1. School of Business 2009-2010 Socratic Seminar

2. The Strategy At the School of Business, the GATE department has decided to implement Socratic Seminar in all English classes. Students are taught how to prepare for the seminar, what the expectations are for conduct during the seminar, and are asked to reflect about their learning. The Seminar has become a powerful tool to increase student’s reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, active reading strategies, and oral participation skills. The next two slides show how students prepare for the Socratic Seminar.

3. Getting Ready Read over your journal and see what notes you jotted down. Review what you have read about. Highlight things that interest you. Put post it notes in areas of the book that you have questions about or that you would like to discuss tomorrow. Write down at least five questions that you have about the reading.

4. Get Ready Read the assigned material over again. Highlight areas you think are interesting and that you would like to discuss. Underline areas where you have questions. Come up with at least five “leveled questions.”

5. The following slide illustrates some of the norms taught before participating in the Socratic Seminar. Some strategies for students to learn the norms include: Cornell Note taking Fishbowl Learning to Write Leveled Questions

6. In the seminar we … criticize ideas, but not people. give opinions, and give clear reasons for them. give examples when possible. ask questions about what we read, hear, or see for clarification. remain focused on the text. are willing to change our opinions with the addition of more information. speak freely – there is no need to raise hands, but be polite and don’t interrupt other people have a responsibility to participate.

7. Socratic Seminar Video

8. Student Testimonials

9. Socratic Seminar Reflection What grade do you think you deserve for the Socratic Seminar? Explain. What point do you think you would have liked to have elaborated more upon? What are you still confused about, or what was clarified for you?