Eric Heinz
ENG 319
Dr. Allen
Draft 1
September 14, 2008
Word Count: 1,047
The Power of United Voices
9
There’s one way of learning that has always appealed to me, in the class room: “Socratic seminars” or group discussion always embraces the practice of open-minded and tolerant argument. When all members of a group discussing certain issues, works or anything that may require an broad input it brings the topic at hand to a central focus dissected by individual thoughts. While this may, in theory, start a constricted, interdependent thought process of conformity (‘groupthink’ as it is known in communication studies) the continuation of different points of perspective (we’ll call them P.O.V for point of view) allows for better vision and new unfound ideas to be woven into the main objective – it is exactly the foundational thought process of democracy and fair representation.
Having the power, I would institute the Socratic process into every classroom; this would include science rooms, mathematics and the rest of the school’s curriculum. It is understood that the process would be difficult in some areas of study, but it may help in small doses. I know from being a journalism major and writing minor that group discussion and other ways of collaborative thought process, especially workshops, have helped me become a better writer through criticism and advice.
When a voice is dim, Socratic discussion raises it. Commonly over looked are the people who are unwilling or afraid to state their opinion and give their own materials to the process. My experiences in this kind of discussion have been always supportive and reasonable. Tension and uncomfortable feelings can arise during discussion, but when the group comes together it usually relieves those feelings from all members. “Socratic seminar teaches students to identify the component questions so they do not follow tangents or fail to address the question that is asked. (Coke, Pamela K.)”.
Teachers can also benefit from the seminar by give the autonomy to the classroom to lead the discussion as it goes and not under a predisposed curriculum. This enables the teacher to connect on the same wavelength as the student instead of pouring one train of thought into the student’s memory bank. “The training [Socratic seminar training] made me comfortable with giving up the authoritarian control of the classroom, becoming a facilitator of dialogue, and allowing the students to determine the context of the discussion around texts. In high school, my juniors would communicate honestly with each other and willingly explore issues with each other and ideas in depth unachieved before. They say they hear each other’s beliefs and opinions for the first time. They notice the new civility in the classroom: their willingness to talk, their willingness to listen, they honor everyone’s viewpoint without debating every idea (Quatroke, Rosanne et. al.)”.
At Denver East high school my teachers introduced me to the idea of Socratic seminars; the issues were always filled with the stock exchange of idea and thought over anything that would come in our minds at the time or day. My first seminar was with Mr. Hernandez, a middle aged and passionate history and psychology teacher, he would gave the classroom more than a sleepless night of thinking over the simple “atrocities” and “propagandizing” of the corporations sponsoring the Super Bowl commercials. Although his P.O.V. was typically farfetched, the discussions went far beyond the alleged debauchery of the CEO’s. The conversation would take rollercoaster rides up and down through contemporary issues of racism, sexism, target markets, politics and further.
The conversations from East high will always stay in my mind. Teenagers, coming from a variety of backgrounds, would give shocking and interesting testimonies to the open forum that enriched my sense of “what else” was going on in the world. Workshops built my writing to a better structure and depth, from peer revisions I could get the Lehman version of editing instead of piles of red chicken-scratch littered on the page. It was also helpful for building my voice before coming to college; I would practice answering different types of questions and understanding to open to other’s P.O.V. on my work – to appreciate the grind.
It is also a way to bridge people, with the freedom to speak up and be heard as an equal is a very powerful desire for basic, communicating people. Even for those new to the concept or new to public speaking, it can still spark interest and voice which makes the Socratic seminar method one of the most powerful methods conceived. The method was formed from Socrates (470 B.C.E-399 A.D) in his lessons of pedagogy. Pedagogy was the class of walking and speaking, Socrates understood that with having all members of a discussion combining each of their perspectives, the end would be an understanding of a dilemma. “If the human mind was incapable of knowing something, Socrates wanted to demonstrate that, too. Some dialogues, therefore, end inconclusively (William County, TN. Schools)”.
The prospect of adding the Socratic seminar in more classes would be ideal, giving students time to relax and let their brains get rid of all the thoughts packed inside from hours of textbook reading would solidify the information that we all try relentlessly to retain. Professors in the departments unfamiliar with the Socratic process may be unsure about it at first, but if they tried it on their classes and saw how much more it helped students understand the material perhaps we will see more Socratic criteria in the future. The idea of united voices is powerful ideation beyond what we can comprehend; no one knows exactly another’s experiences perfectly, let alone everyone’s, we only know our own and what shaped us. Therefore, the studies around Socratic study should be studied further to try to grasp how much this aged education aides the student’s need for constructive conversation. The style’s power is in its ability to be inclusive and nonjudgmental.
2
Works Cited
Pamela K Coke (2008). “Uniting the Disparate: Connecting Best Practices and Educational Mandates”. English Journal, 97(5), 28-33. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1490353981).
Johnson et. al. “The English Journal”. Vol. 90, No. 5, The School and the Community (May, 2001), pp. 28-31. Retrieved Sept. 15, 2008.
Williamson County Schools Information website. Retrieved Sept. 15, 2008. 2008.http://www.wcs.edu/fhs/StaffDevelopment/socraticseminars.htm
Posted by hein9311 on September 15, 2008
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