Socratic Seminar: The Socratic Seminar: The Power of DialoguePower of Dialogue

Gifted InstituteGifted Institute

Millersville UniversityMillersville University

June 2010June 2010

Patrice HazlettPatrice Hazlett

Carolyn HoyCarolyn Hoy

Cindy SnyderCindy Snyder

BackgroundBackground

SocratesSocrates

The Socratic method of The Socratic method of teaching is based on Socrates' teaching is based on Socrates' theory that it is more theory that it is more important to enable students important to enable students to think for themselves than to think for themselves than to merely fill their heads with to merely fill their heads with "right" answers. Therefore, he "right" answers. Therefore, he regularly engaged his pupils regularly engaged his pupils in dialogues by responding to in dialogues by responding to their questions with their questions with questions, instead of questions, instead of answers. This process answers. This process encourages divergent encourages divergent thinking rather than thinking rather than convergentconvergent thinking.thinking.

What is Socratic What is Socratic Seminar?Seminar?

• Socratic questioning recognizes that Socratic questioning recognizes that questions, not answers, are the driving questions, not answers, are the driving force in thinkingforce in thinking

• It is a teaching strategy to encourage It is a teaching strategy to encourage students to engage in critical thinking, students to engage in critical thinking, listening, communicating, and wonderlistening, communicating, and wonder

• It is a forum in which students It is a forum in which students determine the flow of classroom determine the flow of classroom discussion and teachers serve as discussion and teachers serve as facilitatorsfacilitators

What is Socratic What is Socratic Seminar? Seminar?

• It encourages an atmosphere of It encourages an atmosphere of intellectual engagement, cooperation, intellectual engagement, cooperation, and conversation where students learn and conversation where students learn the difference between the difference between DialogueDialogue and and DebateDebate

• The goal is not to answer a question, The goal is not to answer a question, but to generate more questionsbut to generate more questions

• It is devoted to making meaning more It is devoted to making meaning more than mastering informationthan mastering information

4 Essential Elements of 4 Essential Elements of Socratic SeminarsSocratic Seminars

• The Text: The Text: chosen for its richness and chosen for its richness and ability to stimulate thoughtful dialogueability to stimulate thoughtful dialogue

• The Question: The Question: has no right answer but has no right answer but does lead the group back to the textdoes lead the group back to the text

• The Teacher: The Teacher: is both a leader and a is both a leader and a participantparticipant

• The Participants: The Participants: study the text, study the text, listen actively, and share ideaslisten actively, and share ideas

Choosing the TextChoosing the Text

• Begin with a short textBegin with a short text

• Build up to multiple texts, poems, Build up to multiple texts, poems, paintings, videos etc.paintings, videos etc.

• Multiple texts should offer a Multiple texts should offer a variety of perspectivesvariety of perspectives

• Text should be relevant to unit of Text should be relevant to unit of studystudy

Difference between Dialogue, Difference between Dialogue, Debate, and DiscussionDebate, and Discussion

DialogueDialogue

• Collaborative Collaborative

• Works toward a Works toward a shared understandingshared understanding

• Open to changing Open to changing viewsviews

• Seeks not to offendSeeks not to offend

• Remains open-endedRemains open-ended

• DivergentDivergent

Debate/DiscussionDebate/Discussion

• Competitive and Competitive and oppositionaloppositional

• Listen for flawsListen for flaws

• Defend one’s Defend one’s positionposition

• Leads to one “right” Leads to one “right” answer or conclusionanswer or conclusion

• ConvergentConvergent

The Teacher’s RoleThe Teacher’s Role

• Formulate provocative and open-ended Formulate provocative and open-ended questionsquestions

• Add clarifying or sustaining responsesAdd clarifying or sustaining responses

• Don’t lectureDon’t lecture

• Don’t let dialogue wanderDon’t let dialogue wander

• Neither praise nor put downNeither praise nor put down

• Facilitate closingFacilitate closing

• Design a reflective pieceDesign a reflective piece

The Students’ The Students’ ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

• Refer to text for evidenceRefer to text for evidence

• Be preparedBe prepared

• Direct comments toward the groupDirect comments toward the group

• Listen carefully and respectfullyListen carefully and respectfully

• Discuss ideas rather than opinionsDiscuss ideas rather than opinions

• Paraphrase peers’ ideas before respondingParaphrase peers’ ideas before responding

• Make eye contact with peersMake eye contact with peers

Facilitating Thoughtful DialogueFacilitating Thoughtful Dialogue

Conducting successful seminars requires Conducting successful seminars requires a shift from a monologic to a dialogic a shift from a monologic to a dialogic classroomclassroom

