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The Habit of Thought: From Socratic Seminars to Socratic Practice
Teach students to think for themselves. The Habit of Thought describes the theory, practice, and vision of Socratic Practice, a novel and increasingly widespread approach to classroom instruction. In this series of thought-provoking essays, Strong argues that Socratic Practice fosters a culture of learning in the classroom and ultimately helps young people to become mature independent thinkers. The issues discussed range from the philosophical (intellectual dialogue and integrity) to the practical (classroom models and evaluation rubrics). This book is an essential resource for educators seeking to prepare their students for the challenges of the 21st century.
203 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 27, 2016
This book inspired me to make immediate changes in the way I was handling class discussions of literature. I'll be running a Great Books Club for teens and adults soon, and I will be practicing the skills I learned in this book over and over again. Very practical and useful.
December 29, 2011
I found this very useful and have already purchased several books recommended here. I hope to implement much of what he suggests in future classes.
January 19, 2013
Read it again, after over a year of trying to facilitate Socratic Seminars and observing quite a few more. Like the book even more.
As Strong says in the book 'There is a paradox in describing "techniques" for leading seminars; seminars are supposed to be authentic, real-time, original intellectual discussions. Any recipe for how to do it by definition kills it.' My advice, read it, try it, read it again and self-critique your experience, think on the what worked and what didn't work, try again. For people serious into Socratic Practice The Habit of Thought should be a yearly read.
As Strong says in the book 'There is a paradox in describing "techniques" for leading seminars; seminars are supposed to be authentic, real-time, original intellectual discussions. Any recipe for how to do it by definition kills it.' My advice, read it, try it, read it again and self-critique your experience, think on the what worked and what didn't work, try again. For people serious into Socratic Practice The Habit of Thought should be a yearly read.
August 30, 2014
Lucid writing demonstrating the tool superior to all other learning methods: Socratic Seminar. You think you've been trained in this method, but not until you've been trained by Strong.
August 10, 2010
Socratic Practice is the regular meeting of students and a discussion leader working through texts in order to develop students' reading and thinking skills. The goal is to provide students with tools of learning by which they become active, independent thinkers. The means to reaching this goal is by discussing difficult texts and the ideas contained within them, allowing students to develop their own informed understanding and judgment. Socratic Practice is not primarily used to transmit content (though it can be reconciled with this goal), but to enable students to intelligently interpret texts.
Much of what Michael Strong writes lines up well with classical education as described by Dorothy Sayers, but it lacks a Christian worldview. Strong more closely follows the path laid out by Mortimer Adler. Human reason is the only recognized authority, and the aim is to help students arrive at informed opinion, rather than truth. There is no recognition of the absolute truth of scripture or the sovereign authority of God as the giver of truth.
Still, there is much that can be redeemed from this book and used by classical Christian educators to give their students tools of learning. It goes beyond normal classroom discussion, allowing students to think for themselves.
Much of what Michael Strong writes lines up well with classical education as described by Dorothy Sayers, but it lacks a Christian worldview. Strong more closely follows the path laid out by Mortimer Adler. Human reason is the only recognized authority, and the aim is to help students arrive at informed opinion, rather than truth. There is no recognition of the absolute truth of scripture or the sovereign authority of God as the giver of truth.
Still, there is much that can be redeemed from this book and used by classical Christian educators to give their students tools of learning. It goes beyond normal classroom discussion, allowing students to think for themselves.
July 28, 2008
A rather compelling set of essays in favor of the virtues of Socratic Practice in all classrooms - not just for Ivy-league and college bound programs. Most convincing are the suggestions that this method develops pro-social behaviors and respect within the classroom through inquiry. Key idea: "Socratice Practice is a means of developing our ability to perform as an 'intelligent novice," one who is expert at learning new concepts and solving unfamiliar problems without particular experience in that particular field." Looking forward to meeting the author later this week...
January 16, 2008
Modern version of socratic method -- used in Strong's teaching program.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews