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How do I get students involved in classroom discussions?

Create measurable performance guidelines for class participation. Measurable performance resources encourages constructive dialogue between instructors and students; clarifies student responsibilities and instructor expectations for class discussions; establishes a framework for setting measurable performance goals for student participation; and provides both formative and summative performance-based documentation regarding student progress.
Break students into smaller teams and give each group a targeted question to discuss. Working with others often increases involvement in learning. Sharing one's ideas and responding to others' improves thinking and deepens understanding. Good learning, like good work, is collaborative and social, not competitive and isolated.
Provide relevant and compelling discussion topics and allow reflection time. Consider having some discussion take place on web-based tools, which can be a less intimidating experience for some students (ESL students, especially.) Improve students' motivation by providing relevant and compelling questions.

Leveling the Field: Using Rubrics to Achieve Great Equity in Teaching and Grading
Mind over Matter: Transforming Course Management Systems into Effective Learning Environments, Carmean, C. and Haeffner, J. (2002)
WolfBlogs, Information for Faculty
Tips on Grading: Using Rubrics
Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever
Emotions and Classroom Talk: Toward a Model of the Role of Affect in Students' Experiences of Classroom Discussions. Do, Seung Lee; Schallert, Diane Lemonnier; Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 96(4), Dec 2004. pp. 619-634.
Effective Discussion Through a Computer-Mediated Anchored Forum, 2000, Mark Guzdial and Jennifer Turns, Journal of the Learning Sciences, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp 437-469.