Discussion as a Way of Teaching

-
When I think of great discussion that I have had, or great discussions that I’d like to have, I always see them as conversations in which each participant is prepared and willing to share their ideas on the topic(s) at hand. I feel like great discussions usually leave me considering the topic further. Yesterday my 9th graders were discussing the value of human life, going over what that means and in what ways we can put a value to human life; because we were able to facilitate a good discussion (in most of the class periods), I was left to further consider the factors that influence how we perceive human value and whether we can really put a value to human life. I believe (or rather I’m hoping) that my students came away with the desire to further understand the idea of human value.

As English teachers, it is so important that we understand how to facilitate great conversations among our students. I think that the three techniques on how to set discussion ground rules that Brookfield provides can be helpful in discovering the different discussion strategies you could use to engage your students. I especially liked the idea of asking your students the best and worst group discussions they have participated in in order to to find out what characteristics of a good discussion best fit the needs of those students.

I think that the discussion strategy that I enjoyed the most was the Circle of Voices strategy. I love that this strategy allows everyone to speak at least once without being interrupted, because I think it’s incredibly important to hear from every student. I’ve noticed that sometimes the shyest, quietest students have some of the best things to say but are constantly overpowered by the kids who talk frequently. I also love that this strategy has students build off of another’s ideas rather than only expanding on their own ideas; I believe that this strategy would really allow students to build great discussions where the conversation can be controlled by the whole group rather than a few members.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I Read It, But I Don't Get It

-
Reading through I Read It, But I Don’t Get It, by Cris Tovani, reminded me a lot of my dad and my journey as a young reader. My dad has always had trouble reading; he has always been good at reading texts like instruction manuals or magazines about something he is interested in, but I’ve never seen him sit down with a book and read it for pleasure (until just the other day when he asked to borrow my copy of Ready Player One ). When I was young, I wasn’t as much of a reader compared to my classmates, and my parents were worried that I might end up not liking reading like my dad. Something clicked though, and I became a voracious reader; I’m still a voracious reader (when I have the time). I think that the reading/thinking strategies that Tovani goes over in this book really stood out to me because they make me think of how my dad could have used this when he was growing up, or could use them now, to become a better reader; they also make me think of many of the students in my prac...
Read more

Book Talk: The Importance of Being Earnest

-
Image
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde Summary: “Oscar Wilde’s madcap farce about mistaken identities, secret engagements, and lovers’ entanglements still delights readers more than a century after its 1895 publication and premiere performance. The rapid-fire wit and eccentric characters of The Importance of Being Earnest have made it a mainstay of the high school curriculum for decades. Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are both in love with the same mythical suitor. Jack Worthing has wooed Gwendolen as Ernest, while Algernon has also posed as Ernest to win the heat of Jack’s ward, Cecily. When all four arrive at Jack’s country home on the same weekend--the “rivals” to fight for Ernest’s undivided attention and the “Ernests” to claim their beloveds--pandemonium breaks loose. Only a senile nursemaid and an old, discarded hand-bag can save the day!” -from the Prestwick House edition Biography: Oscar Wilde was born October 16, 1854 in Dublin. Wilde was an author,...
Read more

Graphic novels

-
For this weeks blog post I read “Teaching With Graphic Novels,” an article I found through Edudemic. The article discusses different reasons why utilizing graphic novels in the classroom can be beneficial for students as well as insight into how teachers can begin to incorporate graphic novels in their classrooms. One reason for the use of graphic novels in the classroom that the article touched on was that graphic novels are essentially the same as any other assigned novel in a classroom, the only difference is that they utilize panels and images to further the story. With that in mind, I think that it is important to note that because graphic novels are essentially the same as traditional novels, in terms of content rather than format, they can and should be utilized in classrooms in order to give our students more variety in reading materials and in order to help meet the needs and interests of our students. The article also notes that graphic novels may be a good way to reach stu...
Read more