Great classroom discussions don't happen by accident. When you tell students to "discuss with your partner," the range of what actually happens is enormous - some pairs dive deep while others sit in silence. Structured discussion protocols solve this by giving every student a clear role, a defined time frame, and a specific way to engage.
PrepPanel's Discuss tab puts 30 ready-made discussion activities right in your side panel. Each one includes step-by-step instructions and a suggested timer. Shuffle through them on the fly, disable the ones you don't use, and add your own custom protocols - all without leaving the extension.
Before You Start
- PrepPanel installed and at least one section created - see the Getting Started guide if you haven't done this yet
- A roster added to the section you want to use (discussion starters work without a roster, but pairing them with the lineup is where they really shine)
Open the Discuss Tab
The Discuss tab is the third sub-tab in PrepPanel's side panel, right between Groups and Settings. Click it to see a randomly selected discussion activity displayed as a card.
Think-Pair-Share
• Students individually reflect on a question, then discuss with a partner. • Timer: 2 min individual, 2 min paired.
2- 1 Discuss sub-tab - The third tab in the side panel. Each section has its own independent set of discussion starters.
- 2 Activity card - Shows the selected activity's name and instructions. This is what your students see on the projected screen - clear, readable, and ready to follow.
- 3 New Starter - Shuffles to a different random activity from your enabled starters. Tap it as many times as you like until you find one that fits the moment.
- 4 Manage Discussion Starters - Opens the editing screen where you can enable/disable activities and add your own custom ones.
Shuffle Through Activities
Each time you open the Discuss tab, PrepPanel picks a random starter from your enabled activities. Click "New Starter" to shuffle to a different one. PrepPanel avoids repeating the same activity twice in a row, so you'll always get variety.
This is intentionally designed to be fast and spontaneous. You don't need to browse a list or plan ahead - just tap until something clicks for your lesson. The activity card is displayed in a large, readable format perfect for projecting to the class.
Because the Discuss tab is part of the side panel, whatever activity you land on is immediately visible to students on the projected screen. Shuffle until you find one that fits, then say "Follow the instructions on screen" - no setup needed.
Browse the Built-In Activities
PrepPanel ships with 30 discussion starters covering every common group size - pairs, trios, groups of four, and whole class. Each includes step-by-step instructions and a suggested timer. Here's the full library, organized by group size:
Each activity includes a recommended duration, and you don't need to leave PrepPanel to time it. The side panel has a built-in timer dock at the bottom of the screen - always available, regardless of which tab you're on. Set the countdown to match the activity's suggestion, hit start, and both you and your students can see it on the projected screen. No hunting for a YouTube timer or switching tabs.
Manage Your Starter Library
Not every activity fits every class. Click "Manage Discussion Starters" to open the editing screen, where you can toggle each activity on or off. Disabled starters won't appear when you shuffle.
Discussion Starters for Period 1
Add New Starter
- 1 Done Editing - Returns to the live discussion view. Your changes are saved automatically.
- 2 Toggle switches - Turn individual starters on or off. Disabled starters (gray toggle) won't appear when you shuffle. This lets you curate a focused set for each class.
- 3 Add custom starters - Create your own protocols with a title and instructions. You can also apply your current library configuration to all classes at once.
Discussion starters are managed per section. Your AP Lit class might have different activities enabled than your English 9 class. If you want the same setup everywhere, use the "Apply These Starters to All Classes" button to copy your current configuration to every section.
Add Your Own Discussion Starters
The 30 built-in activities cover a wide range, but you probably have go-to protocols that are specific to your content area or school culture. Adding your own is simple:
- Click "Manage Discussion Starters" to enter editing mode
- Scroll to the "Add New Starter" form at the bottom
- Enter a title (e.g., "Socratic Fishbowl") and a body with instructions and a suggested timer
- Click "Add to This Class" to save it to the current section
- Click "Done Editing" to return to the live view
Your custom starters are automatically enabled and will appear in the shuffle rotation alongside the built-in ones. You can disable them later using the same toggle switches.
Use bullet points and line breaks in the body text to keep instructions scannable on the projected screen. For example: start each step with a bullet, and put the timer suggestion on its own line. This matches the format of the built-in starters.
