Socratic Seminars "The unexamined life is not worth living."-Socrates Background The Socratic method of teaching is based on Socrates' theory that it is more important to enable students to think for themselves than to merely fill their heads with "right" answers. Students are given opportunities to "examine" a common piece of text, whether it is in the form of a novel, poem, art print, or piece of music. Open-ended questions allow students to think critically, analyze multiple meanings in text, and express ideas with clarity and confidence. Dialogue is exploratory and involves the suspension of biases and prejudices. Participants in a Socratic Seminar respond to one another with respect by carefully listening instead of interrupting. Before you come to a Socratic Seminar class, please read the assigned text (novel section, poem, essay, article, etc.) and write at least one question in each of the following categories: Write a question connecting the text to the real world.
Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum "Es kommt in einer christlichen Gemeinschaft alles darauf an, dass jeder Einzelne ein unentbehrliches Glied einer Kette wird. Nur wo auch das kleinste Glied fest eingreift, ist die Kette unzerreißbar. Eine Gemeinschaft, die es zulässt, dass ungenutzte Glieder da sind, wird an diesen zugrunde gehen. Jede christliche Gemeinschaft muß wissen, dass nicht nur die Schwachen die Starken brauchen, sondern auch die Starken nicht ohne die Schwachen sein können. Die Ausschaltung der Schwachen ist der Tod der Gemeinschaft." Dietrich Bonhoeffer Das pädagogische Grundverständnis der Evangelischen Schule Berlin Zentrum ist die Wertschätzung der Vielfalt in der Gemeinsamkeit: Jede zählt, Jeder ist einzigartig. Damit wollen wir den Kindern sagen: Du zählst hier; Du bist wichtig; Auf Dich können wir nicht verzichten; Deine Fähigkeiten brauchen und auf sie vertrauen wir; Deine Möglichkeiten fördern wir; Du kannst Dich offen zeigen; Du bist einzigartig - und alle anderen auch.
Kio Stark: Why you should talk to strangers Systemic racism explained Learn more about the history of redlining in the United States. Explore why differences in public school funding is so detrimental to education in America with this piece from The Atlantic, which takes a closer look at the schools in Connecticut and the broader history of education funding, or this analysis from ASCD Educational Leadership, digging into studies of unequal funding. Understand systemic racism with these 9 charts from Vox that highlight longstanding inequalities in every facet of American life. Socratic Seminars: Making Meaningful Dialogue Socratic Seminars: Making Meaningful Dialogue The Common Core State Standards for speaking and listening state that in order for students to be ready for college and career, they must have “ample opportunities to take part in a variety of rich, structured conversations,” and “listen attentively to others so that they are able to build on others’ meritorious ideas while expressing their own clearly and persuasively.” Socratic Seminars embody these expectations of the Common Core and are a meaningful way to engage students from upper elementary grades through twelfth grade. Named after the philosopher Socrates, the Socratic Seminar is a structured dialogue between students about important ideas or moral and ethical issues found in a text or across multiple texts. Prior to their engagement in the Socratic Seminar, students prepare for the discussion by reading and annotating a text the teacher has selected. Classrooms such as these are recognizable within minutes of entering.
À l'école de l'estime de soi Mensuel N° 271 - Juin 2015 La confiance en soi et celle que les enseignants accordent à leurs élèves jouent un rôle notable dans la réussite. D’où l’importance d’ajuster une pédagogie qui valorise les succès plutôt qu’elle sanctionne les échecs. Depuis plusieurs décennies, des recherches en éducation soulignent l’importance de la confiance en ses capacités à apprendre. Plusieurs études montrent que la plupart des jeunes enfants débutent leur scolarité avec une confiance élevée dans leurs capacités à apprendre, mais que cette confiance s’érode rapidement sous l’action conjuguée du développement cognitif (qui amène à davantage de réalisme) et des évaluations normatives (où les élèves sont classés les uns par rapport aux autres) très présentes en milieu scolaire. Deux facteurs majeurs dans le développement du sentiment de compétence d’un élève sont les expériences de réussite (ou d’échec) et les réactions de son entourage (parents, enseignants, pairs). L’illusion d’incompétence Benoît Galand
Adam Grant: The surprising habits of original thinkers Teaching English Literature Using A Socratic Seminar Common core State Standards ELA: English Language Arts W: Writing Standards 6-12 9-10: 9th & 10th Grades 1a: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts,using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate oropposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clearrelationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for eachwhile pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner thatanticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns.c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text,create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons,between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.d. Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)
10 Ways To Start Shifting Your Classroom Practices Little By Little She decided to try giving students time in class to read whatever they wanted. There were no expectations other than that students learn something and share it with the class. There would be no grades because it didn’t make sense to compare projects that are so different. When Kirr saw how much fun her students were having learning during Genius Hour she started to use some of the lessons she learned from that shift in all her teaching. Kirr said taking a risk on Genius Hour has changed her teaching dramatically. “That means my lessons have to change because that means I have to give more time over to them to work,” Kirr said. Talking to her students more often also revealed insights into who they are, what they care about, and what troubles them. “Especially content area teachers, we feel like we have to get in the content before the year is out,” Kirr said. “That feedback from them is key to help them buy into what you’re saying from your lessons,” Kirr said. Lesson 7: Take risks