User-Generated Education

The Problem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04AhBnLk1-s

Should a student-centric, user-generated education be the predominant learning model for this era of

the 21st Century?

Technology-Enhanced Socratic Seminar

The Protocol

Socrates was convinced that the surest way attain

reliable knowledge was through the practice of

disciplined

conversationHe called this method dialectic.

http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ELA/SocraticSeminars/faqsaboutss.htm

Deeper understanding of complex ideas occurs

through rigorously thoughtful

dialogue.

http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ELA/SocraticSeminars/faqsaboutss.htm

What are Socratic Seminars?

Highly motivating form of intellectual and

scholarly discourse.

An effective Socratic Seminar creates dialogue as

opposed to debate.

An effective seminar consists of four interdependent elements:

1. the text being considered

2. the questions raised

3. the seminar leader, and

4. the participants

A technology-enhanced Socratic Seminar also uses social media . . . More about this later.

The Question

A Socratic Seminar opens with a

Question

posed by the leader or solicited from participants as they acquire more experience in seminars.

Responses to the opening question generate new questions from the leader and participants,

leading to new responses.

http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ELA/SocraticSeminars/faqsaboutss.htm

The Question

An opening question

has no right answer.

http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ELA/SocraticSeminars/faqsaboutss.htm

The Question

An effective opening question leads participants back to the text

as they speculate, evaluate, define, and clarify the issues involved. Responses to the

opening question generate new questions

http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ELA/SocraticSeminars/faqsaboutss.htm

The Question

Should a student-centric, user-generated education be the predominant learning model for this era of the 21st Century?

The Participants

In a Socratic Seminar, participants carry the burden of responsibility for

the quality of the seminar.

There are three ways to do this:

Studying

Participating

Sharing.

Dialogue is a skill of collaboration that enables groups to

create

collective

thinking

The Text

Socratic Seminar texts are chosen for richness in ideas, issues, values and their ability to

stimulate dialogue.

A good text raises important

questions

There are no right or wrong answers.

At the end of successful Socratic Seminars, participants often leave with more questions

than they brought with them.

The Text

The Text

http://jackiegerstein.wikispaces.com/User-Generated+Education

The Text: Other Perspectives

http://jackiegerstein.wikispaces.com/User-Generated+Education

User-generated education assists the learner in

selecting the best tools for individualized learning.

Social Media increases options for

participation

Asynchronous Discourse: Wikispace

Asynchronous Discourse: Etherpad

Asynchronous Discourse: VoiceThread

Asynchronous Discourse: Wallwisher

Synchronous Discourse: TokBox

Synchronous Discourse: Face-to-Face

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stager/3231670905/

Let’s Get Started!