Collaborative Discussions
Creating the right environment for group work takes a good deal of effort. Teachers are sometimes hesitant to take on small group discussions for a number of reasons: they are not always efficient, students may get off task, and the quality or depth of the discussions make it feel less productive than other methods. Never-the-less, the benefits of collaborative discussions can be significant. One of which, is the ability for students to collaborate over complex texts to make meaning together. These academic discussions don’t happen naturally, however. They require a lot preparation and scaffolding early on with regular coaching over the course of time. As Fisher and Frey (2012) write, there are four predictors of good group work: group tasks that require students to work together, discussions that require academic language, grade level appropriate work, and the opportunity for “productive failure.” While small group discussions can ...