4/28 Into the Wild post

Discussion Strategies Blog

THUNKING

The first discussion strategy I researched is “thunking.” This strategy uses very simple questions that are designed to spark higher order thinking. They can be connected to a specific topic, or simply to stimulate an interesting and engaging discussion. One thunk in particular that I found from the provided website asked the following question: “If you steal something for a friend in need, are you still breaking the law?” This got me thinking about the book I read for last week’s assignment, Shiloh. One of the main themes of the book is right versus wrong. The main character, Marty, struggles with the conflict of keeping the dog Shiloh to protect him or abiding by the law and giving Shiloh back to his abusive owner, Judd Travers. It brings up unlimited topics about right/wrong and good/evil. My freshman year of college I took a college writing course title “The Search for Right and Wrong.” Our big assignment of the semester was a 20 page research paper on a moral/ethical issue of our choosing. I settled on the death penalty and the NUMEROUS issues surrounding it. I actually had difficulty keeping my paper under 20 pages. Using these thunks reminded me of that course and my paper. I picture using this on a daily basis at the beginning of every class. Some days we would discuss something off topic and fun, other days we would create thunks that pertain to the upcoming lesson. Whatever the case, providing students with these on a daily basis will enhance their critical thinking skills and provide a platform for discussions that are both content related or just questions about the world.

QUESTION WALL

A question wall is exactly as the name implies; a wall (whiteboard, poster, etc) on which students put post-it notes that have questions about their learning. These questions can be related to content or topic being learned, or simply a question about the outside world. Like thunking, the questions give students the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion, only this time with the anonymity that a question wall offers. This is especially important for classes that have shy students as well as outgoing, “discussion hogs.”

In my research, I found an article that discussed “I Wonder” walls. These are essentially the same as a question wall. Instead of using a wall, one teacher uses “I Wonder” journals. At any point in the day, students are encouraged to write down anything they are wondering about in their “I Wonder” journals. The teacher routinely checks these and uses them to gauge their instructional approach. They can find out if there are any common misconceptions about the content and the questions have sometimes even led to lesson plans being developed specifically for a question or group of questions.  

SOCRATIC QUESTIONING/SOCRATIC CIRCLES

Socratic questioning and Socratic circles are based on the ideas of Greek philosopher Socrates, who believed that thoughtful questioning and inquiry enabled learners to better understand a given subject. In theory, these strategies are very simple, but their application can be complex. In my research, I found a great article that discusses a couple lessons used by an AP US History teacher in Colorado that incorporate Socratic questioning. Both lessons are very similar and demonstrate the power of Socratic questioning.

The lesson that I thought was particularly interesting was a Socratic seminar about the US in post-WWI time; the 1920s. The teacher admitted that in the past he had trouble connecting this content to his students. But the Socratic seminar did it for him. He started by assigning a chapter wide review that gave students a general idea of some issues and events from the time period. He then assigned each student a specific event or topic (Sacco Venzetti case, flappers, Al Capone, Prohibition, etc). The students were asked to do further research and find a primary source related to the topic.

On the day of the seminar, each student briefly described his/her topic and describe how it relates to the content of the chapter. After about 15 minutes of discussion (and when the discussion slowed) the teacher asked all students to look at their topic card. On each was a number that was associated with a theme the teacher wanted the students to understand. He asked students with the same number to sit together and figure out the common theme that ties their topics together. After another 15 minutes, he did the same thing but this time combined groups with common themes to combine and deduce a theme that tied together the group as a whole.

POSE – PAUSE – POUNCE – BOUNCE

This is a technique with which I was not familiar prior to this assignment. Having learned more about it, I think it might be my favorite! The process is very simple, yet it sounds very effective. First the teacher asks a question or series of questions designed to engage students in reflection (pose). The teacher then pauses for 5 to 10 seconds. Then a student is called on at random (pounce) to respond to the question or questions. Then comes the fun part. The teacher calls on a student to respond to the first student’s response (bounce). This can continue until the collective responses have led to the understanding of the questions.

As an athlete, I am constantly trying to think of ways to connect content to sports. One connection I thought of that utilizes this technique and that might be useful for a Social Studies classroom is about mascots. Many high school, college and professional sports teams use Native American nicknames. Using the “Pose-pause-pounce-bounce” technique, my question to students would be “Do you think it is appropriate for these teams to use Native American nicknames/mascots?” This would obviously tie into a unit or lesson on the treatment of Native Americans during the early American republic. I’m sure that not all students would respond to the sports reference, but tying the question in with the content should stimulate an interesting discussion.