Entry 5: Fostering Talk Around Literature

Articles used:

• "The Chicken and the Egg: Inviting Response and Talk through Socratic Circles" (Mary E. Styslinger and Timothy Pollock)
• "Strengthening Argumentative Writing with Speaking and Listening (Socratic) Circles" (Mary E. Styslinger and Jessica F. Overstreet)
• Socratic Circlces: Fostering critical and creative thinking in middle and high school (pp. 1-35) (Copeland, M.)
• Bridging English, Developing an oral foundation (pp. 90-101) (Milner and Milner)
• Response & Analysis (pp. 71-100) (Robert E. Probst)
• Adolescent Literacy (chapter 5: "Tom Sawyer, Teaching and Talking") (Robert E. Probst)

Say:

I have always been a proponent of Socratic circles for many reasons, but the main one is because of the power and confidence it gives students.  I am also a firm believer in multiple intelligences and think this is one of the best ways to tap into students' talents in public speaking and to help them hone their analysis skills.  I think Copeland said it best in his introductory chapter when he claims that "Socratic circles turn partial classroom control, classroom direction, and classroom governance over to students by creating a truly equitable learning community where the weight and and value of student voices and teacher voices are indistinguishable from each other."  I honestly do not think there is a better way to describe how a Socratic circle works in a classroom and why I will use it as much as possible in my own classroom.  Something else that Copeland says in the same paragraph that really struck me is, "What might appear to be random chaos to the naked eye of a hallway passerby is, in fact, the careful implementation of a method of philosophy more than 2.400 years old."  What a great way to get students excited about participating, especially the history buffs!  I know personally I would have thought it was really cool to participate in something that has been around for over 2,000 years.  This is definitely worth mentioning to students before beginning a Socratic circle.  Syslinger and Pollock's article make great points about the benefits of the Socratic circle as well.  Perhaps my favorite point from the article is, "when they [our students] turn the final page of Extras, completing the Scott Westerfeld series, they typically don't beg to showcase their knowledge of the book in a voluntary five-paragraph essay, and they certainly don't want to prod, pull, and dissect every square inch of the novel for hidden meanings and symbolism."  This is no doubt the truth, but I have never thought of it in this way before.  No wonder "readicide" is happening at an alarming rate!  We should allow our students, and ourselves for that matter, to simply enjoy a book for what it is instead of analyzing it until there is nothing left.  It is almost like eating your favorite meal everyday; after a while it just gets old and then you never want to eat it again!  In another of Styslinger's articles, this time written with Jessica Overstreet, they explore the benefits of Socratic cirlces on students' argumentative writing.  What a great benefit!  Styslinger and Overstreet say that the students who used specific evidence from the work being discussed in the Socratic circle also specifically cited in their essays and the students who did not cite in the Socratic circle did not do so in their essays, either.  Styslinger and Overstreet also use points from an actual Socratic circle to further highlight their point.  They say that, "...the Socratic Circles provided students the opportunity to discover counterarguments to claims."  Milner and Milner in their book Bridging English offer wonderful spoken activities for students to participate in in the classroom setting.  All of their ideas are great but my favorite has to be the "hero worship" activity.  They describe it as an invitation for "students to read speeches and other documents that were originally to be spoken and heard.  From one or more selections, students extract short "sound bites" that capture significant moments in the life of the person who wrote them.  When students find these passages, assemble them in chronological order, and arrange them by emotional color or by themes, they often develop a personal connection with the author.  This identification can intensify the already heightened language."  This would be perfect for Shakespeare, especially the soliloquies!  Students would really enjoy being able to put their own twist on how it is spoken and there is a research element in there as well.  Probst, in his chapter from Adolescent Literacy and his book Response & Analysis makes similar claims to the benefits of Socratic circles that I completely agree with.  His thinking is similar to mine in that he believes Socratic circles help students learn imperative skills in public speaking and that it is our responsibility as teachers to teach our students to know how to properly speak.  What better way than to throw them in the deep end and have them simply do it in front of their peers, discussing classic literature?

Do:

Before beginning a Socratic circle, I would give my students a brief history of Socrates and how Socratic circles can help them.  Students need to know the purpose of a lesson and the activities involved so that they can create meaning and understand that everything they do has a purpose and will benefit them in some way.  At the end of reading a Shakespeare play (I think Hamlet would be best), I would have them participate in the "hero worship" activity outlined in Milner and Milner by assigning them a soliloquy or a speech from the play.  They would be put into groups and would need to do the proper research in order to get full credit. I have attached a rubric that I would use for this activity. 

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Historical Accuracy	All historical information appeared to be accurate and in chronological order.	Almost all historical information appeared to be accurate and in chronological order.	Most of the historical information was accurate and in chronological order.	Very little of the historical information was accurate and/or in chronological order.
Knowledge Gained	Can clearly explain several ways in which his character \"saw\" things differently than other characters and can clearly explain why.	Can clearly explain several ways in which his character \"saw\" things differently than other characters.	Can clearly explain one way in which his character \"saw\" things differently than other characters.	Cannot explain one way in which his character \"saw\" things differently than other characters.
Props/Costume	Student uses several props (could include costume) that accurately fit the period, show considerable work/creativity and make the presentation better.	Student uses 1-2 props that accurately fit the period, and make the presentation better.	Student uses 1-2 props which make the presentation better.	The student uses no props OR the props chosen detract from the presentation.

(Rubric Made Using:RubiStar ( http://rubistar.4teachers.org)