TModern Socratic Teaching
Three Easy Tactics to Use in Your Classroom
By Win Wenger, Ph.D.
ISBN 978-0-557-45547-8
Center for Modern Socratic Innovation
Buffalo, New York 2010
By: Steve Wallis, Ph.D.
Co-Author of “Easy Genius: Awakening Your Whole Brain to Build a More Powerful Memory”
There are many tools available for teachers today. Many of them are good – they help to improve student performance. Most tools, however, require more effort on that part of the teacher in order to get those results. Few tools will both improve student performance AND make the teacher’s job easier. Three Easy Tactics To Use In Your Classroom is one that provides such tools.
The author is a former schoolteacher, turned scholar/author, who now pioneers innovative and effective methods for education. In this book, Dr. Wenger contrasts traditional educational philosophy and practice with the benefits of new and more effective methods. The methods presented in this book are not merely theoretical. They were applied recently at St. Andrew’s Day School in Buffalo, New York for students in the third through the seventh grade – with rather impressive results. The sharp increase in student scores comes as an encouraging contrast to the dismal results around our nation.
Recent tests such as the Progress in International Reading Literature Study (PIRLS) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) have provided new insight into our educational system. They suggest that the more years our children spend in our school system, the less effective they are at learning.
In sharp contrast, using the methods in this book, the students at St. Andrew’s were actually accelerating in their enthusiasm and ability to learn. For example, third grade skills in reading, language arts, and math improved by an average of 2.5 years over the course of a single year. By seventh grade, students improved by 6.8 years over the same one-year period. Clearly, something good is happening here.
Those powerful positive effects spurred my own interest in reviewing this book. Also, the methods developed by Dr. Wenger are similar to those I have used with great success.
In a nutshell, this book presents three tactics (Instant Replay, Highlighter Questions, Planning Questions). The first two tactics are primarily focused on getting students talking, reflecting, and focused on the subject matter. These may be applied at the end of the session to summarize and reinforce the information, or any time in the middle where a teacher might want to refocus the students (and, perhaps, gain a quick respite). The third tactic suggests a more comprehensive template for classroom activities. That approach includes ideas for introducing the topic, developing preliminary understanding, and leading toward deeper and more challenging questions. All of these approaches serve to create a classroom atmosphere that is more conducive to student learning.
There are additional sections that give the reader the opportunity to take these methods to the next level. One approach is the “Dynamic Format” which is a useful approach for working with students that have become comfortable with the three easy tactics. The Dynamic Format actually brings students into the learning process in a more conscious and purposeful way by creating a set of rules for small group conversations that serve to further accelerate the learning process.
One important strength of Wenger’s book is that the questions posed for students are very clear; and, they are designed to generate conversations that are highly relevant to learning, understanding, and appreciating the material. In short, these approaches keep students engaged as active participants in their own educational process – which is what we want as teachers!
One approach, for example, can be simply understood as asking students to turn to one another and ask a simple question (the question is also written up on the board, so the students don’t forget!). From my own experience in education and facilitation, I know that this kind of approach works wonders for energizing students and getting them focused on the topic at hand.
In addition to the straightforward presentation of effective techniques, this book is also a springboard to additional opportunities for improving teaching techniques – with web links and other sources suggested to the reader.
This book could be improved by adding more concrete examples. Although, the level of abstraction is not so high as to be distracting. Any teacher with a reasonable knowledge of the material should be able to easily “fill in the blanks” with the relevant information from their own topics.
Also, the organization of the book seemed, at first, a little odd. Instead of presenting the three methods in simple order, there are a couple of digressions to other methods and discussions. In retrospect, this does not detract much from the book, as those other topics are interwoven with the methods presented.
Given the proven benefits of these techniques in boosting student scores, while simultaneously easing the burden of our dedicated but overworked teachers, I would have to conclude by saying that I can think of no more cost-effective approach to improving the learning experience of young students than to put this reasonably priced book ($9.95) into the hands of teachers everywhere.
St. Andrews Country Day School utilizes the Modern Socratic Method of teaching. Since its integration into our teaching model we have seen dramatic positive results in our student's achievement levels.
We believe that the utilization of this teaching methodology develops the necessary critical thinking skills. These skills give them the tools to excel at the next level of their education and far into the future.
