SCAFFOLDING LARGE GROUP DISCUSSIONS FOR DEEPER UNDERSTANDING Socratic Seminars

Purpose & Agenda Purpose  Provide time and relevant resources to scaffold successful student participation in Socratic Seminars Agenda TimeActionPurpose 10:30-10:45DiscussionBrainstorm/reflect on Socratic Seminars 10:45 – 11:30ApplicationExplore relevant resources, plan, collaborate 11:30-11:40Wrap UpShare final thoughts/questions

The “WHAT”: Socratic Seminars “The Socratic seminar is a formal discussion, based on a text, in which the leader asks open-ended questions. Within the context of the discussion, students listen closely to the comments of others, thinking critically for themselves, and articulate their own thoughts and their responses to the thoughts of others. They learn to work cooperatively and to question intelligently and civilly” (89). Israel, E. (2002). Examining multiple perspectives in literature. In J. Holden & J.S. Schmit, Eds.), Inquiry and the Literary Text: Constructing Discussions n the English Classroom. Urbana, IL: NCTE.

In a perfect world, what does a Socratic Seminar “look” like? Text ComprehensionDiscussion Questions Participating in DiscussionAssessment

The “WHY”: Socratic Seminars  Common Core Shifts for ELA/Literacy  Regular practice with complex text and academic language  Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational  Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction  Best Practices in Adolescent Literacy (Reading Next, 2004)  Motivation and Self-Directed Learning  Text-Based Collaboration  Ongoing Formative Assessment  Extended Time for Literacy

The “WHAT” and the “WHY” in Real Life On your chart, circle aspects where your students need additional support, and discuss WHY you think they struggle here. What common patterns do you see in their struggles? What have you already tried to resolve these struggles? Were your attempts successful?

The “HOW”: Scaffolding Successful Participation in Socratic Seminars In each of the following stations, review the best practices and explore the resources in order to discuss and decide how they could best support Socratic Seminars in your classroom…. Access Point 1: Comprehension of Complex Text  Access Point 2: Understanding of Discussion Question(s)  Access Point 3: Understanding of Discussion Norms  Access Point 4: Understanding of Assessment 

Final Reflection: Socratic Seminars What take-aways did you have? What did you find useful? Take-Aways… Comprehension of complex texts? Discussion questions? Discussion norms? Assessment?