ChrisB Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Is there a resource that explicitly states how to apply Socratic questioning in education? Maybe not an exact recipe, but fairly close. Perhaps I've missed it, but over the years one thing I've wanted to see was something that gives a fairly clear path on the how-to do it with examples. Some of it I can intuit and piece together with a few fellow boardie techniques/tips, but would like a resource to help me become more confident in my style. Bonus points to any Catholic perspective resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted February 24, 2019 Author Share Posted February 24, 2019 The irony that this post is right next to Gil's "Really Dumb Sh..." post makes me laugh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Have you tried googling how to teach using Socratic dialogue? https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/socratic-teaching/606 https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/810 https://www.getadministrate.com/blog/how-to-teach-with-questions-exploring-the-socratic-method/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calli Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 I'm not sure if this fits the bill or not but the Classical Latin School Association is hosting a free webinar this coming week on Socratic questioning and Mimetic instruction. It looks interesting. https://classicallatin.org/upcoming-webinars/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal_Bear Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 Perhaps Center for Lit's Teaching the Classics? https://www.centerforlit.com/teaching-the-classics 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted February 26, 2019 Author Share Posted February 26, 2019 Thanks for these resources! I'm always on the hunt for things that take an idea and show how it practically works, hence my asking about resources that show the application of Socratic method. 8, your link to the critical thinking page really helps me think this through. If I can swing it, I'll have to check out the webinar linked above, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 The Junior Great Books "shared inquiry" is IMO worth looking at. I dislike most forms of "Socratic questioning" because it so readily turns into "try to read the teacher's mind/ interpret her responses instead of the text." Middle Girl is part of a Junior Great Books group and it's been a really fruitful method of investigation. https://www.greatbooks.org/what-we-do/what-is-shared-inquiry/ They have videos at greatbooks.org showing Shared Inquiry in both Junior Great Books and adult Great Books groups. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 3 hours ago, Violet Crown said: The Junior Great Books "shared inquiry" is IMO worth looking at. I dislike most forms of "Socratic questioning" because it so readily turns into "try to read the teacher's mind/ interpret her responses instead of the text." Middle Girl is part of a Junior Great Books group and it's been a really fruitful method of investigation. https://www.greatbooks.org/what-we-do/what-is-shared-inquiry/ They have videos at greatbooks.org showing Shared Inquiry in both Junior Great Books and adult Great Books groups. How did you find your Junior Great Books group? I only see adult groups listed on their site. All of the info for students looks like it's geared for schools. But I'd definitely be interested in something like this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 (edited) 51 minutes ago, PeachyDoodle said: How did you find your Junior Great Books group? I only see adult groups listed on their site. All of the info for students looks like it's geared for schools. But I'd definitely be interested in something like this! Middle Girl learned about them and badly wanted to be in one: so I started one with her and half a dozen of her friends. It's something of a hybrid between the adult and children's forms: after the first session, which I led, they led it themselves, rotating the leadership, and for a while using the booklets of interpretive questions; after they got the hang of it, coming up with their own questions. (Teenagers) Later I started one for Wee Girl, which I lead in the traditional manner. I find the hardest part is to Shut Up when they head down the wrong path altogether, and wait for one of the kids to point out other possibilities, instead of taking over and "teaching." It's been amazing. (Late elementary) Both groups are girls only, which I worried would be controversial, but has been both successful and popular. Edited February 26, 2019 by Violet Crown 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 35 minutes ago, Violet Crown said: Middle Girl learned about them and badly wanted to be in one: so I started one with her and half a dozen of her friends. It's something of a hybrid between the adult and children's forms: after the first session, which I led, they led it themselves, rotating the leadership, and for a while using the booklets of interpretive questions; after they got the hang of it, coming up with their own questions. (Teenagers) Later I started one for Wee Girl, which I lead in the traditional manner. I find the hardest part is to Shut Up when they head down the wrong path altogether, and wait for one of the kids to point out other possibilities, instead of taking over and "teaching." It's been amazing. (Late elementary) Both groups are girls only, which I worried would be controversial, but has been both successful and popular. Thank you for sharing! This is something I might have to think about... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 34 minutes ago, PeachyDoodle said: Thank you for sharing! This is something I might have to think about... I should add that it was super-easy to get other kids for the groups. Homeschooling in our community is very STEMmy, and many of the parents speak English as a second language, so there's a consequent anxiety about literary education. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 On 2/26/2019 at 10:04 AM, Violet Crown said: The Junior Great Books "shared inquiry" is IMO worth looking at. I dislike most forms of "Socratic questioning" because it so readily turns into "try to read the teacher's mind/ interpret her responses instead of the text." Middle Girl is part of a Junior Great Books group and it's been a really fruitful method of investigation. https://www.greatbooks.org/what-we-do/what-is-shared-inquiry/ They have videos at greatbooks.org showing Shared Inquiry in both Junior Great Books and adult Great Books groups. This is interesting! I especially appreciate the Handbook from the site. So, what if there's an expert as part of the group that people want to hear from whether it's the leader or not? Say that the expert may not be the expert on the specific text but is for the general subject matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 4 hours ago, ChrisB said: This is interesting! I especially appreciate the Handbook from the site. So, what if there's an expert as part of the group that people want to hear from whether it's the leader or not? Say that the expert may not be the expert on the specific text but is for the general subject matter. First, it's not very likely that subject matter expertise will affect discussion. My daughter's group will be reading William James on psychology soon, but even if one of them had special training in psychology, there's not much to contribute other than "by the way, modern psychology isn't much interested in the same ideas James was interested in." Second, if the discutants want to step outside the (firm) rules of Shared Inquiry, of course nothing can stop them. But when her group has, despite the rules, allowed a girl who studied a writer's works previously to give lots of information extrinsic to the text, they've discovered that the free exchange of ideas quickly turns into sitting at the feet of the "expert." And nobody actually enjoys that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 (edited) Thanks for your reply, VC. I find what you say about your daughter's group to be true for any book group I've joined. The more enjoyable discussions have been a free trade of ideas instead of sitting at the feet of the "expert." Although, I really do appreciate a few more knowledgeable attendees that can clarify any misconceptions or speak to a few specifics, keeping the discussion moving in the right direction. From the little I've read on Shared Inquiry, it appears to be Socratic methodology. That is to say, we, even the teacher, are moving towards a truth, and the teacher is there to keep us on track, asking pertinent questions that get us considering all the sides of the matter. There is a confidence from the teacher that once a topic has been thoroughly discussed, the truth will reveal itself. The teacher is the humble facilitator, not the authority, having expert knowledge to draw forth all angles to what is being discussed and resisting the desire to be the "expert." From 8's first link above, "The Socratic questioner acts as the logical equivalent of the inner critical voice...", I find this to be the bottom line as to the teacher's role in the process. How you would consider Shared Inquiry different than most Socratic questioning? Maybe what some call Socratic questioning is not really so...maybe it's being done poorly. Reading through 8's first link on Socratic teaching reads quite like Shared Inquiry. Edited March 4, 2019 by ChrisB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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