Fundamental Five Friday: Frequent Small Group Purposeful Talk

Hello again! I can't believe it is already time for two things: the first post in my Fun 5 series AND SPRING BREAK!  We have had such nice weather that it has taken extra effort NOT to put everything else aside and just bask in the glory that is 70 degrees.  Even though this time of the year can be glorious, anybody inside of a classroom can also consider it as WILD! The kids want to talk, talk, talk, talk.  It can be so frustrating - especially when you are trying to make every day before the break count or have upcoming state assessments (like me). So we can gripe  OR we can use that talking to our advantage.  The days of classrooms like Charlie Brown's are over.

We know that students don't like to sit and quietly listen to a teacher,  We also know that "sit and get" is highly INEFFECTIVE.  That is why I love  the Frequent Small Group Purposeful Talk (FSGPT) element of the The Fundamental Five by Sean Cain and Mike Laird.
FSGPT is basically exactly what it says it is.
Frequent - every 10 - 15 minutes during a lesson
Small Group - 2-4 members discussing
Purposeful - Planned and prompted discussion
Talk - Students doing this talk - NOT teachers.

A great talking structure poster from my neighboring classroom!

Let's start with frequent.  Using student led talk in the classroom should be the norm in a classroom, not an unexpected change.  By using student led talk multiple times within a lesson, a teacher is reinforcing key concepts and helping students to internalize concepts.  It is a built in scaffolding method for students who need to hear an explanation from a peer.  As well, it helps to put the learning in the hands of the students.  The benefits are endless.  However, to be frequent, it must be planned.  We will talk later about seeding questions, but let's focus now on planning "frequency". I like to write my lesson in "chunks". This was a planning pattern I learned from the amazing Dr, Marcia Tate. When I write a lesson plan I try to mentally decide which parts of my lesson will equal approximately 10-15 minutes, and then I plan a question. For example, if this blog were a lesson plan we would have a seed question right after I broke down FSGPT.  I would also include one at the end of this paragraph.  Other great suggestions I have seen include using computerized timers that prompt chimes or songs.  As well, it is fun to give a student timer responsibility,  Set a basic kitchen timer for a span of time between 10-15 minutes.  The student can be responsible for stopping the class to talk and restarting the timer.  What an awesome way to make sure that the "daydreamer" in class is clued in. I have actually found a Fun 5 timer app for iPad I will be testing in the next few weeks (so far it is AWESOME). How else can you ensure you make talk frequent?

My version of table mats for 3 people

Moving on to the the idea of small group.  Small means 2-4 students at a time.  What that doesn't mean is the same 2-4 students talking all of the time.  I try to vary my groupings and talk pairings throughout a class.  My two go-to gurus for this are  Dr. Kagan's Cooperative Strategies and again, the amazing Dr. Marcia Tate (Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites).  If you have the opportunity to check out professional developments with them, please do!  I am only going to focus on one for today, which are what I call "Talking Mats".  Check them out! Kagan Table Mats Basically,these pages contain various ways to group.  You lay the grid in the center of the desk arrangement.  Students can be labeled as student A or B, shoulder partners, face partners, or 1-4.  I love to mix it up! Sometimes we use face partners, other times the A's talk and the B's listen.  I try to keep my students guessing so everyone is accountable for the talk! What strategies do you use that are beneficial in your classroom?

My version of a table mat for 4 people.

Finally, let's talk about purposeful.  Part of the Fundamental Five belief is that everything should be done intentionally. Telling your students to "Turn and Talk" may seem like effective FSGPT, but has very little outcome.  Students should have questions that prompt their conversations. Many people refer to them as "seed" questions.  That term is so perfect! Giving these questions plant a "seed" of thinking in your students. When planning my lessons, I always try to plan several questions to include.  I like to use Webb's Depth of Knowledge question stems to make sure my questions are not only open-ended but also rigorous.  Using stems like these will help to ensure you are ensuring this rigor.  The Fun 5 times app also has question stems in it!  I like to add my questions to the board with my frame so that I remember to cover them.  Another teacher I know puts her questions on sticky notes.  When she has posed the question, she moves the sticky from one spot to another. Commit to holding yourself accountable to the questions you know will deepen learning. However, you want to choose your questions is fine, but make sure they aren't "by the seat of your pants!"  How have you tried to use higher-level questioning in your lessons?

FSGPT is a powerful tool.  Many of use dabble in "cooperative" learning, but FSGPT elevates that to a focused concept that invites talk to further learning.  So instead of always telling them to shush, refocus your class with some purposeful talk.  Put a few new structures in place, preplan your questions, and keep them engaged by breaking up that wha-wha-wha.  So this Spring Break, take some time to think (preferably while laying in the sun!) about this... How can you apply FSGPT to your classroom?

Sincerely,

Amy K