The Socratic Method Emily Laase History The Socratic Method is a very ancient teaching style developed by Socrates. Socrates 470 399 B.C. Dedicated to the search for truth Advocate of questioning Often critical of the government Chose
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The Socratic Method Emily Laase<br>
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History The Socratic Method is a very ancient teaching style developed by Socrates.
Socrates
470 – 399 B.C.
Dedicated to the search for truth
Advocate of questioning
Often critical of the government
Chose death rather than
give up teaching<br>
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History Socrates’ fundamental principle:
“Knowledge is virtue”<br>
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What is the Socratic Method? The Socratic Method is…
The search for truth
Discussion
And above all
Questioning
Questioning
Questioning<br>
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How to Teach Through Questioning Taken from The Theory and Practice of Teaching by Peter Jarvis
Four specific questioning strategies:
Helping learners to call to mind what they have learned preconsciously or their tacit knowledge
Leading learners through a carefully structured sequence of questions to a pre-determined answer<br>
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How to Teach Through Questioning Starting learners on a questioning process which is totally unstructured at the outset
Having question and answer tests
to aid memory recall
“What is forgotten is not lost forever but can be recalled with sufficient effort. It is in the mind even if one must exert herself to bring it to consciousness”
-Kenneth Seeskin<br>
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Benefits of Using the Socratic Method During a Socratic Seminar, students learn to:
Listen actively
Converse directly with other students, without the need for mediation by the teacher
Clarify, amplify, and recognize implications in the text
Build upon what others say
Question the text and fellow
participants.<br>
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Disadvantages of Socratic Method Uncertainty as to where discussion might lead can make it difficult to fit into a highly structured curriculum
Failure without student participation
Some students dislike that there is no “right” answer
Many students fear speaking in front of a group<br>
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Nevertheless…
it can still be used effectively<br>
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Flexibility of the Socratic Method The Socratic Method can be used for…
Many different subjects…
and…
Many different age groups…
Ranging from elementary education to law school!<br>
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Benefits of Questioning, A Teacher’s Perspective http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je_WNjjTg_o&feature=related<br>
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Benefits of Questioning: A Teacher’s Perspective http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKfm8TCutPg<br>
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Conducting a Socratic Seminar Identify the big question that will be used to kick off the Socratic Seminar.
Prepare an additional 6-10 follow-up questions that are apt to be used during the Seminar.
Tips:
Be flexible and allow students to express opinions.
Allow “mistakes.” They can be valuable discussion points and learning experiences!
Don’t be afraid of silence! You CAN get the discussion going! Sometimes waiting is all it takes to get an answer!
Intervene if a student dominates the discussion and encourage participation without embarrassment.<br>
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Over two thousand years ago...
Socrates saw what was crucial to human learning.
Learning has evolved…
but many of the same principles still apply.
The Socratic Method can still work in a modern classroom!<br>
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Anyway…students are bound to like it better than another test, right?
Good Luck!<br>
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References Garrett, Elizabeth (1998). The Socratic Method (Green Bag Article). Retrieved from http://www.law.uchicago.edu/socrates/soc_article.html
Jarvis, Peter (2002). The Theory and Practice of Teaching, Second Edition. New York: Routledge Publishing Company.
Johnson, James A., Musial, Diann, Gollnick, Donna M., Dupuis, Victor L. (2008). Foundations of American Education: Perspectives in a Changing World, Fourteenth Edition. Boston: Pearson Publishing Company.
Neumayr, John W. (2010). The Socratic Method. Retrieved from http://www.thomasaquinas.edu/curriculum/socratic.htm
Seeskin, Kenneth (1987). Dialogue and Discovery: A Study in the Socratic Method. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Speaking of Teaching: Stanford University Newsletter of Teaching (2003). Retrieved from http://ctl.stanford.edu/Newsletter/socratic_method.pdf
STEM Socratic Seminar (2010). Retrieved from http://stemresources.com/lesson_builders/socratic-seminar<br>
