1	Discussion Techniques Tina Engelbrecht OEDM 5009 Framework for Teaching 2
2	Why study discussion techniques?
3	Are they engaged learners?
4	Why change? Students need to learn to think. Students need to be prepared to participate in a democratic society. Better thinkers make better writers. Discussion engages students.
5	The Ground Rules Don’t say “I don’t know.” (You are not required to know, but you are expected to think!) Train students to ask questions. Warm students up with a topic of interest (themselves). Use classroom space effectively.
6	The Ground Rules (cont.) Use eye contact purposefully. Call on individual students Ask good questions.
7	5 discussion techniques
8	Warming Up Questionnaire At the beginning of the school year survey students about topics you will discuss later in the year. Use results when introducing a new topic. Relates topics to themselves and stimulates discussion.
9	The Fish Bowl For small group discussion and active listening Move chairs into concentric circles. Inside group discusses topic. Outside group listens and summarizes inside group’s comments without adding new ideas. Then switch!
10	Active Acting Vignettes Use with literature or history Small groups are assigned a scene from a book or history lesson. They re-enact the scenes and the class discusses or asks questions.
11	Talk Show To demonstrate different perspectives of an issue. A student is assigned as the host (may have his or her own advising group). Other students are assigned to be the guests. Other students can be in the audience asking
12	Closing Summary Students take turns summarizing the main points of a class period. Students are chosen randomly. Other students may add details.
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14	Works Cited Barton, Jennifer, Paul Heilker, and David Rutkowski. “Fostering Effective Classroom Discussions.” Facilitating Effective Classroom Discussions. English Department, Virginia Tech. 27 Mar. 2006 <http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/english/tc/pt/discussion/discussion.htm>. “Clip Art Gallery.” discoveryschool.com. 29 Mar. 2006 <http://school.discovery.com/>. “Interactive Teaching Techniques.” The Teaching and Learning Center. Coconino Community College. 27 Mar. 2006 <http://www.coconino.edu/tlc/files/interactiveteaching.html>.