Get Them to Talk
Increasing ELL Participation in Class Discussions.
1 & 2 Use Structured Discussions and A Variety of Group Configuations
The video states that teachers need to get students talking more (20% for the entire class is not enough).
Pros: Students get more speaking time; structuring the discussions will make students have to interact with each other and use language.
Cons: Harder to monitor if students are on task; Mic availability - in our online classes there is a limit to how many students can be using the mic and speaking at a time.
The text also states that students need more opportunities to interact though a variety of group configurations.
Pros: Students get to practice communicating in a variety of settings (whole class, small group and partners); students learn and get comfortable with more students in the class = safer learning environment for communication
Cons: Using different group configurations is time consuming; in the online setting our class connect sessions are not mandatory, so we can't create groups ahead of time; mics again are a problem with this - it's easy for students to chat to each other, but harder/impossible for all of the students to be using mics at the same time.
Pros: Students get more speaking time; structuring the discussions will make students have to interact with each other and use language.
Cons: Harder to monitor if students are on task; Mic availability - in our online classes there is a limit to how many students can be using the mic and speaking at a time.
The text also states that students need more opportunities to interact though a variety of group configurations.
Pros: Students get to practice communicating in a variety of settings (whole class, small group and partners); students learn and get comfortable with more students in the class = safer learning environment for communication
Cons: Using different group configurations is time consuming; in the online setting our class connect sessions are not mandatory, so we can't create groups ahead of time; mics again are a problem with this - it's easy for students to chat to each other, but harder/impossible for all of the students to be using mics at the same time.
3 Provide Sufficient Wait Time
The text states teachers who give sufficient wait time will have increased student participation in discussions.
Pros: Gives students more time to gather their thoughts, so they are more comfortable and ready to speak; in our online classes students could even message me what they want to say for review to give them an added level of confidence to use the mic; I could also put up a timer and have students write responses on the whiteboard during the wait time, then have students read the response they wrote on the whiteboard - this would allow them to practice reading, writing and speaking
Cons: Students wait until the end of the Wait Time without responding; It's hard to have students do something productive while you are giving them time to think and respond - sometimes seems like wasted time even though it isn't; teachers and students can be uncomfortable with the extended silence of wait time. <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --Students who are uncomfortable speaking, or who are worried about having the right words have more time to gather their thoughts, and could even send me what they want to say for a quick check before they use the mic; I could also put up a timer for students to post (write/type) their responses on the whiteboard, and let students know that after they have written their responses they will take turns reading what they have written. This would allow them to practice reading, writing and speaking.
Pros: Gives students more time to gather their thoughts, so they are more comfortable and ready to speak; in our online classes students could even message me what they want to say for review to give them an added level of confidence to use the mic; I could also put up a timer and have students write responses on the whiteboard during the wait time, then have students read the response they wrote on the whiteboard - this would allow them to practice reading, writing and speaking
Cons: Students wait until the end of the Wait Time without responding; It's hard to have students do something productive while you are giving them time to think and respond - sometimes seems like wasted time even though it isn't; teachers and students can be uncomfortable with the extended silence of wait time. <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --Students who are uncomfortable speaking, or who are worried about having the right words have more time to gather their thoughts, and could even send me what they want to say for a quick check before they use the mic; I could also put up a timer for students to post (write/type) their responses on the whiteboard, and let students know that after they have written their responses they will take turns reading what they have written. This would allow them to practice reading, writing and speaking.
Echevarria, Vogt, and Short
Structured Discussion
Sufficient Wait Time
Variety of Group Configurations
Guaranteed to increase student participation and interaction in your classroom!
What types of Group Configurations can I use?
Answer: Partners, Small Groups/Breakout Rooms, Large Groups or Teams, and Whole Class
How can I get students to use the Mic if they don't Volunteer?
Answer: Private message the student and let them know that you will be asking them to read their answer or read another student's answer. Invite the student to Live Help Hours and have them practice using their mic in that setting before using it in class.
Answer: Partners, Small Groups/Breakout Rooms, Large Groups or Teams, and Whole Class
How can I get students to use the Mic if they don't Volunteer?
Answer: Private message the student and let them know that you will be asking them to read their answer or read another student's answer. Invite the student to Live Help Hours and have them practice using their mic in that setting before using it in class.