The easiest way to learn is through failure. We either improve from it or make bad habits out of it.
Not only did this article help me develop some new "tools" I could use to improve a seemingly bad discussion, but it also encouraged me to reflect on what kind of discussion member I have been in the past. What brought about this reflection for me was the "Conversation Role" section. While thinking back on previous discussions, I found that the more well rounded the group was the better the discussion became. In most discussion groups I found that there will always be a select few who are constantly stimulating the flow of conversation, or in some cases dominating it (I tend to be one of those people). When the flow of conversation becomes dominated by these speakers, the conversation can become stagnant, the two to three people go around in circle arguing over their beliefs, opinions, and interpretations. But if the flow is broken by other members who challenge their ideas, bring about new information, or connect it to a new idea, the discussion then becomes productive and builds the confidence of all of the members involved.
There were a few exercises I liked that brought about this change in confidence, my favorite being the "Hatful of quotes" exercise. This is why I think it works:
1. It relieves some of the stress held by a speaker who is unsure on what to discuss with their group by narrowing down the question/topic. While at the same time, it doesn't squash their creative thought process because they are still able to develop their own opinion about that topic.
2. It gives EVERYONE a time to to talk about their quote and how they relate to it, or why they think that quote is important.
3. Even if people receive or pick the same quote, they could share what they agree/disagree with the speaker/s prior to them. This allows further development to occur within the individual speaker and fellow group members on that quote.
4. It also builds confidence in members who are unsure of their ability to relate their thoughts back to the text because a quote from the text had already been given to them.
These are only personal theories on why I think this exercise would work, however I would need actual experience with this exercise in order to challenge them.
While I find that reading and researching different exercises is helpful, I also think it is important to remember that they are just "tools". Not every tool is perfect for every job, but through experience it becomes easier to select the right tool the first time around.
Not only did this article help me develop some new "tools" I could use to improve a seemingly bad discussion, but it also encouraged me to reflect on what kind of discussion member I have been in the past. What brought about this reflection for me was the "Conversation Role" section. While thinking back on previous discussions, I found that the more well rounded the group was the better the discussion became. In most discussion groups I found that there will always be a select few who are constantly stimulating the flow of conversation, or in some cases dominating it (I tend to be one of those people). When the flow of conversation becomes dominated by these speakers, the conversation can become stagnant, the two to three people go around in circle arguing over their beliefs, opinions, and interpretations. But if the flow is broken by other members who challenge their ideas, bring about new information, or connect it to a new idea, the discussion then becomes productive and builds the confidence of all of the members involved.
There were a few exercises I liked that brought about this change in confidence, my favorite being the "Hatful of quotes" exercise. This is why I think it works:
1. It relieves some of the stress held by a speaker who is unsure on what to discuss with their group by narrowing down the question/topic. While at the same time, it doesn't squash their creative thought process because they are still able to develop their own opinion about that topic.
2. It gives EVERYONE a time to to talk about their quote and how they relate to it, or why they think that quote is important.
3. Even if people receive or pick the same quote, they could share what they agree/disagree with the speaker/s prior to them. This allows further development to occur within the individual speaker and fellow group members on that quote.
4. It also builds confidence in members who are unsure of their ability to relate their thoughts back to the text because a quote from the text had already been given to them.
These are only personal theories on why I think this exercise would work, however I would need actual experience with this exercise in order to challenge them.
While I find that reading and researching different exercises is helpful, I also think it is important to remember that they are just "tools". Not every tool is perfect for every job, but through experience it becomes easier to select the right tool the first time around.
Comments
Post a Comment