The use of this methodology truly sets St. Andrews a part from other schools in the area
What if you could educate children using the Socratic Method and still make it cost effective? What if EVERY teacher applied these techniques and strategies in EVERY subject, in EVERY class with EVERY student? Would that not be a great place to send your child to reach their fullest potential?
Teachers are now engaged in implementing these techniques that only until recently were reserved for the few. Critical thinking, creative thinking, buzzing, wind tunneling and many more are now staples of education at our school. I invite everyone to log onto www.winwenger.com. For much more information than I can share here. We can honestly say that at St. Andrew’s, we don’t teach children; We EDUCATE children.
Back to the Future
Dennis J. Welka
Principal, St. Andrew’s Country Day School
1545 Sheridan Drive (S)
Kenmore, New York 14217
1-716-877-0422 (S)
Moving forward into an age when today’s technology makes yesterday’s obsolete; it is difficult to keep pace with all the gimmicks and glitz of today’s world. I feel that the field of education sometimes gets caught up in the madness in an attempt to match the instant gratification trend in the world today. In doing that, many teachers and school districts jump on the “new and improved bandwagon.” Unfortunately, the results are often short-lived; however, there is usually a “new and improved” product right around the corner! And thus, the beat goes on and the more things change the more they stay the same.
This may, in fact, be a major contributor to our broken educational system. We tend to value concepts such as creativity, critical thinking and life – long learning yet we continue to practice techniques that do not encourage those concepts. New techniques are merely a variation on the theme. Let me propose that we examine times and techniques, “best practices”, if you will, that have proven results.
Historically speaking, two times come to mind that literally changed the history of the world. One was the Golden Age of Greece. The other was the Renaissance. Arguably, there may have been others, but none with the impact of these two. So now when we analyze those two periods we must cipher out the methodology used to educate those great minds. The common denominator is the Socratic Method: a method that has produced an astounding number of world class geniuses and contributors to our civilization. Examine a sampling of names of major contributors of these eras and the point should be made: Socrates, Plato, Sophocles, Pericles, Demosthenes, Hippocrates, Aristotle, da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Thomas More, Raphael, Brunellschi, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler. One must admit that this is a pretty impressive list but it is far from complete!
Why, then, are we not using it now. Further examination reveals that education was not for the masses but for the privileged, the affluent, and the few. As mass (public) education was introduced in the 19th century, the Socratic Method was shelved in favor of a more pedantic style. Educators could not manage the classes of 20, 30 and 40 plus students using the Socratic Method. Financially, it was also cost prohibitive to use it properly, not to mention there were not sufficient numbers of teachers to educate all the students public education would have to educate. Thus, a Prussian style of education was adopted to address public education: One teacher, 30-40 students, rigid rules of behavior, little interaction and much memorization and repetition. Students learned in spite of this style, not because of it. Although most will admit that these techniques are not the best, they essentially have continued to dominate the educational scene for the last 200 years.
So let’s take a look at educational innovation in that same time period. The most obvious is Montessori; great technique, somewhat Socratic but limited in scope. Creative/Critical thinking enters the scene to give “meaning and depth” to what our children are learning. This is another nice effort, but limited in its application. It is clearly one aspect of the Socratic Method. Another question arises, “why stop there?” Gifted and talented programs have sprung up around the nation to address those “smart kids” who became bored in the “regular” classroom. What techniques do they employ to teach these “smart kids”: Socratic, of course!
So why not use those methods that were most productive to mankind in every classroom, every day, in every subject, with every student? That’s where the Modern Socratic Method and St. Andrew’s Country Day School come into play. Under the guidance of Dr. Wen Wenger, the faculty of St. Andrew’s has taken Socratic techniques designed to develop Creative Thinkers in Industry and have adapted them to work with children; many children. Simultaneously, they create an environment that promotes individual critical thinking, cooperative learning, responsibility and success.
These techniques vary in difficulty. The most basic is called BUZZING and is used to generate student conversation about any question or topic. WINDTUNNEL is somewhat more complex and we affectionately refer to it as “Brainstorming on Steroids”. We use it as a problem solving method that will lead us into other forms of creative problem solving.
