Implementing the Dialogues

Once we have worked our way through the preparation stage, we are now at a point, where we are ready to get CEPNET going in practice. Our teachers found that this initial preparation work was very important in order that the students were going to be ready for this idea of participating in “something different”.

This implementation module is broken down into the following “how to” areas:

1. considering dialogue in practice
2. creating a welcoming space
3. using icebreakers to differentiate
4. explaining about the sustainable development goals
5. making these themes seem relevant to your students

Some of these ideas and tips will also be helpful to you, as you work through Phases 2 and 3, such as making use of energisers and icebreakers to get your students motivated and ready for CEPNET. In each step along the way, you will be drawing on the experiences of over 40 teachers who have both created much of this content and tested these modules. So be aware that you are standing on their shoulders as you find your way through our CEPNET Modules. So please do make use of these learning resources and materials as you progress.

What follows here is a framework of steps and session ideas that allows flexibility in terms of how teachers might use it. You might prefer to follow the specific lesson plans and accompanying slides, or you may prefer a less prescriptive approach with selected steps along the way. CEPNET uses a model of student-led planning, which allows you to monitor and review the classroom activities.

The training module format again includes a number of checklists, visual aids and prompts, as well as video input from our teachers.

So first up, what do we mean by the idea of dialogue…

1. Considering how dialogue and debate will work with your class

As we get ready for our first session with the group, it is a good idea to come to an agreement with the group as to ‘what is a dialogue and how do you do it?’. Dialogues are:

• About Talking and Listening
• Not just a conversation
• Rooted in democratic discussion, not debate or argument but a group dialogue
• An occasion to allow children to hear, share and consider different perspectives and personal experiences
• An opportunity to discover areas of common interest and/or concern

You as the dialogue facilitator do not need to be an expert on the topic being discussed. Good facilitators help establish a safe environment and space where the children can freely discuss the issues. Facilitators also help the children to understand that the dialogue is a learning experience and not a forum for them to voice their opinions without listening to others.

Before getting going, our teachers recommended the following tips when you move from becoming the teacher to the “facilitator”:

• Once the discussions start, make sure to remain impartial. The most important thing to remember is that, as a facilitator, you should not share your personal views or try to push your own agenda on the issue. You are there to serve the discussion, not to join it.
• Create a safe space Interrupt expressions of prejudice but don’t attack the person making them. Strategies include:
  • Asking for more information: “What led you to believe this about_____?”
  • Paraphrasing the feelings you hear expressed: “I hear you saying_____?”
  • Challenging stereotypes by asking for counter-examples: “Does anyone have an experience or know of an example that differs from what was just said?”
• Keep discussion focused Don’t be afraid of silence! Children sometimes need time to think before they respond. If silence feels awkward to you, try counting silently to 10 before you rephrase the question. This will give people time to collect their thoughts. Deepen the level of sharing with open questions that will encourage all participants to engage in the discussion. CEPNET Open ended questions to use to facilitate dialogues
• Consider a variety of viewpoints. Clarify and summarize key points. Create opportunities for everyone to participate Use comprehensive listening – listening to understand the message of a speaker. Ask open-ended questions that don’t lend themselves to easy answers.
• Be aware of the dynamics of cross-cultural communication Help participants appreciate and respect each other’s communication styles. Some cultures value listening more than speaking. In others, taking a stand is of utmost importance. Help participants to realize there is more than one good way to communicate.
• Be ready and prepared to call a halt when the time is coming to an end. With this in mind, consider the length of your sessions and how many you will carry out. Start and finish on time. It’s no harm to have some lesson plans prepared as you get started into this phase. Not only will it help with the structure of the sessions, it will also allow you to have a back up plan ready with different prompts, just in case the discussions are not flowing as you anticipated.

The following checklist of open-ended questions was drawn up by teachers to assist the flow of debate and discussion.

2. Welcoming everyone into the learning space

As part of the welcome, think about how to create a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

• Well-placed humour is usually appreciated.
• Getting the room ready so that it feels different. Can the seating be re-arranged? Is there technology that can be used? As above, are there healthy snacks that can be introduced?
• At the beginning of the dialogue, remind everyone that the purpose of the dialogue is to work with one another and to discuss the issues. Also, remind them that your role as facilitator is to remain neutral, keep the discussion focused, and guide the conversation.

• Start with the group contract/ground rules for children, ask the children what they think first and then discuss and agree a final set. Ensure these are displayed at each session and that other ground rules can be added as time goes on.
• Acknowledge the hopes and fears that everyone brings to the table. People will make mistakes or change their minds during the discussion and that’s okay. Give some time to this activity as you can gather a lot about the children’s thinking at this stage.

Resources to consider at this stage

See here for sample lesson plans, as well as a series of slides that include a timeline and structure. These have been developed and tested to ensure a series of practical steps and ideas as to how to Introduce topics, promote gamified debate on big themes, leading to children over time refining their “big interests” and making their choices about the themes and topics for their research work in Phase 2.

