Academic+Controversy

ISTE 2012 Resources
=You can access this page by going to: http://goo.gl/xEVPz Save to your phone with this QR Code:=



This page is designed to model a lesson using Academic Controversy as a strategy. The idea came from Barrie Bennett and Carol Rolheiser's book called "Beyond Monet: The Artful Science of Instructional Integration."

**Academic Controversy: A Complex Learning Strategy**

 * Encourages higher level thinking (analysis, synthesis and evaluation, for example)


 * Pushes the ability and willingness to consider opposing perspectives


 * Extends knowledge and clarity around issues


 * Integrates the head and the heart in the learning process


 * De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats (tactic) is useful in the process


 * Precursor to debating

**Necessary Preskills:**
Because this strategy is a complex strategy, a large part of its effectiveness relies on prerequisite skill on the part of both teacher and students.The classroom has been established as a genuinely psychologically ‘safe’ classroom in the eyes of the students.

The teacher is attending to Johnson and Johnson’s work, specifically:


 * Individual accountability


 * Face to face interaction


 * Collaborative skills


 * Processing group functioning


 * Positive interdependencies

Students must be able to demonstrate the following Collaborative Skills:

 * Taking turns


 * No put downs


 * Suspending judgement


 * Actively listening


 * Paraphrasing


 * Disagreeing in an Agreeable Way


 * Disagreeing with the idea, not person


 * Accepting and extending the ideas of others

__ ISTE 2012 Lesson Files and other Resources __

**Further Resources and Examples:**
Students are skilled at working in group structures such as Think Pair Share, Place mat and Three-Step Interview. ([])

[|"Coles Notes" Version of Beyond Monet]

[|Grade 5/6 Pulp Mill Example of using Google Docs for the purpose of an Academic Controversy]

[|Grade 5/6 Golf Course Example of using Google Docs for the purpose of an Academic Controversy]

=__Evaluation__=

Please take time to fill out the session evaluation.
 **Mobile Website**—those with any smartphone device can access the conference mobile website at [|iste2012.quickmobile.net], use the speaker or session filter to find your specific session, and submit their evaluation via the “Evaluate Session” button.  **Conference Website**—those with any internet enabled device can access the conference website at [|isteconference.org/search], use the Custom Program Search to find your specific session detail page, and submit their evaluation via the “Evaluate This Session” link.
 * Mobile App **—those who have downloaded the conference mobile app to their iPhone or iPad devices can use the speaker or session filter to find your specific session and submit their evaluation via the “Evaluate Session” button.