Socratic questioning, mini seminar shared experience

January 10, 2013

Mrs. J’s Musings;

… after two opportunities to share an introductory questioning class;

one with a learning family and one with older ladies:
Presentation: discussion…

“We grow in the direction of the questions we are asking.” –unknown

Our questions grow from our prior knowledge and interests.

“You do not fully understand a thought (or idea, shared by someone)

until you understand the question (the reason, from their prior experience)

that gives rise to it.”-the Art of Socratic Questioning

What is their purpose; what is their motivation for pursuing this line of questioning?

And, a vital question; what is a question?

From a 12 year old: A way to get information; from a senior lady: A way of seeking knowledge.  And, “questions are born of necessity.” h-m-m-m…

Discussion: This quote, “Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the only one who asked why.”-(Bernard Barach) is an example of this quote:

“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” –(Albert Szent-Gyorgi)

            Thoughts developed: ‘Don’t make hurried judgments; wait, think, ponder about what you are seeing; your mind will work harder, you will see more details; your perspective will shift, if it is near you will see far; are you looking up? Try looking down; What will it be like tomorrow……?”seek first to understand”.’

Sample Activity:  Whitcomb L. Judson    -zipper -1893

                               William Horlick           -malted milk -1882

                               Theophilus Van Kannel –revolving door- 1888

(from a list of 35 ‘unsung heros’)

Discuss the possible reason each inventor had –from their own prior experiences-

that gave rise to the question that preceded each invention.

Then do some more research…………….

If you have just arrived at this BLOG you may gain greater understanding of the importance of asking questions going back to my December 20 BLOG and moving forward….Mrs. J

Socratic questioning reflects critical thinking, habits of mind,

January 2, 2013   Mrs. J’s Musings  “Happy New Year!”

The statements in my last BLOG are listed under the title 

“Elements of Thought” on page 5 in the booklet 

The Art of Socratic questioning from The Foundation for Critical Thinking.   I found these elements listed in various forms on many websites endeavoring to promote an understanding of Socratic questioning.

Here is my short version for you to ponder.

1.   Questions: Questions (Ideas) give rise to thoughts. New thoughts generate more refined questions (ideas). Ask questions to understand the problem, reason, or motivation behind a question (your own or some else’s).

2.  Purpose: Ask questions (of self or others) to discover the purpose, central aim or goal of this line of thought. Ask; “What are you trying to accomplish?”

3.  Background: What background facts, data, evidence, observations or experiences support or inform (What conclusions were drawn?) this question? Ask for reasoning to be explained.

4.  Concepts: Questions are defined and shaped by the understanding of concepts; ask for clarification of the main idea behind a question. Ask more questions to refine it if understanding is flawed.

5.  Assumptions: What is the question assuming or taking for granted? What is the questioner assuming or taking for granted?

6.  Consequences: A thought begins somewhere and goes somewhere. What are the implications and consequences that follow from it? Ask, “What is likely to happen if……?”

7.  Perspective:  What is the point of view or frame of reference for this thought? Could (should) another point of view be considered?

Importa Yes, these questions are important for teachers to ask students; for leaders to ask followers; for mentors to ask learners and equally important for each of us to ask ourselves – and invite from others - to broaden our own thinking and reasoning skills.

I am inviting Socratic dialogue stemming fro my BLOG entries starting from December 20, 2012.

Thanks! Happy thinking!

Yours in learning,

Mrs. J 

questions, answers, thoughts, ideas, write, think

December 29, 2012                    Mrs. J morning Muse

First, a summary of what I have learned so far:

*”Questions bring answers;

Answers produce thoughts;

Thoughts generate ideas;

Ideas need catching.” –Mrs.J

*”WE PROGRESS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE QUESTIONS WE ARE ASKING.”

This is easily evident in the lives of young children, can you site some examples of your own?)

* Record (catch) answers because thoughts recorded generate ideas that can be made visible; that can be ‘played with’ and expanded.

* Boyd K. Packer advises: “As you listen, it is important to organize what you learn. Take what you have heard, and then make it yours by writing it down and expanding it.” Why? Here is an answer from Richard G. Scott: “Knowledge carefully recorded is knowledge available in time of need.”

