1. Socratic Questioning
What questioning techniques have you seen in classrooms?
What has been effective? Not effective?
What is the purpose of questioning in the classroom?

2. Mental Exercise for Teachers and Students
Socratic Questioning
Mental Exercise for Teachers and Students
Handouts: Garlikov; my elements of scientific method;

3. Puzzling Pictures Multiple Perspectives
Old or young
woman?
9/22/2018

4. Puzzling Pictures, Multiple Perspectives
Rabbit or duck?
9/22/2018

5. Learning
The learning that occurs in the classroom is a matter of perspective.
Whose perspective will it be?
9/22/2018

6. THE LEARNING PYRAMID

7. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
Didactic teaching
Coaching
Socratic teaching (seminars)

8. Quick Review of Bloom
9/22/2018

9. Quick Review of Bloom
9/22/2018

10. Socratic Method
The question and answer method of philosophizing (dialectic)
used by Socrates in Plato’s early dialogues (e.g., Euthyphro),
often in conjunction with pretended ignorance (Socratic irony),
whereby a self-professed expert’s over-confident claim to
knowledge is subverted.
More generally, Socratic method is any philosophical or
pedagogical method that disinterestedly pursues truth through
analytical discussion.
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

11. How Is It Done?

12. Elements of Reasoning All reasoning has… a purpose,
Is an attempt to figure something out, settle some question, solve some problem.

13. Elements of Reasoning
All reasoning is based on assumptions, data, information, and evidence, and is done from some point of view.

14. Elements of Reasoning
All reasoning is expressed through, and shaped by, concepts and ideas.

15. Elements of Reasoning
All reasoning contains inferences by which we draw conclusions and give meaning to data, leads somewhere, has implications and consequences.

16. Classic Socratic Methods
Law school dialectics.
Calling on students to help present material.
Demands preparation, forethought, reasoning on the spot; etc!
Medical diagnostics.
Where does it hurt?
Correct diagnosis demands empathy (point of view), precise data, critical assumptions to be made and checked; etc!
Criminal investigation.
Working backward & forward along logic chains.
Finding and integrating evidence, questioning each step, interviewing witnesses; etc!

17. Classic Socratic Methods
Scientific inquiry.
Explicitly calls for differentiating and pursuing specific elements of reasoning.
Hypotheses are special (testable) questions, and should be encouraged often.
Don’t stop at “I don’t know” – ask your students how to reach for the knowledge with science!

18. Seminar teaching… DOES NOT DOES
teach facts
track or ability group
put the teacher in control
substitute for didactic teaching and coaching
provide a magic bullet
teach students how to think, listen, and speak
require cooperation
put students in charge of their learning
is an extension of them
offer an attainable way to greatly improve learning

19. The Goal of All Socratic Seminars Is the Same
To better understand the ideas, issues, principles, and values conveyed in the work being discussed
A secondary goal is to learn more about the work and its author

20. Differences Between Socratic Seminar and Class Discussion
Source: Ball & Brewer,
2000, Eye on Education

21. Class Discussion Socratic Seminar
Students and teacher are in a circle. All have eye contact; teacher is on the same level.
97% student talk; students know teacher won’t comment.
Class Discussion
Students are often in rows. Teacher is set apart and often higher on a stool or behind a podium
97% teacher talk, even if many questions are asked. Teacher elaborates and answers.

22. Socratic Seminar Class Discussion
No verbal or nonverbal approval is present. Affirming feedback by the teacher is taboo.
Class Discussion
Teacher affirmation of correctness is typical. Sustaining feedback for incorrectness is expected.

23. Class Discussion Socratic Seminar
Thinking, backed up with textual evidence, is paramount. Open-ended exploration, not rightness, is valued
Students listen primarily to peers.
Class Discussion
Rightness is usually paramount; thinking ends as soon as someone is right.
Students listen primarily to the teacher , who has the answer.

24. Nine Steps for The Socratic Seminar

25. Step One
Students arrive and form a circle prepared for the assignment
Step Two
Teacher presents opening question [first level question from Bloom’s]

26. Step Three
Students respond to each other [usually 15 Minutes]
Step Four
Teacher probes or clarifies only

27. Step Five Step Six Step Seven
Teacher asks core questions [second level question]
Step Six
Students respond to each other [usually 30 minutes]
Step Seven
Teacher presents closing question

28. Step Eight
Students personalize discussion [usually 30 minutes]
Step Nine
Seminar evaluation [usually 15 minutes]

29. Socratic Inquiry Across Disciplines
All reasoning has a purpose; All reasoning is an attempt to figure something out, to settle some question, to solve some problem.
All reasoning is based on assumptions; All reasoning is done from some point of view; All reasoning is based on data, information, and evidence.
All reasoning is expressed through, and shaped by, concepts and ideas; All reasoning contains inferences by which we draw conclusions and give meaning to data.
All reasoning leads somewhere, has implications and consequences.

30. Socratic Inquiry Across Disciplines
Coverage, Math & Science So what about "coverage," and what about math?
Socratic practice does take leisure. It's about exploring, clarifying, but when it comes to coverage, it depends on how you conceptualize content.
It's perhaps easier in the humanities to deal with these problems. The question is whether you are going for depth or breadth. In art history for example, will you teach more with 1,000 slides or with 40?"

31. Socratic Inquiry Across Disciplines
A good argument can be made that introductory science courses would teach more if they offered students an immersion in scientific method and thinking rather than flooding them with a sea of information.
In the same way that Socratic practice should be a prerequisite for all math education.
Why? Socratic practice improves students' facility with abstract concepts, and abstract concepts are the basis of mathematics, which is at root a way of thinking rather than a body of knowledge.

32. Your Turn
In small groups come up with a Socratic Seminar Topic in your content area.
What are some of the questions that you would use to lead this seminar?