This is an example of one of these lesson plans

Teachers and facilitators worked with their classes to agree group contract and set simple ground rules. Tips here

• Keep an open mind.
• Listen to others
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
• Disagree respectfully
• Contribute to the conversation and make space for others.
• The Vegas Rule (what happens in the dialogue stays in the dialogue).
• Take care of yourself and take care of the group.

Another exercise at this initial stage focused on letting the students express their hopes and fears for the project. See below for examples of this exercise.

3. Icebreakers and Energisers
Use a variety of these frequently throughout the session as you see fit to lighten the mood and get the children up and moving. Keep them short and focused so they don’t take over!

Our teachers explain how they encouraged and stimulated debate within the classroom, by using a range of icebreakers and quizzes. As the students became more engaged, they were willing to discuss the debate the issues.

Resources for Icebreakers and Energisers

It is important to make these relevant to the content that you are trying to work on with your class. Teachers felt that it was also important to keep them short as in some instances, the time allotted for the CEPNET session ended up being taken over by the ice breaker as the children were enjoying it so much!!

Check out the ideas and examples below and do feel free to use any other tools at hand to help get the children into “a CEPNET frame of mind”. This was a phrase used regularly by our CEPNET Children’s Council when they were discussing the idea of how best to consider their CEPNET classwork as opposed to their more usual subject matters. They explained to us that they enjoyed the anticipation and knowing that they would be entering into a “CEPNET frame of mind” once this icebreaker or energiser activity began. As we asked them to explain further, they let us know that this generally would mean that they were going to be “freer” and “more in charge” within their classroom while they were engaged in “CEPNET time”.

Some teachers referred to their importance in getting the students involved and ready for work.

4. Presentation of SDGs

A key part of the first phase is getting the students talking about the sustainable development goals and recognising that these global issues are directly related to their local concerns.

This requires that they are exposed to some “practical learning” in relation to SDGS so that they can then talk about these and other issues.

It may be a case that you might need to do some reading up yourself to familiarise yourself with the SDGs. It doesn’t mean that you have to become an expert overnight, as some of our facilitators and teachers feared. In fact, it was considered a very useful experience to let the children know that you will be learning with them about the more specific details associated with each SDG.

It makes sense to prepare for the initial discussion by trying to be brief and to the point, without any jargon. Our Italian colleagues prepared some very useful slides in this regard.

Resources to consider at this stage

It is important to ensure that the children’s understanding, choice and agency are central to all steps in this process and that it is reflected in the methods chosen for particular age groups.

Where possible use documents, articles, current news items and other resources about the general themes of the SDGs to start the ball rolling. These can act as excellent seeds for discussion. The slides used by our teachers include many specific links between global and local themes.

These examples were used and considered interesting jumping off points for discussion by the children.

CEPNET-Local-and-GlobalDownload

This session also can include a short quiz about the SDGs to review whether the children are now becoming more aware. The Teacher’s Handbook also includes a list of resources that can be used to work with the classes on these issues.

5. Facilitate the group to prioritise the themes

We know that the aim of these discussions is that the students are becoming more and more focused on the global themes relating to the SDGs and are moving towards identifying what they are really interested in. This process should be all about letting them debate these big ideas and explore new knowledge and information. They should be getting an understanding that the SDGs are relevant in their lives as much as they are for people in other countries.

As the students are becoming more and more aware of the importance of the SDGs, they can begin to unpack them and then group them together. The following thematic structure proved useful for many students. Students are also starting to focus on forming groups within these grouped interests, with a new objective of developing their own specific research interest.

As these discussions and debates are flowing, it is important that the children can speak up about what concerns and interests them. As teachers, the richer the conversation of the dialogues the better, the more feedback the better. Each of the students should get to feel valued in this process, their contributions praised and their engagement supported.

We are also encouraging them to work in smaller group based activities and games during this phase. If possible, they might leave the classroom and make use of other spaces in the school. This can contribute to the different feel to the CEPNET project for them. They are also being treated with greater levels of autonomy and self-direction.

The main objectives for the teacher and facilitator are to:

• Assist with the group in moving from general theme to a specific theme
• Work with them in identifying what is really important for them according to their interest and relevance.
• Identify aspects they want to explore further 
• Focus on skills of self scrutiny, self organisation.
• Use enabling questions or open ended questions, as well as questions that might lead to disagreements

Resources to consider at this stage

Some discussion at this stage with children in other classrooms proved to have very successful results. Our children were based in four different schools and were supported to examine the world from each others’ perspectives. If this is possible for you and your class, this guide will give you a lot to consider.

Our teachers used a range of participatory methods of presentation. Here are some examples of facilitation methods.

The lesson plans and especially the slides provide many examples of stimulating sparks for conversations, as well as team building exercises. The spaghetti building game was a particular highlight.

Using participatory methods of presentation is important, where the students have to give feedback to the class or within their smaller groups. Check the examples of facilitation methods and open ended questions that can assist dialogue development.