Heather:

 

With all due respect, I think there are several problems with taking
such a stark approach (going to the source is the only way, and anything
less is a "bastardization"....WOW!)  to this issue.  I just don't see it
as an all or nothing question.  I applaud your stress on going back to
the original, but that in itself has many problems attached to it.

 

If 20 students read Plato, there would be 20 different understandings of
the original text. In addition, many would claim not to understand the
text very well (even more so with the Hegel that Michael Tate has
referred to). Since Socrates is not here, we would have to have some
form of intervener (dare I say "teacher") to help us.  What are the
implications of this.  Now if I may be a little provocative, is it a
bastardization for Christians to rely on St. Paul to understand how to
follow the gospel of Jesus, or for Muslims to follow some Iman or
Ayatollah to understand the Koran?

 

In line with Michael's critique, reading an original text, doesn't
guarantee that you understand all that went into it or what lies between
the lines.  Reading the Declaration of Independence doesn't tell you
that it was a changed document after the southern colonies  threatened
to vote against the first draft which referred to the end of slavery, or
that Jefferson himself owned slaves.

 

Don't get me wrong, I am all for going back to the original, but that
can hardly be sufficient.  The real issue is with application of any
perspective, theory or model.  We are engaged in activities that even
Socrates could not imagine, so the important thing is how we can
interpret the Socratic Method, or even someone else's enhancement of it,
and apply it to entirely new situations.  Yes, it is very good to read
Dewey, Freire et al, but it is also very useful to read how others have
interpreted and applied their teachings to their own educational
situations.

 

Allan French

ESL Instructor

South Seattle Community College

afrench at sccd.ctc.edu

 

From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Heather
Heunermund
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 9:26 AM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2339] Re: Questioning and
DiscussionStrategies for Practicing Critical Thinking

 

I mean this in a respectful way and I state the following as such: I beg
you all, if you truly want to understand Socratic dialogue, you can only
go to the source, Plato. Read a Socratic dialogue and let's discuss.
Understand the man is fabled to have been Socrates. Again, that's the
only true way to understand this concept, to grok it. This virtue is not
something that can be "taught."

 

As part of the "educational community" you simply cannot settle for
anything less. Ironically, you yourselves are not acting as critical
thinkers by settling for less than this. If you want to truly practice
what you preach about critical thinking and Socratic Dialogue, the only
way to act as a critical thinkers yourselves is through your experience
with original source work, and not merely the regurgitations of people's
interpretations of the classics of the Western Canon.

 

To do otherwise is a bastardization of the art form in the strict sense
of the word.

--

Heather

 

Heather Heunermund, Executive Director

New Mexico Coalition for Literacy

1-800-233-7587

heather at nmcl.org

505-982-4095 (fax)

3209 Mercantile Ct. Ste. B

Santa Fe, NM 87507

 

On Jul 17, 2008, at 9:21 AM, Taylor, Jackie wrote:





Dear Colleagues,

One more note about critical thinking...For those seeking ideas for
questioning techniques in practicing critical thinking and for
facilitating group discussions:

 

1.	Socratic Questioning

Socratic questioning is a systematic, probing method of questioning that
probes thinking at a deep level. It can be used to explore thought in
various directions such as in exploring complex ideas, to open up issues
or problems, uncover assumptions, analyze concepts, distinguish what's
understood versus what is not, and follow out logical implications:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_questioning

 

Here are some examples of Socratic questions:

http://changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/socratic_questions.htm

 

 

2.	On Questioning and Group Discussions

Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher

http://stephenbrookfield.com/pdf_files/BCRT_Wkshp_Pkt.pdf

This workshop resource from Stephen Brookfield contains lots of
strategies on facilitating critical reflection and discussion with
students, in professional development, in meetings, and in modeling
critical thinking.

 

Best, Jackie

 

Jackie Taylor, PD List Moderator, jataylor at Utk.edu

 

 

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