Discussion as a Way of Teaching
Class discussions can be challenging. I think the ones I
have seen totally fail, are ones where we were unprepared as a group for
discussion and that the topic is too personal. It can take a while to feel
comfortable in a group of strangers along with someone of authority with your
final grade in their hand based on what you have to say. For example, I took a
Literature of the Bible class that I totally loved. I always walked away
intrigued and full of more questions. However, the whole class was silent…the
whole quarter. I felt so bad for our professor, who was incredibly educated and
passionate on the subject. From my standpoint, I did not know a lot about the
Bible. I had a poor background and very little Sunday schooling, so I felt more
like a sponge than a contributor. Small group discussions went a little better
and the discussion boards were great, but there were still people very quick to
be “right”. The Bible is touchy subject matter, so it was hard to argue with
someone that was a minor or went to a private school on the topics at hand. It
was strange that this awkward silence persisted the entirety of the quarter.
After reading the article, I found a lot of creative ways to
stimulate discussion. I am excited to implement them into my future classroom.
I loved the Circle of Voices. I hate being put on the spot and would appreciate
the silent time to create some bullet points. I also love the idea of everyone
getting a chance to speak. I hate seeing someone about to make a great point
get bulldozed over by the class Chatter King/Queen. Hatful of Quotes was
another favorite. I think it gives even the most unprepared student a chance to
form concrete ideas on the subject. It also solidifies major themes for the
class and could be super helpful for identifying key quotes in key passages.
Snowballing also seemed helpful. To me, it gives students a chance to bond over
ideas and find like-minded ideas among their peers. It is also a respectful way
to illustrate debating. If the first two partners disagree, there is a chance
the additional members will be able to see both sides and offer their ideas, as
well. I think that is a great way to illustrate the value of hearing more than
one opinion.
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