Integrating Technology Into a Socratic Seminar
In today’s episode, we’ll explore ways to integrate technology into a Socratic Seminar.
Paul Beckermann
PreK–12 Digital Learning Specialist
Podcast Host
Socratic Seminar
- Socratic Seminar is an instructional strategy that promotes questions and conversations about an article or text.
- It includes three parts:
- Preparation: reading, marking the text, and generating questions
- Seminar: student-led questions and conversation intended to better understand the text
- Reflection: reflection about the Socratic process and new learning from the seminar
Integrating Technology Into the Preparation Stage
- Strategies:
- Highlight key ideas.
- Underline important vocabulary.
- Write questions in the margin.
- Digital Tools:
- Word Processor Tools:
- Highlight.
- Underline, bold, and italicize.
- Add hyperlinks.
- Add comments.
- Add-ons:
- PDF Readers:
- Video Annotation Tools:
- Translators:
- Text-to-Speech:
- Font Changes:
- Word Processor Tools:
Integrating Technology Into the Seminar Stage
- Strategies:
- Mark up the text.
- Identify key ideas and supporting details.
- Generate new questions.
- Collaborate with a team.
- Word Processor Tools:
- Highlight.
- Underline, bold, and italicize.
- Add hyperlinks.
- Add comments.
- Workflow Efficiencies:
- Mark up a text as the seminar progresses.
- Complete tasks.
- Take notes.
- Promote active listening.
- Add new questions.
- Organize content and thoughts with a table structure.
- Share with a teacher or peers.
- Collaborate with a pilot or copilot in real time.
- Access and submit content digitally through learning management systems.
Integrating Technology Into the Reflection Stage
- Strategies:
- Conduct student surveys.
- Engage in an exit ticket.
- Digital Surveys:
- Digital Exit Tickets:
- Digital Surveys
- Socrative
For more information about prompting higher-order thinking in your classroom, explore the following AVID Open Access article: Accelerate Learning by Maintaining Academic Rigor and Cognitive Complexity.