A thought provoking question found in one of the resources: -How does perspective shape or alter truth?
This question can generate a number of responses based on literature or history. Using Hamlet, for example, some students think Hamlet is actually mad, whereas others students think he is feigning madness. The different perspectives create interesting logic, reasoning and discussion.
Lynda Tredway's "Socratic Seminars: Engaging Students in Intellectual Discourse" makes this observation: "The seminar also supports intellectual and character development by cultivating ways of working together to question, disagree, negotiate, appreciate different points of view, and solve problems. As Brown (1991) has said:
'Literacy is first of all a process of making meaning and negotiating it with others.... This literacy of thoughtfulness [is] used to convey both reasoning and the collaborative aspects of literacy, the caring about and working with others.'"
I realize I work at a public school, where we're certainly not teaching religion, but I do see a place for teachers to impart ethics at the most, and good manners, at the least. I appreciate the role of the Socratic Seminar as a means to teach students mature ways of dealing with each other--from sharing ideas to deceptively simple, but crucially important, elements of social conduct.
We spoke today about the importance of eye contact. And, as I said earlier, I've mentioned this idea in terms of student presentations, but not as far as day-to-day interaction with others. The Socratic Seminar depends on student willingness to guage each other's body language. Is she ready to speak? Am I interrupting him if I jump in now? This compromise must be reached by being aware of each other. More importantly, speaking in front of a group, even the same classmates with whom students meet several times a day, requires courage. Students need to learn that they have the power to give each other courage by giving their full attention, their eye contact and responsive body language, to their peers. Teachers can help facilitate this positive behavior by having students practice working in small groups on sharing eye contact and offering positive body language, such as nodding in agreement.
Think about it; it's vital that students understand the importance of positive social behavior. They're readying themselves to go to college, to begin their adult lives, yet some of them haven't thought about or practiced this essential tool of survival: body language. Showing people that one is listening benefits the speaker, and ultimately, the student as that same empathy is returned.
The seminar style is devoted more to making meaning that to mastering information- as simple as it seems, it is something that I have difficulty doing with students in my resource room. We are always in a rush to help students get done what they need for a test, project, or an assignment. Also, we do not dialogue well, I need to spend more time modeling conversations.
Eventually I'd like to invite students to become the leaders of Socratic Seminars with their peers. This is based on the idea that you learn most by doing-and I would like them to learn how to lead discussions as well as participate in them. The second link has a list of suggestions for leaders that I will ask them to use as they prepare to lead their seminars. I think the debriefing will be key in this experiment. I also think it will be extremely beneficial for them.
The research on conducting a socratic seminar cites one of the responsibilities of the leader as: "Neither praise nor put down comments. Your role is to press participants to clairfy and amplify their ideas." I find this to be a difficult task as a teacher; however, it is an important way to demonstrate to students that we are not looking for the "right" but rather to explore the text. Students are constantly looking for confirmation of their ideas and responses. But I hope to help provide students with the confidence to more freely express ideas our of genuine curiosity.
Thank you all for these thoughtful and though-provoking comments. We will all be examining Tredway's article at our next session (cited by Maeve above). Thanks, too, for your feedback at the end of our session. I enjoyed meeting those of you I didn't know and sharing conversation with all of you. See you on Monday at 3:30! Marion
Looking for a text today led me to some....interesting cures for "female hysteria." I'm about to teach "The Yellow Wallpaper" and I realized that finding a text to go along with it was not going to be that easy. I'm also considering asking students to use the protocol we did today with two pages of the story. Though they will have read it for homework, it will be useful to focus on two important pages again.
A thought provoking question found in one of the resources:
ReplyDelete-How does perspective shape or alter truth?
This question can generate a number of responses based on literature or history. Using Hamlet, for example, some students think Hamlet is actually mad, whereas others students think he is feigning madness. The different perspectives create interesting logic, reasoning and discussion.
Lynda Tredway's "Socratic Seminars: Engaging Students in Intellectual Discourse" makes this observation: "The seminar also supports intellectual and character development by cultivating ways of working together to question, disagree, negotiate, appreciate different points of view, and solve problems. As Brown (1991) has said:
ReplyDelete'Literacy is first of all a process of making meaning and negotiating it with others.... This literacy of thoughtfulness [is] used to convey both reasoning and the collaborative aspects of literacy, the caring about and working with others.'"
I realize I work at a public school, where we're certainly not teaching religion, but I do see a place for teachers to impart ethics at the most, and good manners, at the least. I appreciate the role of the Socratic Seminar as a means to teach students mature ways of dealing with each other--from sharing ideas to deceptively simple, but crucially important, elements of social conduct.
We spoke today about the importance of eye contact. And, as I said earlier, I've mentioned this idea in terms of student presentations, but not as far as day-to-day interaction with others. The Socratic Seminar depends on student willingness to guage each other's body language. Is she ready to speak? Am I interrupting him if I jump in now? This compromise must be reached by being aware of each other. More importantly, speaking in front of a group, even the same classmates with whom students meet several times a day, requires courage. Students need to learn that they have the power to give each other courage by giving their full attention, their eye contact and responsive body language, to their peers. Teachers can help facilitate this positive behavior by having students practice working in small groups on sharing eye contact and offering positive body language, such as nodding in agreement.
Think about it; it's vital that students understand the importance of positive social behavior. They're readying themselves to go to college, to begin their adult lives, yet some of them haven't thought about or practiced this essential tool of survival: body language. Showing people that one is listening benefits the speaker, and ultimately, the student as that same empathy is returned.
The seminar style is devoted more to making meaning that to mastering information- as simple as it seems, it is something that I have difficulty doing with students in my resource room. We are always in a rush to help students get done what they need for a test, project, or an assignment. Also, we do not dialogue well, I need to spend more time modeling conversations.
ReplyDeleteEventually I'd like to invite students to become the leaders of Socratic Seminars with their peers. This is based on the idea that you learn most by doing-and I would like them to learn how to lead discussions as well as participate in them. The second link has a list of suggestions for leaders that I will ask them to use as they prepare to lead their seminars. I think the debriefing will be key in this experiment. I also think it will be extremely beneficial for them.
ReplyDeleteThe research on conducting a socratic seminar cites one of the responsibilities of the leader as: "Neither praise nor put down comments. Your role is to press participants to clairfy and amplify their ideas." I find this to be a difficult task as a teacher; however, it is an important way to demonstrate to students that we are not looking for the "right" but rather to explore the text. Students are constantly looking for confirmation of their ideas and responses. But I hope to help provide students with the confidence to more freely express ideas our of genuine curiosity.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for these thoughtful and though-provoking comments. We will all be examining Tredway's article at our next session (cited by Maeve above). Thanks, too, for your feedback at the end of our session. I enjoyed meeting those of you I didn't know and sharing conversation with all of you. See you on Monday at 3:30! Marion
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the first session also, and look forward to learning from everyone.
ReplyDeleteLooking for a text today led me to some....interesting cures for "female hysteria." I'm about to teach "The Yellow Wallpaper" and I realized that finding a text to go along with it was not going to be that easy. I'm also considering asking students to use the protocol we did today with two pages of the story. Though they will have read it for homework, it will be useful to focus on two important pages again.
ReplyDelete