My thoughts turn a corner. ¬ As an adult teacher/mentor I am obliged to dispense knowledge. I have discussed the ‘learning journey’ in our own lives; how does this knowledge impact our responsibility to learners in our charge?

“Assume that you do not fully understand a thought until you understand the question that gives rise to it.” –The Art of Socratic Questioning

Socrates suggests that we ask questions about questions! EXAMPLE of Socratic Questioning for gaining deeper understanding of a question being asked:(page 22 in The Art of Socratic Questioning):

*How can we find out? *Is this the same issue as ________?)

*How could someone settle this question?

*Can we break this question down at all? 

*Is the question clear? Do we understand it?

* How would ___________ put the issue? *What does this question assume?

*Why is this question important?

*Does this question ask us to evaluate something?

*Do we need facts to answer this?

*Do we all agree that this is the question?

 *To answer this question, what other questions would we have to answer first?

(This is a segment from Socrates Elements of Thought… I will share more in upcoming BLOGs. The first BLOG in this series is dated December 20, 2012.)

questions, Socratic, thoughts, ideas, ask, think

December 28, 2012          Mrs. J Musing … again

Last week (see December 20 entry) I shared the quote,

 “We progress in the direction of the questions we are asking.”

Lately I’ve been studying The Art of Socratic Questioning by Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder.  I took this quote from page 5,

“You do not fully understand a thought (idea) until you understand the question (problem, reason) that gives rise to it.”

                                       Do these two statements impact each other?

And  how do the following statements impact your understanding? (These statements are my summary drawn from reading in The Art of Socratic Questioning.)

“And you do not fully understand a thought (idea) unless you understand the purpose or goal or objective behind it.

You do not understand a thought (idea) unless you understand the background information (reasons) that support it.

You do not understand a thought (idea) unless you understand the inferences or interpretations or conclusions that have shaped it.

You do not understand a thought (idea) unless you understand the concepts or theories; principals or laws that define and shape it.

You do not understand a thought (idea) unless you understand the assumptions, meaning what it takes for granted.

You do not understand a thought (idea) unless you understand the implications and consequences and effects that follow from it.

Finally, you do not understand a thought (idea) unless you understand the perspective, viewpoint or frame of reference that places it on an intellectual map, its world view.”

It is vitally important that we learn to ask questions.

Page 62 “Thinking is not driven by answers but by questions. Had no questions been asked by those who laid the foundation for a field-for example, Physics or Biology-the field would never have developed in the first place. Furthermore, every field stays alive only to the extent that fresh questions are generated and taken seriously as the driving force in a process of thinking. To think through or rethink anything, one must ask questions that stimulate thought”. Watch for sample questions in my next blog.

Questions, answers, thoughts, ideas, think, write,draw

Blog entry December 26, 2012 Mrs. J musing

Questions bring answers;

Answers produce thoughts;

Thoughts generate ideas;

Ideas need catching.

-basic truths according to Mrs. J

Consider the following quotes:

1.     “But words are things and a small drop of ink, falling like dew upon

a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions,

think.” –Lord Byron

Thoughts unseen, require the motion of the arm fueled by the desire of the heart to create purposeful application of pen to paper; where words – thoughts made visible – are held securely and available for further processing. – Mrs. J

2.     “Increasingly I have felt that the art of writing is…translating…What is the other text, the original? …it is the deep sea where ideas swim, and one catches them in nets of words and swings them shining into the boat…” -Ursula LeGuin

Translating – a great metaphor for moving the unseen thought to the visible word. Boat – a perfect metaphor for the varied products that may serve as idea-catchers: notebooks of endless variety, cards, sketch books; not electronic, if you please; an idea has to be processed through the movement of the arm, not the tapping of the fingers.

 –Mrs. J

3.     “Drawing is putting a line around an idea.” –Henri Matisse

The pen may be a pencil; the pencil may be in color or it

may change to a brush. It may be showing words or numbers or images or musical notes, in lists or lines, on staffs or all over the page.-Mrs. J

May you, dear reader, feel the urgency today to write down your questions; your answers, your thoughts turned to ideas. Feel the power of ownership when you see your own words on paper. Feel responsible for them.

Save them, return to them for further processing.

In upcoming Blogs we will consider how Socratic questioning can facilitate powerful processing………

Always learning,

Mrs. J