For more information on
Socratic Circles, check out LitTunes Author Matt Copeland's book on the topic:
"Socratic Circles: Fostering Critical and Creative Thinking in the Middle
and High School."
What does Socratic mean?
The word “Socratic” comes from the name Socrates (ca. 470-399 B.C.),
a Classical Greek philosopher who developed a Theory of Knowledge.
What was Socrates' Theory of
Knowledge?
Socrates believed that the answers to all human questions and problems reside within us. Unfortunately, as human beings we are often unaware of the answers and solutions we possess. Socrates was convinced that the surest way to discover those answers and attain reliable knowledge was through the practice of disciplined conversation. He called this method the dialectic.
What does dialectic mean?
Dialectic is the art or practice of examining opinions or ideas logically, often by the method of question and answer, so as to determine their validity.
How did Socrates use the
dialectic?
Socrates believed that through the process of dialogue, where all parties to the conversation were forced to clarify their ideas, the final outcome of the conversation would be a clear statement of what was meant. The technique appears simple but it is intensely rigorous. Socrates would feign ignorance about a subject and try to draw out from the other person his fullest possible knowledge about it. Socrates’ assumption was that by progressively correcting incomplete or inaccurate notions through discussion, one could coax the truth out of anyone.
What is a Socratic circle?
A Socratic circle (also called Socratic seminar) is a process to try to understand information by creating dialectic in class in regards to a specific text. In a Socratic circle, participants seek deeper understanding of complex ideas in the text through thoughtful dialogue, rather than by memorizing bits of information. A Socratic Circle is not debate. The goal of this activity is to have participants work together to construct meaning and arrive at an answer, not for one student or one group to “win the argument.”
How does a Socratic Circle work?
The ritualistic structure of a Socratic Circle is
one that appears complex to participants at first, but ultimately that
structure is what provides the students’ growth and ownership of the
conversation. The basic procedure for a
Socratic Circle is as follows:
1. On the day before a Socratic
Circle is scheduled, the teacher hands out a short passage of text.
2. That night at home, students
spend time reading, analyzing, and taking notes over the section of text.
3. At the beginning of class
the next day, students are randomly divided into two concentric circles: an
inner circle and an outer circle.
4. Students in the inner circle
read the passage aloud and then engage in a discussion of the text for
approximately ten minutes, while the outer circle observes the human behavior
and performance of the inner circle.
5. Following this discussion of
the text, the outer circle then assesses the inner circle’s performance and
offers ten minutes of feedback for the inner circle.
6. Students in the inner and
outer circle now exchange roles and positions within the classroom.
7. The new inner circle (the
students who began in the outer circle) holds a ten-minute discussion and then
receives ten minutes of feedback from the new outer circle.
Of course there are many variations to the time limits of each aspect of Socratic Circle, but maintaining the discussion-feedback-discussion-feedback pattern is essential.
The Text: Socratic Circle texts are chosen for their richness in ideas, issues,
and values and their ability to stimulate extended, thoughtful dialogue. A text
can be drawn from readings in literature, history, science, math, health,
and philosophy or from works of art or music. A good text raises important
questions in the participants' minds, questions for which there are no right or
wrong answers. At the end of a successful Socratic Circle, participants often
leave with more questions than they brought with them. (This is a good thing!)
The Opening Question: A Socratic Circle opens with a question either
posed by the leader or solicited from participants. An opening question has no
right answer; instead it reflects a genuine curiosity on the part of the
questioner. A good opening question leads participants back to the text as
they speculate, evaluate, define, and clarify the issues involved. Responses to
the opening question generate new questions from the leader and participants,
leading to new responses. In this way, the line of inquiry in a Socratic Circle
evolves on the spot rather than being pre-determined by the leader.
The Teacher: The teacher’s role in this
process is four fold: to select the text for discussion, to keep the discussion
of the inner circle focused and moving, to direct the feedback offered by the
outer circle, and to assess the individual student and the group’s
performance.
First, selecting a quality piece of text is crucial to the success of a
Circle. The text should be insightful,
thought provoking, and relevant to the lives of students.