What Students See on the Projected Screen
The Discuss tab is part of PrepPanel's side panel - the same panel you project for students to see during the lineup. When you switch to the Discuss tab, the entire projected view changes to show the activity card in a clean, readable layout.
Hot Seat
• One student faces rapid-fire questions from peers. • Timer: 2 min.
- 1 Timer display and presets - The countdown shows in large monospace digits, visible to the whole class. Tap a preset (1m, 2m, 5m, 10m) to quickly set a common duration, or type a custom time in the input field. Presets are customizable in the settings.
- 2 Timer controls - Start, pause, and reset. The timer dock is always visible at the bottom of the side panel regardless of which tab you're on, so you can start a countdown on the Discuss tab, switch to the Lineup tab to pick a student, and the timer keeps running.
- 3 Timer / Stopwatch toggle - Switch between countdown timer mode (set a duration, counts down to zero) and stopwatch mode (counts up, with lap tracking). Timer mode is the default and what you'll use most for discussions.
The activity title is displayed in a large handwritten-style font, and the instructions use clean, readable text. Students can see at a glance what they need to do and how long they have. The timer dock at the bottom means everything students need - the activity, the instructions, and the countdown - is on one screen.
Discussion protocols pair naturally with PrepPanel's random picker. Use the Lineup tab to select which student leads or reports back, then switch to Discuss to display the activity structure. The timer keeps running across tab switches, so you can flip between tabs as needed without losing time.
Tips for Running Effective Discussions
If your students aren't used to structured discussion, begin with pair activities like Think-Pair-Share and Peer Interview. Once they've built the habit of engaging with a partner, introduce trio and group-of-four formats. Students who are comfortable talking to one person transfer that confidence to larger groups.
Don't reveal the discussion activity until you've posed your question or given your prompt. Students should be thinking about the content first, not the structure. Say "How does the author build tension in Chapter 3?" and then switch to the Discuss tab to show them the framework for discussing it.
PrepPanel's timer dock sits at the bottom of the side panel and is always visible, even when you switch between Lineup, Groups, and Discuss tabs. Set it to the activity's suggested duration and let it count down on screen. Students can see the timer projected alongside the discussion instructions - no need to open another tab, find a YouTube timer, or use your phone. The suggested durations are tuned for typical classroom pacing: shorter activities (1-2 min) work well for quick checks, longer ones (4-5 min) suit deeper exploration.
Thirty activities is a lot. Go into the Manage screen and disable the ones that don't match your teaching style or grade level. Keep around 8-12 active so every shuffle feels fresh but familiar. Your students will learn the protocols quickly when they see the same set regularly.
Use a pair activity for a quick partner check early in the lesson, then a group-of-four activity for deeper exploration later. Mixing group sizes keeps energy high and gives different students opportunities to lead.
Common Questions
Can I use the same starters across all my classes?
Yes. In the editing screen, click "Apply These Starters to All Classes" to copy your current library configuration - including which starters are enabled, disabled, and any custom ones you've added - to every section. This is a one-time copy, so changes you make to one class later won't automatically sync to the others.
What happens if I disable all starters?
The activity card will display a message saying "No Starters Enabled" with a prompt to open the Manage screen and re-enable or add some. PrepPanel won't crash or break - it just gently reminds you to turn something on.
Can I delete a built-in starter entirely?
You can't delete the built-in starters, but you can disable them with the toggle switch. A disabled starter is effectively invisible - it won't show up when you shuffle. This way, if you ever change your mind, you can re-enable it without having to recreate it.
Do discussion starters carry over between sessions?
Yes. Your library configuration (which starters are enabled, your custom starters, and the last displayed activity) is saved in Chrome's local storage. It persists across browser sessions and even Chrome updates. The only way to lose it is to clear all PrepPanel data from the Settings tab.
Is there a built-in timer?
Yes. PrepPanel has a timer dock built into the bottom of the side panel. It's always available regardless of which tab you're on, so you can set a countdown while viewing a discussion activity and both you and your students will see it on the projected screen. It supports both countdown timer and stopwatch modes. Each discussion activity includes a suggested duration you can use as a starting point.
Can I reorder the starters in the list?
The manage screen shows starters in their default order. Since the shuffle is random, the list order doesn't affect which activity gets selected. Custom starters you add appear at the end of the list.