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Classroom Discussions

in Math: A Teachers
Guide for using talk
moves to support the
Common Core and more,
Third Edition
By Chapin,
O’Connor, &
Anderson
2013
Why Use Math Talk in the
Classroom?
• Think about your own students and their
learning strengths and difficulties. Which
of the five reasons for using classroom talk
and discussion seem most relevant to your
current teaching? (Think back to the past
year)
• Is there an example from your experience
that might support one of the five claims?
Video Clip – Is three-fifths less than three-
fourths?
• In this clip, Mrs. Rowan’s students talk about how they
know that three-fifths is less than three-fourths.
• What is the idea that everyone is trying to repeat?
• What can you tell about student understandings from
watching the students try to repeat it?

About Mrs. Rowan’s class:


19 ss; 5 boys & 15 girls; school in Cambridge, MA
w/student body 33% Caucasian; 35% African American;
18% Hispanic; 11% Asian. 58% - free or reduced lunch.
26% do not have English as their first language.
Successful Academic Discussions
• Talk about successful academic discussions you have
conducted in your own class or have seen elsewhere.
• What were the characteristics of those discussions?
• What kind of talk moves do you use? (think, pair,
share…)
• What did the students do?

Obstacles to Orchestrating Classroom Discussions


• Discuss
Four Steps Toward Productive
Classroom Discussions
• Let’s compare these 4 steps to the
characteristics of successful academic
discussions that we brainstormed.
Digression to edTPA
Academic Language
• The language needed by students to
understand and communicate in the
academic disciplines.
• Teachers need to consider language
demands as they plan to support student
learning of content.
• The identified language demands should
be essential to understanding the central
focus and should be embedded in the
learning tasks in which students will be
engaged.
• Demands include: functions, vocabulary,
syntax, & discourse
• Analyze
• Argue
Function
• Categorize
The purpose or • Compare/contrast
reason for using • Describe
language in a • Explain
learning task. What
will learners do with • Interpret
language in a • Justify
learning task? What • Model
will learners do with • Predict
language to • Question
understand content?
• Retell
• Summarize
Academic Vocabulary
• Words and phrases with subject-specific
meanings that differ from meanings used
in everyday life.
• Subject-specific words defined for use in
the discipline.
Academic Vocabulary • Numerator- top number in a
Example fraction, tells number of parts are
talking about
Standard Addressed:
CCSS.Math.Content.2.G.A.3 • Denominator- bottom number,
Partition circles and rectangles tells number of equal parts in the
into two, three, or four equal
shares, describe the shares whole
using the words halves, thirds,
half of, a third of, etc., and • Fraction- Names a part of a
describe the whole as two whole or set
halves, three thirds, and four
fourths. Recognize that equal • Equal- Same amount, size,
shares of identical wholes
number, or value
need to have the same shape.
• Unequal- Different amount, size,
number, or value
• Halves- Two equal parts
• Thirds – Three equal parts
• Fourths- Four equal parts
Example:
Discourse “The students will use discourse during
How people who are the lessons by communicating with the
members of a teacher and one another during small
discipline talk and groups. As a class, we will analyze and
explain each vocabulary word. Then we
write. How they
will use the vocabulary words to describe
create and share unit and non-unit fractions. When I ask
knowledge. for an answer like one-half, students will
say the numerator is 1 and the
denominator is 2. They will be
encouraged to use academic vocabulary
when describing a fraction. (halves,
thirds, fourths, etc.)”
Syntax
• The set of • Graphs –
conventions for proper labels
organizing and
symbols, words, construction
and phrases • Tables
together into • Symbols
structures.
• Units
• Math notation
(fraction bar,
etc.)
The students will be able to
Syntax Example decontextualize a word problem
using mathematical symbols. (MP2)
Standard Addressed: - This can be applied to any number
CCSS.Math.Content.5.N of mathematical content areas.
F.B.4 Transform words to numbers,
Apply and extend symbols, and select an appropriate
previous understandings
of multiplication to
operation.
multiply a fraction or • Start with the problem
whole number by a • Mary practices the piano 1/2 hour a day
for 6 days. How many total hours does
fraction.
she practice
• Decontextualize with symbols to 1/2 x 6
= 3. They should be able to refer back
to the original problem and determine
that the product of 3 refers to hours.
Instructional Supports for
Academic Language
• Teachers need to explicitly plan for
instructional supports that develop
language use for their learners.
• What opportunities and supports can you
provide for students to use the language
function, practice and apply academic
vocabulary, and integrate discourse and
syntax? Consider how these will be
differentiated.
• Examples: graphic organizers, anchor
chart, foldable, chart, model, word wall,
and strategies such as think, pair, share,
etc.
Accountable Talk as a Support
• Use of Academic language or Math Talks -
discourse and syntax can be supported
with aspects Accountable Talk
• Learners hold each other accountable
for understanding.
• Learners link or expand their talk to
what others say
• Learners demonstrate skepticism,
holding others accountable for thinking.
• Use question prompts and sentence stems
MPs as evidence of and support for
academic language
• How do you see academic demands - function, vocabulary,
discourse, and syntax - emphasized with the mathematical
practices?
• MP1 - Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
• MP2 - Reason abstractly and quantitatively (contextualize and
decontextualize)
• MP3 - Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
• MP4 - Model with mathematics
• MP5 - Use appropriate tools strategically (use language as they use
tools)
• MP6 - Attend to precision
• MP7 - Look for and make use of structure
• MP8 - Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
Back to… Classroom
Discussions in Math
• Talk Moves that Help Individual students
clarify and share their own thoughts.
• Turn and Talk
• Revoicing
• Say More

