This last week in class I learned a couple new things that will help me facilitate discussion and teach grammar rules in the English classroom. Using the socratic circle as a means to discuss the text and bring everyone into the conversation was an effective route towards a student-run classroom. I use the term “student-run” to illustrate the idea of a classroom where the teacher is as much part of the background as possible, and the students lead their way through learning the subject matter. In previous classes I've learned the importance of being a facilitator of student learning, not serving as the one person in control of every thought and idea that enters the classroom. A teacher who guides learning experiences and brings it back on route when the class digresses from the learning objectives is one who encourages students to think critically and voice opinions.
Monday was the first time I've ever participated in or even heard of socratic (or fishbowl) discussions. I thought it using this activity was beneficial to the classroom atmosphere because everyone felt the need to contribute to the conversation and answer the overarching question about the day's lesson. Although there are some kinks that need to be worked out, I thought it was an effective way at delving into the text and sharing thoughts about the reading. Also, knowing that high school classrooms are really embracing this discussion type is beneficial to up and coming teachers; We must all be aware of what's emerging as effective teaching practices for middle and high school educators.
The lesson on sentence structures was educational and was a good refresher on subject, direct object, and verb placements. Making different sentences out of magnetic poetry was a fun activity and did tap into the creative side of my brain. Although, after labeling the parts of speech and having Barbara look over them, I found out I made a couple mistakes. I had some trouble identifying intransitive and transitive verbs, but after Barbara explained my mistakes it made better sense. I think that it would be helpful to have more review on these concepts. Going into an English classroom as an English teacher, I want to be 100% confident not only in my ability to teach, but also in my knowledge of grammar rules and types of verbs.
Question: Will you use the socratic circle in your classroom? Why or why not?
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Yes, I would use the Socratic circle in my classroom for several reasons. One of them being that everyone gets the opportunity to see each other while they are in the inner discussion circle. Being able to look at someone when you talk is a great way to communicate and I believe it can open up a lot of opportunities if your students are willing to participate. I also like how the Socratic circle gives a majority of the ownership and guidance of the material to the students. I would suspect that because students are actually given this power they would be more motivated to be involved with the learning that is taking place. The connection that the outer and inner circle have could also enable students to control the direction and process of the dialogue. Conversations can begin but if they get off track there is a time in which the outer circle steps in, can discuss what they observed and they take the conversation they way they think it should be going.
ReplyDeleteThese circles can also create life long communication skill because it requires talking turns speaking, listening and considering others opinions. This type of conversation can create learning that the students may feel is more meaningful and applicable to their lives because they are the ones in charge of it. I like how the teacher acts only to keep the discussion moving forward and it is the students who guide and direct the focus of the conversation. As students construct their discussion, they are activating prior knowledge so they are the ones making the connections and I think they are more likely to remember important material that they need to know that way. I would definitely try using Socratic circles in my classroom.