Deep learning does not take place in a vacuum. Students need teachers and peers to challenge or affirm their thoughts and beliefs for new knowledge to be formed. In some instances, its only through this that we can be sure that our ideas are rational. As you can see, discussion is an important part of the teaching and learning process. But, how can we accomplish this in online or blended classrooms, with no budget? Easy. You can use Google Classroom to set up discussion boards and activities.

1. Create and Facilitate Online Discussions – Teachers can easily create and facilitate online discussions by creating a question on the Classwork tab.
2. Discussions Across Multiple Classes – Create discussions across multiple Classrooms by selecting more than one class when assigning a question.
3. Book Club – Host a Book Club for students to have a safe place to share an interest in books and have online discussions about literature.
4. Encourage Critical Thinking/Debate – Encourage critical thinking through online discussions and/or debates in Classroom. Some students are more willing to express ideas and opinions if they don’t have to speak in front of peers physically.
5. Facilitate After-Hours Discussions – Facilitate student discussions outside the school day to keep the conversation going.
6. Informal Student Discussions – Allow informal discussions between students on topics of interest to them such as favorite books, games, etc.

What did we miss?

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