Word based consciousness accounts for a mere 2% of our intelligence. The other 98% is virtually untapped. So when Socrates and his contemporaries believed that all knowledge was within the individual and needed to be drawn out (EDUCARE), they weren’t too far off the mark. The individual is a multi sensory organism that is constantly bombarded with stimuli that is received, stored and interpreted as needed. So the question remained as to how to tap into this vast body of information and utilize it to the benefit of all. The answer is the techniques used in the Modern Socratic Method.
I think that we can all agree that in order for Knowledge to be meaningful, the Learner must experience success, self-worth and significance. The Learner must be responsible for their own learning and satisfy some basic psychological needs in order for his education to take place.
These Basic Educational Needs come down to:
- What I am doing is worthwhile
- My contribution is important
- I am heard
I feel that this is where Behaviorist Theory, Cognitive Theory and Social Learning
Theory intersect.
Here are some of the Educational Aspects of the Modern Socratic Method:
- Interactive Learning
- Scaffolding
- Peer Tutoring
- Increased Listening Skills
- Analytical / Critical Thinking Skills
- Accelerated Learning
- Dynamic Format
- Problem Solving
- Higher Order Thinking
The aspect that will thrill most school districts is that it is also economical.
Past the training in these techniques, there is no further cost for each trained teacher to practice them in every class every day. It is highly cost effective.
The results depend on each practitioner; however, we have data that supports a correlation between the frequency of use and accelerated learning.
Currently, the faculty has developed and is utilizing approximately 10-12 Modern Socratic Techniques. Not all techniques can be applied to all grade levels and all age groups. However, as we fine tune techniques and student groups, we continue to discover that all techniques used engage students, regardless of the size of the class. These techniques elicit responses from the students that actually accelerate learning. They continue to push students to a higher level of thinking. The unique aspect is that the entire staff is trained in these techniques so that the students are engaged continually, regardless of the subject or the grade level. Social Studies, Language Arts, Music, Art and Physical Education all share this common element. Students are educated (drawn out) at every turn!
In order to ground these techniques and give validity to our practice, we have pre and post tested our students. The results in the first several months were beyond encouraging. There was measurable growth in all tested areas. We will continue to strive to replicate and exceed those results this year. In any event, it appears that we have discovered a long lost treasure.
Our work is clearly unfinished. We continue to seek funding for expanded studies. We are however confident that these methods will have broad applications not only in general education but in urban education and special education. We feel that the Modern Socratic Method will be the future of education. It is like Montessori to the third power, taking it to another level. Ultimately, it will create a generation of critical thinkers capable of discovering solutions to complex problems. It will allow a better educated citizenry to create an improved social situation for all.
In essence we have traveled Back (into the past) to create a path to the Future. Like Bill and Ted, “It is a Most Excellent Adventure”!
References:
1) Wenger, Win, PhD., The Renaissance Project, winwenger.com
2) Standrewscds.org, The Renaissance Project
Executive Summary of The Renaissance Project
In the great sea of educational euphemisms, the one that seems to be utilized the most is, “All children can learn”.
Noble, philosophical and all-encompassing! It is certainly broad enough to make safe any school’s mission statement.
What it does not say (and probably should) is HOW every child is to accomplish this learning and How Well it is to be attained. Therein lies the rub, instant accountability that most schools would shy away from.
Let us now shift the paradigm to “All children will learn well”. Better yet, how about “All children will be able to think critically, analyze information and manipulate facts and be able to synthesize solutions when faced with a problem”.
Beyond academic achievement, which is almost a given, what implications might a mission statement of this ilk have upon society in general. Would it be beneficial in improving the human situation? Could it have a positive influence in the world of business and politics? The short answer is yes! (A resounding yes!) How then, can this be accomplished when educational systems have failed to date?
If one examines Einstein’s definition of insanity, the answer becomes evident. We continue to practice the pedagogical techniques developed over a century ago. That, in itself, is not wrong if the results were the same as a century ago. Society changes because by nature it is dynamic. Therefore, the institutions that serve society must change accordingly to satisfy societal needs and demands.
So then, you ask, why introduce techniques that are millennia old? Because over the millennia, these techniques were not allowed to remain stagnant. They became dynamic to match the needs of today’s society.
