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Discussion as a Way of Teaching

    From the start, the most interesting aspect of the article was the idea that the most productive and insightful discussion occurs among a group when the "ground rules" have been set. This includes expectations of how to behave, what to talk about, and how to talk go about with the discussion. I think it's easy for us to assume that a discussion can just begin by gathering together and asking a question or something simple like that. But really we know as students ourselves that everyone wants to know what to talk about. Setting the ground rules and the expectations will also help quieter members of the group speak up and gain confidence and security in knowing they will be heard. The more prepared the discussion leader AND the members of the discussion are, the better and more productive the discussion will be. Everyone will be on the same page and in the same mindset.

    One of the ideas for discussion activities that piqued my curiosity was the "rotating group" idea. Part of me resisted this at first because it seemed quite literally all over the place. Having students respond to so many different ideas in 10 minute increments seems too fast and furious. But I can understand and see how it might be beneficial overall. The first obvious benefit is the movement involved. Students will be walking around and doing more physical activity which is better than sitting around. It gets the students excited and productive. Another benefit I came to see was the immediate conversation starters produced by the previous groups' ideas. The students have something to draw from and talk about. It subtracts the time it takes to awkwardly stand and wait for someone to say something and start any real meaningful discussion. It also allows the overall learning experience to deepen and continue at larger rate - including a more diverse range of ideas.

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