Second, teachers should strive to interrupt the discussion of the inner
circle as infrequently as possible. The
teacher’s job is to act as a facilitator or coach for the discussion, not as
the discussion’s leader. For example, if
the discussion begins to drift off-topic the teacher might pose a question to
the group to help refocus and stimulate additional conversation. Or if the comments of one student need to be
clarified or repeated for the group’s understanding, the teacher should assist
in that endeavor.
Third, teachers should guide the discussion of the outer circle as they
provide feedback and constructive criticism for the inner circle. One of the most successful ways to accomplish
this process is to simply go around the circle and ask for initial
observations. Once each student has
offered an observation, the teacher can highlight particular points made and
ask the group to brainstorm/predict solutions to any obstacle or problems noted
following the cycle of reflective learning.
And finally, the teacher should assess each individual student and the
group’s performance as a whole in some manner, whether formally or
informally. The teacher may use a rubric
and/or take on the task of scorekeeper or mapmaker (see below) but should also
offer students verbal feedback at the conclusion of the discussion.
The Leader (sometimes this is the teacher, oftentimes it is NOT): In
a Socratic Circle, the leader plays a dual role as leader and participant. The
leader consciously demonstrates habits of mind that lead to a thoughtful
exploration of the ideas in the text by keeping the discussion focused on the
text, asking follow-up questions, helping participants clarify their positions
when arguments become confused, and involving reluctant participants while
restraining their more vocal peers.
As a participant, the leader actively engages in the group's exploration of the text. To do this effectively, the leader must know the text well enough to anticipate varied interpretations and recognize important possibilities in each. The leader must also be patient enough to allow participants' understandings to evolve and be willing to help participants explore non-traditional insights and unexpected interpretations.
Assuming this dual role of leader and participant is easier if the opening question is one that truly interests the leader as well as the participants. Oftentimes, the role of the leader will move between participants within a group quite frequently and naturally.
The Participants: In a Socratic Circle, participants carry the burden of responsibility
for the quality of the seminar. Good seminars occur when participants study the
text closely in advance, listen actively, share their ideas and questions in
response to the ideas and questions of others, and search for evidence in the
text to support their ideas. Eventually, when participants realize that
the leader is not looking for right answers but is encouraging them to think
out load and to exchange ideas openly, they discover the excitement of
exploring important issues through shared inquiry. This excitement creates
willing participants, eager to examine ideas in a rigorous, thoughtful manner.
1. Refer to the text when needed during the discussion. This is not a
test of memory. You are not "learning a subject"; your goal is to
understand the ideas, issues, and values reflected in the text.
2. Do not participate if you are not prepared.
This should not be a bull session.
3. Do not stay confused; ask for clarification.
4. Stick to the point currently under discussion;
make notes about ideas you want to return to.
5. Don't raise hands; take turns speaking.
6. Listen carefully.
7. Speak up so that all can hear you.
8. Talk to each other, not just to the leader or
teacher.
9. Discuss ideas rather than each other's
opinions.
10. You are
responsible for the seminar, even if you don't know it or admit it.
Socratic Circle Name ________________________ Date _____________
For tomorrow you need to have read and interacted with the following work by marking your questions and reactions in the margin next to the text. Some people think of this as having a dialogue or conversation with the actual words on the page. It is extremely effective to use different colors to mark different ideas in order to organize your thoughts. Things you should consider doing include:
·
circling and then looking up any vocabulary words that you do not know
·
underlining key phrases
·
keeping track of the story or idea as it unfolds
·
noting word patterns, repetitions, or anything that strikes as
confusing or important
·
writing down questions
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"My
My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)"
My my, hey hey
Rock and roll is here to stay
It's better to burn out
Than to fade away
My my, hey hey.
Out of the blue
and into the black
They give you this,
but you pay for that
And once you're gone,
you can never come back
When you're out of the blue
and into the black.
The king is gone
but he's not forgotten
This is the story
of a Johnny Rotten
It's better to burn out
than it is to rust
The king is gone
but he's not forgotten.
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my.