Every generation bemoans the fact that the students are not like the ones’ of the past generation. This is a true statement that will always be true. What contributes to its veracity is the fact that we basically approach education as we did in the 1800’s and expect the same type of outcome even though the student changes every generation.
If, however, we can take those techniques that were most successful and continue to make them relevant to each succeeding generation then we will have accomplished something great.
The Modern Socratic Method enters the educational scene. The original Socratic Method of teaching was clearly one of the greatest influences of mankind as evidenced in the Golden Age of Greece and then again during the Renaissance. However when education became available to “the masses”, the Socratic Method became impractical. It was best suited for working with small groups of students not classes of 30 or more students. In other words it was not cost effective. It was abandoned for methods that were not better, simply more cost effective. The modern Socratic Method was developed to make a method that was clearly superior to others and allow its application to reach many as opposed to a few. If cost effectiveness were its only contribution that would be a good thing, however, its major contribution is empowering its student to think, think creatively, solve problems and synthesize information in a creative form. These are qualities that all educational systems strive to attain (and some do, although to a limited degree).
What makes the Modern Socratic Method different and worthy of imitation?
The Modern Socratic Teaching Project at St. Andrew’s will demonstrate educational efficiency through analysis of pre and post testing data. Special groups such as special education students and minorities will be disaggregated from the data to illustrate the impact of the Modern Socratic Method upon these subgroups.
Finally, the data will allow us to extrapolate results into the very near future. Our initial trial period was limited to approximately 3 months. Even for this limited time, the test results were impressive.
Our primary goal was to show accelerated or increased learning. We feel that the numbers will bear this out. Teachers were required to keep logs detailing progress, problems and solutions. These anecdotal records proved invaluable in evaluating the students’ response to these new techniques and the teachers’ opinion regarding the usage and timing of these techniques. They will prove to be valuable in establishing a solid follow-up program.
As stated earlier, our trial period was merely 3 months. The true test of any research project is the replication of results over time. We strongly feel that the results validate our initial efforts in the Renaissance Project and are significant enough to continue its methodology. Our initial grant assisted us in in-servicing approximately
½ our staff or at least one teacher at each grade level.
The plan was to pre and post test our students by using the Terra Nova Battery. We tested in three subgroups: Reading, Language and Mathematics. Once the pre-test was completed we established a Confidence Interval which basically states that in the post-test 95% of the post-test scores should fall within these limits. If they fall outside of this interval on the negative side, there is a problem. If scores area outside the interval on the positive end, then we have exceeded our predicted outcome.
Sample size and testing interval constraints precluded the use of standard statistical procedures; therefore a confidence interval approach was utilized to assess program outcomes. In this approach, a range of mean more values was determined in order to extend past program mean scores outcomes within a 95% level of probability. Based on pre-program results it is predicted that post-program mean scores will fall within this interval.
Consequently, a positive post program result is obtained when post instruction mean score falls within the confidence interval. A negative outcome occurs when a result falls below the lower limit of the range and a significant positive result is recorded if the mean score falls above the upper limit of the interval.
As the accompanying chart illustrates, all scores fell within the predicted Confidence Interval. Many of the scores approached the high limit of the Interval and at two grade levels (Grade 2 and Grade 4) the scores exceeded the upper limits of the Confidence Interval.
When teachers were in-serviced in the Modern Socratic Method, there was at least one teacher from each grade level plus several special area teachers included in this First Cohort.
Grades 2 and Grade 4 were represented by both teachers at these grade levels. This is a partial explanation as to why these grade levels exceeded expectations. A survey was also conducted at the end of the year regarding the types of techniques utilized as well as their frequency during instruction. It was not surprising that Grades 2 and 4 indicated the highest frequency use.
From this information it might be fair to conclude that there is a correlation between frequency of use and academic success. Although predictable success occurred at other grade levels, the phenomenon of exceeding predictable success only occurred at those grade levels where both teachers were in-serviced in the Modern Socratic Method and utilized them with greater frequency
than other teachers.
There are several areas that need to be addressed to make the Modern Socratic Teaching Project even more successful and statistically significant.
The first is the time interval. The project needs to run its course over a full school year as opposed to 3 months. This will have a two – fold effect in allowing a greater period of instruction and a much greater interval of time between pre and post testing situations. The testing interval was problematic.