Monologic and Dialogic Monologic and Dialogic CClassroomslassrooms

MonologicMonologic

• Teacher holds the Teacher holds the knowledgeknowledge

• Teacher poses the Teacher poses the questionsquestions

• Students respond to Students respond to teacherteacher

• Teacher evaluates Teacher evaluates student responsesstudent responses

DialogicDialogic

• Teachers and Teachers and students construct students construct knowledgeknowledge

• Teacher and students Teacher and students pose questionspose questions

• Students respond to Students respond to each othereach other

• Class evaluates ideas Class evaluates ideas and reaches and reaches consensusconsensus

Socratic Seminar and Socratic Seminar and DifferentiationDifferentiation

• Center seminars around themes or concepts Center seminars around themes or concepts rather than specific materials (readiness)rather than specific materials (readiness)

• Assign preparatory readings at varying levels of Assign preparatory readings at varying levels of difficulty, linked by a common theme (readiness)difficulty, linked by a common theme (readiness)

• Ask questions requiring a variety of kinds of Ask questions requiring a variety of kinds of perspectives/expertise/knowledge perspectives/expertise/knowledge (interest/readiness/learning profile)(interest/readiness/learning profile)

• Integrate “break-out” groups into the seminar Integrate “break-out” groups into the seminar format (interest/learning profile)format (interest/learning profile)

• Differentiate follow-up activities Differentiate follow-up activities (interest/readiness/learning profile)(interest/readiness/learning profile)

Effective Pre-seminar Effective Pre-seminar ActivitiesActivities

Pre-seminar activities help kids make Pre-seminar activities help kids make personal connections, activate prior personal connections, activate prior knowledge, increase motivation and knowledge, increase motivation and interest, and become personally interest, and become personally knowledgeable about the topic.knowledgeable about the topic.

Pre-seminar StrategiesPre-seminar Strategies

•Reader ResponseReader Response

•Free Writing ActivitiesFree Writing Activities

•WebbingWebbing

•Personal or Group Personal or Group ResearchResearch

Effective Post-seminar Effective Post-seminar ActivitiesActivities

Post-seminar activities help kids make Post-seminar activities help kids make personal connections based on the personal connections based on the insights gained during the seminar and insights gained during the seminar and apply these connections to their own apply these connections to their own lives.lives.

Post-seminar ActivitiesPost-seminar Activities

•Journal WritingJournal Writing

•Self-assessment NarrativesSelf-assessment Narratives

•Authentic Follow-up ProjectsAuthentic Follow-up Projects

Seminar ExampleSeminar Example

Topic: A New LandTopic: A New Land

Purpose: To begin a unit on explorationPurpose: To begin a unit on exploration

• Students read stories about Columbus’ Students read stories about Columbus’ discovery of America, differentiated discovery of America, differentiated according to reading levelaccording to reading level

Seminar QuestionsSeminar Questions

• What does it mean to “explore” something?What does it mean to “explore” something?

• What can we gain by “exploring” something?What can we gain by “exploring” something?

• Is “discovery” always a good thing?Is “discovery” always a good thing?

• Why do think people like to explore and Why do think people like to explore and discover?discover?

• Do you think other creatures in nature like to Do you think other creatures in nature like to explore and discover, or does this seem to be explore and discover, or does this seem to be something that only humans like to do?something that only humans like to do?

• Should there be rules about exploring and Should there be rules about exploring and discovery?discovery?

Seminar ExampleSeminar Example

Topic: Genetic EngineeringTopic: Genetic Engineering

Lesson SequenceLesson Sequence

• Students read different articles about Students read different articles about the ethics of genetic engineering- one the ethics of genetic engineering- one from a popular magazine or newspaper, from a popular magazine or newspaper, one from a high school textbook, and one from a high school textbook, and one from an advanced scientific journalone from an advanced scientific journal

• Students do a “quick write/I think” Students do a “quick write/I think” reaction to the reading in their journalsreaction to the reading in their journals

Seminar QuestionsSeminar Questions

• Should there be limits to scientific Should there be limits to scientific experimentation?experimentation?

• Who has the right to decide what those Who has the right to decide what those limits should be?limits should be?

• What are some of the possible benefits What are some of the possible benefits and consequences of genetic and consequences of genetic engineering?engineering?

• What makes humans continually push What makes humans continually push forward the boundaries of knowledge?forward the boundaries of knowledge?

ResourcesResources

• http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/SocraticSeminars/criteria4questions.htm

• http://www.middleweb.com/Socratic.html

• https://moodle.hempfieldsd.org/https://moodle.hempfieldsd.org/

Socratic SeminarsSocratic Seminars

Where questions, not Where questions, not answers, are the driving answers, are the driving

force in thinking.force in thinking.