Instructions+for+Moderating+Discussions

ENGLISH DISCUSSION MEMO Each student, in a group of two or three, will lead at least one literature discussion for each marking period. In this role, there are three specific tasks: preparing a memo for distribution, moderating the class discussion, and preparing minutes that summarize the class discussion. Each member of your team will be principally responsible for one of these tasks. Over the course of the year, every student will serve in one of these roles.

__THE MEMO __ The memo should be between 1 (at least one full) and 2 pages long, SINGLE-SPACED and have the following sections.


 * KEY THEMES: **A list (not explanation) of key themes in the reading. For example: //The Decline of Literacy// or //Wildness & Wilderness// or //Careerism vs. Professionalism.//

How does illness affect friends and family of the patient?  What work environments are most conducive to scientific innovation?  Is Chris McCandless a fool, a hero, a foolish hero or a heroic fool?  Should education be amusing or entertaining?
 * QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION: **At list of at least five (5) questions to organize discussion. Questions should be broad and open-ended and should seek to engage core ideas in the New Visions field. For example:


 * VOCABULARY: **Identify at least 5 new vocabulary words or concepts in the reading. Provide paraphrase (not dictionary) definitions in your own words and provide an exemplar of the word or concept in a sentence.


 * KEY QUOTATIONS: **Provide at least three direct quotations from the reading with brief explanations of why it is insightful into the text or important for understanding.


 * <span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 16px;">CONNECTION TO NEW VISIONS FIELD: **<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 16px;"> At least two paragraph reflection/exposition of how the week’s readings may be connected to your respective New Visions Field. What can this tell us about Health, Engineering, Environment Science, or Education?


 * <span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 16px;">AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION: **<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 16px;">An outline of discussion priorities which may include the reactions of class members in their reading reflections.

__<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 16px;">MODERATING DISCUSSION __ <span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 16px;">The moderator should begin the class discussion with a (roughly) 5-minute synopsis of the reading’s contents and outline the agenda for discussion (First, I would like to talk about . . . Next, we should discuss . . .). The moderator is responsible for queuing and acknowledging classmates for participation and has the ability to cut individuals short in the interests of moving the discussion along. The moderator should aim to involve and include all students.

__<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 16px;">MINUTES __ <span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 16px;">The final member of the group should keep and prepare minutes of the class discussion. The minutes should include the date, the topic of discussion (i.e., book title), class members present. The minutes should reflect who and what was said during the discussion without editorializing. Minutes should be approximately one single-spaced page in length