A talk on discussions

Hey group! So I guess it is appropriate to talk about the topic I will be discussing tomorrow which is the traditional versus the new view on discussion. Not to long ago, and even still today, teachers have a question answer format, which they consider a discussion. The teacher is the main initiator of the conversation and the student just responds by using answers that come directly from the book. I have experienced this form of discussion even in the past couple of years....at MSU they call it recitation, just like they do in the article. This never helped me learn very much. It always seemed like busy work or a waste of an hour of my life. The new view of a discussion is very similar to our discussions we have in TE. These discussions are meaningful (for the most part) and help me expand my thoughts by listening to other students viewpoints. I think it is really important as a teacher to make sure you are not leading the discussion but allowing your students to be the facilitator of interaction. When a discussion is conducted appropriately it can lead to a significant increase in understanding a story or an article, for example. Not only does discussion center around cognitive development but also addresses social growth. "Discussions of literature may be viewed as a social environment in which student can witness how group members work together to collaboratively construct meaning" (Pg. 44). Overall this article summarized how beneficial a discussion can be if it is student centered. Cognitively, socially, and emotionally, students who are engaged in a lesson will have the opportunity to grow.