Opening & Framing (3 minutes)
Content: Define the problem — classroom talk often defaults to IRE (Initiate, Respond, Evaluate), limiting student voice.
Engagement: Quick audience poll (hands up or device-based) about how much student talk vs. teacher talk dominates in their classrooms.
Talk Move Demos & Practice (20 minutes, ~4 minutes each)
Press for Reasoning – “What makes you say that?”
Revoice – “So you’re saying…”
Add On – “Who can build on that idea?”
Counterpoint / Pushback – “What’s another way to see this?”
Summarize / Synthesize – “How can we put these ideas together?”
Process: For each move →
Facilitator models (1 min)
Attendees practice in pairs/triads with provided stems (2 min)
1-min debrief highlighting classroom application
Protocol Spotlight (5 minutes)
Content: Show how two talk moves can be combined into a simple classroom discussion protocol.
Engagement: Audience practices protocol in small groups for 2 minutes.
Closing & Takeaway (2 minutes)
Content: Recap five moves and connect to equity of voice.
Engagement: QR code/shortlink to one-page handout of talk moves, sentence stems, and sample protocols.
Engagement Frequency and Tactics
Peer-to-peer interaction every 4 minutes (pair/triad practice after each talk move).
Device-based engagement twice (opening poll + handout download via QR).
Active rehearsal throughout keeps energy high and ensures attendees leave having done the work, not just heard about it.
After this session, participants will be able to:
Identify five academically productive talk moves and explain how each supports equitable classroom dialogue.
Practice and apply sentence stems and protocols that structure student-centered discussion in any content area.
Implement at least one talk move immediately in their own classrooms, supported by a ready-to-use digital/print handout.
Supporting Research
Resnick, L. B., Michaels, S., & O’Connor, C. (2010). How (Well-Structured) Talk Builds the Mind. Institute for Learning, University of Pittsburgh. https://ifl.pitt.edu
Institute for Learning. Accountable Talk® Practices. University of Pittsburgh. https://ifl.pitt.edu/accountable-talk
Michaels, S., O’Connor, C., & Resnick, L. B. (2008). Deliberative Discourse Idealized and Realized: Accountable Talk in the Classroom and in Civic Life. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 27(4), 283–297.
Smith, M., & Stein, M. K. (2018). 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions. NCTM.
Zwiers, J., & Crawford, M. (2011). Academic Conversations: Classroom Talk That Fosters Critical Thinking and Content Understandings. Stenhouse.
Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. Corwin.
O’Connor, C., Michaels, S., Chapin, S., & Harbaugh, A. (2015). Scaling Down to Explore the Role of Talk in Learning: From Districts to Schools to Classrooms. In Resnick et al. (Eds.), Socializing Intelligence Through Academic Talk and Dialogue. AERA.
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2019). How Productive Talk in the Classroom Helps Students Learn. ASCD Express, 14(15).
Alexander, R. (2020). A Dialogic Teaching Companion. Routledge.
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2017). ISTE Standards for Educators and Students. https://iste.org/standards
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