Socratic Teaching (Lesson Tour)

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Effective Seminars and Socratic Discussions

Mortimer Adler once said, “a lecture is an exercise where the notes of the teacher become the notes of the student without passing through the minds of either.”  How can classical educators avoid the folly of such lecturing and lead discussions so that both the mind of the teacher and the minds of students are fully engaged and illuminated by a growing, gradual perception of truth? 

This course will be a living, growing course as we continue over the next year to add more video samples of great Socratic teachers in action in live seminars and classes.

In this course, we address why classical educators must learn the skill of Socratic teaching, and describe several approaches to leading a Socratic seminar or discussion, noting various advantages and disadvantages associated with each approach. We do this by interviewing presenters who use each approach and by showing them leading live, recorded seminars and discussions. Here are four approaches described in the course:

  1. The St. Johns Approach
  2. The Harkness Method
  3. The Ambrose Method
  4. Hybrid Methods

Several instructors are featured in this course (some represented from other courses as noted on individual lesson pages).

To learn more about earning a certificate for this course, please visit “How do I Obtain a Course Certificate?” on our FAQ page. Our course certificates are valued by classical schools and co-ops worldwide, and you can also be on your way to obtaining a Level 2 certificate with your completion of this course. Teachers certified with either ACSI or ACCS will see continuing education unit (CEU) credits listed on our course certificate for you to submit to either organization (with more information on certification credit here).

Course Content

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Lessons & Discussions

End of Course Test
Open Registration

Course Includes

  • 13 Lessons
  • 24 Topics
  • 7 Quizzes
  • 2.00 CEUs
  • 8.90 Hours
  • Course Certificate