Let's Talk!

Strengthen Student Led Discussion with Accountable Talk

in the Adult Basic Education/English as a Second Language Classroom

By Diana McIntyre, Nevada State Leadership-Professional Development Coordinator

In order for students to be committed to their education and become college and career ready, they must become active classroom participants.  What better way to involve students in their education than by providing opportunities for students to participate in student led discussion in small collaborative groups?  Ideally, class time should consist of at least 50% productive student discussion. 

Student Led Practice

The Workshop Teaching Model is designed around student practice.  Just as students in band rehearse regularly and learn to actively listen and effectively play together in an ensemble, students in the Adult Basic Education (ABE)/English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom acquire college and career readiness skills by meaningful reading, thinking, discussing, and writing-through student led practice during class.  What’s more, the Workshop Teaching Model requires students to do the majority of the work.

The Workshop Model asserts that the teacher provide direct instruction in the form of a rigorous mini-lesson for the first third of the class, students then engage in active discussion and relevant practice of their learning in small collaborative groups for half the class, and the teacher concludes by taking the last portion of class to guide students in recapping their learning. 

Accountable Talk

Getting students to discuss in small collaborative groups can be a challenge at first.  Students may not know how to begin an academic discussion; other students may be afraid to try to discuss unfamiliar topics in English.  Students require basic Accountable Talk Stems to guide discussion and keep students on topic.

Basic Accountable Talk                                       I think _____ because it says in the text on line…                                       I agree with _______ because in the text on line…                                       I disagree with _______ because in the text on line…                                       Where did you find your evidence?                                       Can you defend your answer?                                        Can you tell me more?                                       Can you please repeat that?

The College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) necessitate reading, writing, speaking, (and listening) grounded in evidence from text.  More often than not, one of the most daunting teacher tasks is getting students to discuss academic topics while using English skills.  

 Students need guidelines for how to appropriately discuss literature and refer to text.  Students require support in how to discuss and they must understand exactly what is expected of them, otherwise they will easily get off-task and revert to using their native language, alienating other classmates from the conversation. 

Importantly, Accountable Talk puts structures in place to guide students in building on the conversations and arguments of peers, teaches respectful agreement or disagreement as well as instructs how to politely ask for clarification or more information.  Moreover, Accountable Talk supports students’ increase of knowledge by learning to logically link their claims with evidence from text, and building factual arguments.  Valid, structured student discussion with Accountable Talk language stems benefits students by helping to break down classroom barriers, strengthen peer relationships and bond socialization to education.

Close Read Example

After a lesson in American symbols, a teacher may elect to provide the following Close Read for rich student led discussion with Accountable Talk stems.

 The Bald Eagle, a United States National Emblem

Adapted from www.baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/eagle

The bald eagle was chosen June 20, 1782 as the emblem of the United States of America, because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks, and also because it was then believed to exist only on this continent.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.  Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat.

Benjamin Franklin wrote:
     I wish that the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country, he is a bird of bad moral character, he does not get his living honestly, you may have seen him perched on some dead tree, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labor of the fishing-hawk, and when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to its nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the bald eagle pursues him and takes it from him.... Besides he is a rank coward; the little kingbird, not bigger than a sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the district. He is therefore by no means a proper emblem for the brave and honest. . . of America.. . . For a truth, the turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, a true original native of America . . . a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack British guards, who should presume to invade his farmyard with a red coat on.

     

 

Franklin was clearly against the eagle and let everyone know it. Likewise, the artist John James Audubon agreed with this opinion of the bald, or white-headed, eagle. 

Nevertheless, selected as our national bird, the eagle has appeared on all official seals of the United States, as well as on most coinage, paper money, and on many U.S. stamps. 

Because of their size, bald eagles are not concerned about threats from other birds. However, eagles are often chased by smaller birds, who are trying to protect their young. Bald eagles are unlikely to bother smaller birds or their young, which makes these efforts unnecessary. Eagles often ignore mobbing behavior by smaller birds. It was Benjamin Franklin's observations of a bald eagle either ignoring or retreating from such mobbing that probably led to his claim of the bald eagle's lack of courage.

Basic Accountable Talk

I think _____ because it says in the text on line...

I agree with ________ because in the text on line...

I disagree with ______ because in the text on line...

Where did you find your evidence?

Can you defend your answer?

Can you tell me more?

Can you please repeat that?

Text Based Questions for Student Led Discussion

1)  Using evidence from the text, explain Benjamin Franklin's sentiments about the bald eagle.

2)  What evidence in the passage supports Ben Franklin's claim that another bird should be our national bird?

3)  According to the passage, why does Ben Franklin refer to the bald eagle as a rank coward?  What facts does the author provide to defend the bald eagle?

Writing Activity

How is the bald eagle used as a national symbol in America?  Support your answer with evidence from the text.

If you tried the activity, let us know how it went in the comments section below.