Because I am always looking for new ways to conduct class discussions, I was excited when I recently learned of World Cafe', a discussion technique for holding productive discussions among large groups of people.
The technique entails splitting a large group into smaller groups of 4-5 people who sit at a table together. Each table is given one question to discuss for roughly 20 minutes and members are encouraged to take notes and doodle on paper tablecloths.
At the end of the first round, one person designated as the "host" remains at the table for another round. The other table members move to other tables for the second round of discussion over a similar question. The second round begins with the "host" at each table discussing the findings of the first round and asking new table members to add to the findings.
Most discussions should have at least 3 rounds, and time must be reserved for a concluding discussion for the entire class.
Although World Cafe' was designed originally for discussions of social problems, I think the procedure can be modified for classroom discussions of literature. In the next week, I plan to look at the discussion questions I already have for upcoming reading selections and select the questions that I think will work best in a World Cafe' discussion that I can implement the following week.
Please see the following websites for more information
How do teachers with decades of experience remain productive and vibrant in the classroom? Find a new and exciting approach to something they have always taught!
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6. September - 4:47 am