• Which have you used?


• What have your observations been?
Benefits? Challenges?
• How do the interactions
Video Clips – Turn and
Talk; 6th grade
you see provide
Clip 1: How do opportunities for
we know these formative assessment?
are greater than • For language
a whole? development?
• For participation by
Clip 2: What do
students who may not
six and nine have
to do with three? speak otherwise?
Talk Moves that Help Students Orient to the
Thinking of Others
• Who Can Repeat?
• Turn and Talk: “Tell us what your partner said.”

• Which have you used?


• What have your observations been? Benefits?
Challenges?
• What can you observe about the student
who said the original utterance and the
Who Can Repeat?
students who are repeating?
Example – grade 6
• How do the interactions you see provide
How did you opportunities for formative assessment?
know that seven- • Do you see evidence that these
interactions could support language
eighths was development with English language
greater than learners? Do you see evidence that
three-fourths? students’ learning of academic language
may be served by this type of talk
move?
• Do you see evidence that the classroom
interactions support more robust
understanding on the part of the
students?
Talk Moves that help students deepen
their reasoning
• Press for Reasoning: “why do you think that?”
• Who Can Repeat?: “That was important, but sort of
complex. Who can put that into their own words?”
• Turn and Talk: “Does everyone follow that? Let’s do a
quick turn and talk about her reasoning.”

• Which have you used?


• What have your observations been? Benefits?
Challenges?
Talk Moves that Help Students Engage
with the Reasoning of Others
• What do You think about that?
• Do you Agree or Disagree… and Why?

• Which have you used?


• What have your observations been? Benefits?
Challenges?
What do You Think • Does this example show
About that Example –
grade 6
how teachers can
Can anyone else broaden participation and
give an engagement with others’
explanation? ideas?
• What are other outcomes
of these moves?
Putting the Talk Moves Together
• Grade 6 – that’s the tricky part.
• What talk moves do you see, and what do you think the
teacher is trying to accomplish by using these talk moves
in this combination?
Classroom Norms
• These needs to be in place prior to
productive classroom discourse to
establish:
• Respectful Discourse
• Equitable Participation
• Rights & Obligations - can you think of
any that should be added to these lists?
• How would you introduce the idea of rights
and obligations with your students?
• Review reproducible 2.1B
• Discuss No Opt Out Technique from
Teach Like a Champion 2.0.
No Opt Out – 4 Formats
1. You provide the answer; your student
repeats the answer.
2. Another student provides the answer; the
initial student repeats the answer.
3. You provide a cue; your student uses it to
find the answer.
4. Another student provides a cue; the initial
student uses it to find the answer.
• What norms did you see
Classroom Norm Video evidence for? Was the focus on
Clips – Grade 3 & 6 equitable participation, respectful
Introducing discourse, or both?
respectful • Grade 3: Did the teacher run the
discussion? How effective do you
behaviors
think it would be in your
classroom? What suggestions do
Mary, may you you have for adding or changing
please repeat elements of the discussion?
that again? • Grade 6: (able to see behavior
that reflects knowledge of and
adherence to norms already in
place) – How could you envision
these norms being established?
Talking about Computational
Procedures
• Representing Fractions as Percents

• What strategies might sixth-grade


students use to represent the fraction
seven-eighths as a percent?

• What are the purposes and benefits of


talking about computational strategies and
procedures such as representing a fraction
as a percent in math class?

• Discussion Questions for first and second


viewing (on handout)
Talking about Solution Methods
and problem-solving strategies
• Placing Fractions on a Number Line
• Complete the task individually and then
discuss it with a partner.

• Discussion Questions for first and second


viewing on handout.
Talking about Ratios
• The Newspaper Problem: students talk
about an important generalization about
equivalent ratios; 5C
• Talking about Ratios: using precise
language. 7E
• If I call on you… gives students guidance
on what to do if she calls on them to speak
and they aren’t ready to respond. 8B

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