California Educator

December 2022 January 2023

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W R I T I N G C O N F E R E N C E S are a staple in many English language arts classrooms today, including mine. Teachers recognize the benefit of conversational feedback, allowing students to feel more agency over their own writing, and the power of building rapport that comes with conferences. But after realizing that my conferences were primarily centered on a piece with little to no reflection on the thought process of writing, I have added a new layer of complexity. Making Metacognition Part of Student Writing When students are encouraged to think deeply about their writing processes, they become better writers By Susan Barber their personal view — from the safety of Covid vaccines to the morality of abortions, for instance — and then ask viewers to change the user 's mind in a real-time debate, while non-partici- pants share their opinions in the chat. This format can be replicated across subject areas using Flip, TikTok or even podcasts. In social studies, students could discuss whether textbooks accurately reflect history, suggests educational con- sultant Michelle Blanchet, while in math class, students might debate the reliability of statistics. Even in science, classmates could argue whether recycling alone is enough to reduce plastic pollution. Setting up ground rules regarding civility, objectivity and forbidding personal attacks is important to ensure kids are clear about expectations. Students can then debate using any number of tech tools, like producing Flip or TikTok videos, which opponents can watch and respond to, or debating live on TikTok. They could also sit down together and record a pod- cast of their debate to be shared later, or create informative Twitter threads detailing their argument, which peers can rebut and respond to on the platform. This article originally appeared in Edutopia. "On social media, it's second nature for kids to share their thoughts and opinions on a variety of topics with the world." 48 cta.org Teaching & Learning

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