1. Academic Conversations
Hand out books, Calendar of meetings posted
Post it: Why are you here? What caused you to sign up for this course?
Clock Hours
ELL Sign in Sheets
Time Sheets
Amy Vasquez, Christina Carlson and
Megan Anderson Reilly

2. Overall Objectives
Determine the purpose for academic conversations (WHY)
Identify characteristics of Academic Conversations (WHAT)
Implement strategies for supporting academic conversations (HOW)
Megan

3. Today’s objectives
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom by speaking and listening to my colleagues
Identify effective strategies to build grammar and vocabulary through oral language by speaking and listening to colleagues.
Identify behaviors of effective academic conversation by conversing with colleagues.
Write a lesson plan that includes language objectives and Academic Conversations in the next week
Megan

4. NORMS (page 30) We listen to each other
We respect one another’s ideas even if they are different
We let others finish explaining their ideas without interrupting
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom
Megan

5. OPINION CONTINUUM Page 46 Academic Conversations
Megan

6. Five Core Skills of Academic Conversation
Elaborate and clarify
Support ideas with examples
Build on and/or challenge a partner’s idea
Paraphrase
Synthesize conversation points
Amy

7. Last Time Effective Conversation Tasks Require both partners talk
Require critical and creative thinking
Take advantages of controversies and conflicts
Recognize and reduce ambiguity
Encourage thinking based on principles, laws, and approaches of the discipline
Build in opportunities for transfer of knowledge and skills
Provide choice and ownership
Amy

8. Academic Conversation Reflection
3 minutes per person
Amy

9. Quotation Conversation, page 152
Amy

10. Today’s focus: Grammar and Vocabulary
What grammar is essential for your content area?
What vocabulary do students struggle with?
Megan

11. High Yield Grammar “Grammar is highly rooted in one’s oral language.”
Complex sentences
Pronouns
Transitions
Megan

12. Talking in Paragraphs with Topic Sentence
Page 94-95
Purpose: Helps students elaborate, paraphrase, build on ideas, synthesize
A asks B a question.
Think time.
B responds with topic sentence and support (4-7 sentences)
Switch roles
Megan

13. Talking in Paragraphs with Topic Sentence
A: Who is a modern day hero? Why?
B: What is the greatest book of this generation? Why?

14. I Want to Say…and Yet (page 99)
(with friends)
And yet a more academic way to say it is…
(in school and at work)
That’s lame! No way! That’s stupid ! You are so wrong
I disagree because…
I see it another way.
What’s your point? So what?
Can you summarize that for me?
That’s shady.
That seems unfair (or unjust, or immoral)
That’s sick!
That’s exceptional (or fantastic, exquisite, excellent)
Whatever!
I’m not sure that’s relevant.
I want to say…
(with friends)
And yet a more academic way to say it is…
(in school and at work)
That’s lame! No way! That’s stupid ! You are so wrong
I disagree because…
I see it another way.
What’s your point? So what?
Can you summarize that for me?
That’s shady.
That seems unfair (or unjust, or immoral)
That’s sick!
That’s exceptional (or fantastic, exquisite, excellent)
Whatever!
I’m not sure that’s relevant.
Megan

15. Sentence Building (page 100-101)
Who/
What
Does/Is
How
Where
Why
Basic
Notes for Elaboration
Elaborated sentences
Megan

16. Grammar
What strategies could you use in your content to support students’ use of important grammatical structures?
Megan

17. Vocabulary
Based on the words below, what do you think this section is about:
Comprehension
Exposure
Cohesion
Reinforcement
Communication
Deeper
Amy

18. Semantic Impressions Vocabulary and Prediction Conversation (page 107)
Purpose: Use conversation skills to think about what the text will be about based on key vocabulary words and phrases
Amy

19. Vocabulary (page 105)
“A vocabulary term’s meaning is often seen as the end point of learning. Yet, vocabulary can also be a starting point for thinking and talking. Core terms can be the raw material for deeper thinking.”
Amy

20. Explore One Word (page 105)
Importance of term ?
Why is it important?
To me?
To all of us?
Key examples of term
From texts?
From the world?
What would happen if…
It didn’t exist?
It still existed?
Compare
How does this term compare to…?
How does this term contrast to…?
Amy

21. Vocabulary
What are some other strategies for incorporating vocabulary in academic conversations?
Amy

22. Now what? Plan a lesson with academic conversations.
Bring evidence to discuss next session
Draft a lesson plan to incorporate Academic Conversations in the next week
Megan and Amy

23. Today’s objectives
Rehearse strategies that can be used in the classroom by speaking and listening to my colleagues
Identify effective strategies to build grammar and vocabulary through oral language by speaking and listening to colleagues.
Identify behaviors of effective academic conversation by conversing with colleagues.
Write a lesson plan that includes language objectives and Academic Conversations in the next week
Megan

24. Gots Wants Thank you! Next session: February 24
Chapter 7, 8, 9 OR Math packet
Let me know if you have video to share!
Gots
Wants
Amy