When we feel a topic is important to discuss, it can be one of the hardest things to bring up. The necessity of talking about this certain topic makes it feel overwhelming and stressful. For example, let's say you want to ask a possible new friend about their political beliefs. This could be something that is of paramount importance before deciding if you want to get closer to this person. The way people approach topics can say a lot about them. If they casually bring it up versus sitting the person down and making the discussion's importance clear. Almost all of us want to avoid uncomfortable situations. We want to have a good time, especially when in a group setting. We don't want to pick fights or seem like we are trying to start one. This causes people to steer clear of issues that matter. However, when such topics are brought up, the room's mood can change drastically with just one comment. Bringing up someone's death, politics, racism, the economy, or a number of other divisive topics. One way we communicate that an issue is important to us can be through body language. By holding eye contact, leaning forward slightly, and sitting or standing with your chest uncovered (not crossing your arms), you show subconsciously that you are listening and actively engaging in the conversation. When talking about these things that matter to us, we also use direct communication styles to get straight to the point. Using only necessary details and descriptions while trying not to diverge from the main topic.
All of these ideas around body language are helpful when discussing difficult issues in one on one settings. However, what teaching methods would you use in group discussions in a classroom? Task 4 outlined some very useful strategies, that are helpful in promoting group discussions in which all students will get their chance to voice their thoughts.
ReplyDeleteSuch as the Barometer method in which students can stand at various points in the room to signify where they agree with a certain topic or not. The students are called on by the teacher so that they express their place. Then students are allowed to change positions based on the points other students are making, or as the teacher in the video put it, "Some students will hear each other-- their classmates' opinions and they might realize, I never thought of that side of that argument, or I was just narrow-minded when I was initially reflecting on it. And they're allowed to move. They can change on the continuum whether they-- maybe they strongly disagreed and then they hear something, well, that's kind of altered my thinking. And they maybe don't go from one extreme to the other, but they might kind of move to more of a neutral position, which I think is really helpful for students to realize that they don't have to be locked into opinions. We're human beings, our thoughts change. We listen to each other."
Perhaps these methods would be more useful in a classroom that body language designed for individual discussions.