Teachers lead whole class discussions at the beginning of each class period. The topics of these discussions vary, but many whole class discussions focus on helping students develop a shared understanding of the virtual fractions manipulatives that they will encounter during individual and small-group instruction and/or the meaning of important vocabulary words. Other whole class discussions address common misconceptions about fractions. Some teachers may choose to utilize technology during these discussions, but none is required.

When the whole class discussion ends, teachers use the teacher dashboard to start the first rotation. The students' individual tablets will then automatically show the first activity for their assigned group.

• Sample whole-class discussion plan