Dissemination
Socratic Seminar at Smith Leadership Academy Charter Public School
Educators at the Academy use an array of teaching methodologies. Socratic questioning is a methodology that has been used in the school since director/trainer Oscar Graybill from Washington State has formed an ongoing relationship the Academy.
Socratic Instruction: Socratic questioning is used frequently to enhance academic learning. Socratic questioning draws out students' knowledge and assumptions and fosters critical thinking, evaluation, and paradigm shifts. Here are some of the strategies that Academy uses to enhance critical thinking:
- Pausing-Wait Time-Silence: Pausing and waiting slows the conversation down. Waiting 3-5 seconds gives everyone time to think will also providing space for hesitant speakers to respond or join the conversation.
- Paraphrasing: Saying back to students what they have said, using different words and phrases, requires students to think deeply about their ideas, what they have said, and what they mean. Paraphrasing enlarges ideas for he speaker and for all the other students.
- Serializing: Asking a series of questions are simple questions of fact, clarifying questions ask students to focus on clarity of expression and thought. Simple questions like, "Do you mean thousands of people or do you mean hundreds or people?" or "Are you suggesting that we start with step 3 to solve the problem?" can move understanding and learning forward for everyone.
- Probing: Since probing questions encourage multiple responses, avoid yes/no responses, elicit slow and thoughtful responses, and move thinking from reaction to reflection, asking probing questions requires that students stop, pause, and think closely about the sources of their thoughts and ideas resulting in deep learning and new understanding.
- Expanding: Questions of elaboration like "Why do you say that? Tell us more about that…What are some examples of what you mean? How is what you are suggesting different from or similar to what you just heard from Sue?" ask students to go deeper in expressing their thoughts and ideas as they provide clarity and new understanding. Asking question that expand and enlarge the ideas being offered by students shows students higher levels of understanding.
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Socratic Seminar
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