WLC25 - HPISD Winter Learning Conference

Ever feel like pulling teeth to get students to discuss complex or challenging topics? This session dives into strategies for stimulating meaningful classroom discussions on high-rigor, low-engagement content. Whether it’s kindergarteners wrestling with foundational math concepts or high schoolers tackling abstract calculus theories, this session provides practical tools to get students talking, thinking, and collaborating. We’ll explore discussion frameworks like Socratic Seminars, think-pair-share with a twist, and using resources like AI to inspire conversation starters tailored to diverse grade levels and subjects.

In this session, you will learn how one teacher utilizes an 'assignment catalog' or 'assignment menu' to give students full reign over their learning. By splitting the TEKS into discrete assignments that can be divided and conquered among a small, permanent group, students gain a greater degree and sense of agency over their own learning. Choosing one's learning is a much different animal from being assigned learning and this pedagogical technique yields a greater pedagogical ease in the classroom, easing stress on the teacher and allowing students a greater degree of freedom to pursue positive and meaningful learning.