Socratic Seminar

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Socratic Seminar
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What does Socratic mean?

• Socratic comes from the name
• Socrates  
• Classical Greek philosopher who developed a
• Theory of Knowledge.

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What was Socrates' Theory of Knowledge?

• Socrates was convinced that the best way attain
• knowledge was through
• conversation
• He called this method dialectic.

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What does dialectic mean?

• di-a-lec-tic (noun) means the art or practice of
• examining opinions or ideas logically,
• often by the method of
• Question and Answer
• so as to determine their validity.

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Dialogue Vs. Debate
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Dialogue and Debatethe Difference?

• Dialogue
• Submit best thinking to improve
• Temporary suspension of beliefs
• Remains open ended
• Respects participants and doesnt seek to offend

• Debate
• Submit best thinking to DEFEND
• Believe wholeheartedly in the correctness of
  beliefs
• Demands a winner
• Demands contrary positions and may belittle

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What is a Socratic Seminar?

• A Socratic Seminar is a method used to understand
  information by creating dialectic in class
  regarding a
• specific text, visual or experience
• Participants seek deeper understanding of complex
  ideas through rigorous thoughtful dialogue,
  rather than by memorizing bits of information.

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The Facilitator

• In a Socratic Seminar, the facilitator
• plays a dual role as the
• Leader and Moderator
• Keeps the discussion focused and on topic by
• Asking follow-up questions
• Helping to clarify positions when thoughts become
  confused
• Involving reluctant participants

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The Participants

• In a Socratic Seminar, participants carry the
  burden
• of responsibility for the quality of the seminar.
  
• There are three ways to do this
• Preparing
• Participating
• Listening

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The Participants

• Should remember that the goal is to
• Seek first to
• understand
• and then to be
• understood

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What to do during the seminar

• Speak loudly and clearly
• Dont raise your hand, have a dialogue
• Give reasons and evidence for your statements
• Listen to others respectfully
• Stick to the subject
• Talk to each other, not just to the facilitator
• Ask for help to clear up confusion
• Support each other
• Avoid hostile exchanges
• Question others in a civil manner
• Be prepared

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• There is only one good,
• knowledge,
• and one evil,
• ignorance.
• Socrates

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• Socrates was a Greek philosopher who lived
  between 470-399 B.C. He turned Greek attention
  toward questions of ethics and virtue. Although
  Socrates was not a scientist, his way of
  questioning to find out answers laid a foundation
  for the way that science works today.
• Socrates spent much time in the Athens
  marketplace (the Agora) where he held
  conversations with townspeople. He was known for
  exposing ignorance and conceit. Despite having
  many followers, Socrates was disliked by people
  in Athens, Greece.
• At the age of 70, he was convicted of atheism,
  treason and corruption of the young. He was
  sentenced to death by a jury. He had the
  opportunity to escape from prison, but he chose
  not to. He valued the law so much, that he chose
  to fulfill his sentence of death by drinking
  hemlock instead of escaping and living in
  banishment for the rest of his life.

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WHAT WORRIED ME

• What if I havent had Socratic Seminar training?
• What if no one talks?
• What if they just end up arguing?
• How do I arrange the room?
• How much prep time does this take?
• How do I teach them how to do this?
• Do I have to assign a grade?

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Why Socratic Seminars?
Deeper Meaning
Assess Them Differently
Involve Them
Build Critical Thinking Skills
Discussion not Debate
Current Events
Align with the Common Core
Let them teach
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TODAY YOU WILL LEARN

• What a Socratic Seminar is.
• How to introduce your students to the process.
• How to participate in a Socratic Seminar.
• How create your own questions to a reading.

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