcomes

After participating in this learning, I can confidently.......

• envision what Philosophical Chairs structures look like in practice.

• plan for and implement Philosophical Chairs structure.

• leverage structures to support all students in engaging in academic discourse.

Bridge to Practice

Utilize resources from this session and my.avid.org

Make a support partner from this session to keep each other accountable.

THANK you!

Thinking about this activity, how does this learning honor the adult as well as align with the charactistics of an effective AVID facilitator?

Thinking about this activity, how does this learning honor the adult as well as align with the charactistics of an effective AVID facilitator?

Thinking about this activity, how does this learning honor the adult as well as align with the charactistics of an effective AVID facilitator?

Thinking about this activity, how does this learning honor the adult as well as align with the charactistics of an effective AVID facilitator?