The Socratic Method is a time-honored teaching technique. If it is inacted in the spirit of authentic inquiry it is immensely useful. Engaging students in thinking is of course the essence of the classroom. Getting them to see themselves as thinkers who have assumptions and beliefs is crucial to self-development.
Jacquelyn ,
and sometimes being "provocative" in our questions & playing devil's advocate can really stir up their thinking.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I used the Socratic Method extensively in my classes for all of the above mentioned reasons. I find it be useful because: 1) It engages students 2) It can force students to think about a topic from a different angle, and 3) It allows the discussion to follow its own course (i.e. the conversation on the same topic will vary from one class to the next. What I have found though is: 1) You need to be able to think quickly on your feet if either the discussion gets off course, becomes heated, or is wrong, and 2) It can appeal only to the "talkers" leaving the quieter ones out.
Open discussion is a great method of enticing student engagement. Provoking a discussion with a tactifully stated antagonizing question or scenario sometimes forces them to participate.
I could not agree more. It encourages full participation, critical analysis, overall confidence, and the ability to explore issues from myriad perspectives.
Socratic is a good tool I think it help to stimulate the brain.
