Did you love to pass notes to friends during class in school?

Do you enjoy receiving letters*?

(*in any form email, texts, snail mail)

Do you like playing telephone pictionary?!

Can quality conversation happen in complete silence?

WRITTEN CONVERSATIONS
= live letter exchange
It is fast-paced and demands focus and attention. It depends on cooperation of each student (like each member on a team sport). It can be a form of purposeful talk thinking and talking together that results in new understandings and ideas.

A teachers perspective
Often in group conversations, personalities can dictate the sharing of information. In written conversations, students are focused on generating and communicating ideas without the distraction of various verbal and non-verbal signaling from their peers. It also provides me with a concrete piece I can assess formatively or summatively.

Disclaimer...
O NOT an expert. I have only tried it 1 time!
O I hope to inspire you to try this teaching

strategy or try it in a new way if you use it already.

O I also hope to incorporate it regularly at the

beginning of the 3-4 book group time.

Benefits of Written Conversations =

O equal airtime O no interruptions O empowers shy students O challenges thinking O authentic O engaging O builds writing fluency

O evidence of work
O room is quiet O Its like passing notes!

How does it work?

1.
2. 3.

Identify a debatable topic (best = open-ended).

Discuss with group quality commentary. Students write on given topic or write a question/comment about a topic/text. After determined time, pass paper. Read received paper and respond. Continue. (Optional) Original owner writes a reflection from group responses.

4. 5. 6.

Written Conversations in action

Rules:
1. I will stay quiet. 2. I will write the whole time. 3. I will be thoughtful by - growing an idea - making connections - giving my opinion - referring to specific details in the text 4. I will have fun!

Topics:
O Should snowball throwing be

allowed at recess?
O How can we incorporate

more cross-age learning?

O What do you think of a year-

round school calendar?

O How can we be more

effective with teaching character traits to students?

O ??? You choose!

Does it connect to the standards?

YES!
O writing routinely for a range of tasks, purposes, and

audiences O making meaning of new information through discussion O engage effectively in collaborative discussions and coming prepared O taking a position O arguing a perspective in writing O using evidence from the text to support claim

Variations
O write-around (on large piece of paper)
O drawing conversation O online discussion O ???