How to you get all students to participate in a discussion? Use the spiderweb technique. With a little preparation your students will sit in a circle and have a wonderfully productive discussion while you just sit and listen. I have tried it several times and have discovered that it works. Students do engage in high quality discussions, and they do it on their own.

There are several sources that explain the spiderweb technique. Check out this introduction by Alexis Wiggins. She is the daughter of Grant Wiggins the backwards design guy. Also check out the Equity Maps app. Joan Tracy found this app and it makes assessment a breeze.

Alexis Wiggins uses spiderweb discussions as her main learning tool. I can see how that can work.

One caveat is that the spiderweb does not work well with more than about 15 students. This makes it ideal for blended classes or team teaching situations. For one round of discussions I sent half my class at a time to Joan for a research lesson.

If you want to know more, ask me, go online, or buy Alexis Wiggins’ book. The online version includes many online videos that show the spiderweb in action.