Secondly, the sample size needs to be increased. By in-serving the remainder of the staff this summer, teachers will be prepared to implement the program in September. This would automatically double the sample size once again, leading to a much higher validity coefficient.
Testing conditions would be the next issue to be addressed.
Our pre-test conditions were acceptable but our post-test times were less than ideal and may have even had a negative influence on recorded scores. We were forced into completing our post testing during the final week of school, exam week. Teachers and students were not enamored with “one more test to complete”.
Testing in the 2008 – 2009 school year will occur in September and May, when there are not other distractions or time constraints. We feel that this alone will contribute to higher scores.
As stated earlier, the frequency of use of these techniques had a direct influence on the productivity of the students.
Two significant differences will occur in the 2008-2009 school year.
The first is that the entire staff (as opposed to only half) will be utilizing Modern Socratic techniques within the classroom. Secondly, this administration will monitor their frequency within the classroom. The First Cohort of trained teachers will also serve as mentors to the Second Cohort further reinforcing its utilization and diminishing any apprehensions that the Second Cohort may experience.
All these factors working together will strengthen the project and assist in producing results that are not only significant but statistically significant.
We feel that it is safe to say that the success experienced in our initial trial period can and will be replicated with at least the same level of success. We also believe that it is a fair statement to say that the level of success in 2008-2009 school year will significantly exceed predicted statistical expectations.
It is our belief that through the implementation and utilization of the multitude of techniques employed in the Modern Socratic Method, it is possible to educate all children and educate them well!
It is our belief that these techniques can and should be used at all grade levels and in all subject areas. We also believe that through the use of Modern Socratic Method techniques, students will attain unprecedented academic success.
Moreover, success in the classroom will be transferred to success in the workplace and society.
We firmly believe that the human situation can be improved if its participants are capable of finding solutions individually and in conjunction with others. It follows logically that the more mankind can think and solve problems, the fewer the problems will exist that are obstacles to success.
We are convinced that the applications for the Modern Socratic Method are countless!
Dennis Welka, having worked in an inner-city urban setting and with educationally handicapped children for over 35 years, is further convinced that these techniques and methods would work well with these populations. It would provide an honest level of self esteem to these students in allowing them to experience success based on their their own accomplishment.
Many of these techniques are already employed in varying degrees with gifted and talented children, at least those that are identified. But what about those students that are not identified, are “late-bloomers” or just average learners? There is nothing that precludes these students from becoming accelerated learners.
As stated, the applications are countless and that is just in the field of education. We could easily devote chapters to applications in the business world and beyond.
MOVING FORWARD
We will soon be able to add the test scores for the 2008-2009 school year. Post testing will occur in the second week of May and results will be published shortly thereafter. However, a glimpse of continued success is evidenced in this years ELA scores.
Overall, the school averaged a 10 point increase in percentage of students earning a score of 3 or 4. Gains occurred at all grade levels (3-8) with the most significant increases arising in the 7th and 8th grades, (11 and 24 points respectively). Similar scores in Mathematics are also expected but results will not be released by the state until the end of May.
All things being equal, the only discernible variable was the infusion of Modern Socratic Technique into the curricula.
As each successive grade level advances, the techniques become more engrained into the thought process of every student regardless of socio– economic status, racial background or handicapping condition.
Further examination of the data is definitely warranted. However, it appears that the answer to the question, “Why can’t Johnny learn?” has been answered!
Teaching Method at St. Andrews
Center for Modern Socratic Innovation Report:
Modern Socratic Teaching Techniques at St. Andrew’s Country Day School
Moving forward into an age when today’s technology makes yesterday’s technology obsolete; it is difficult to keep pace with all the gimmicks and glitz of today’s world. The field of education sometimes gets caught up in the madness in an attempt to match the instant gratification trend in the world today. In doing that, many teachers and school districts jump on the “new and improved bandwagon.” Unfortunately, the results are often short-lived; however, and there is usually a “new and improved” product right around the corner! And thus, the beat goes on and the more things change the more they stay the same.
This may, in fact, be a major contributor to our broken educational system. We tend to value concepts such as creativity, critical thinking and life-long learning yet we continue to practice techniques that do not encourage those concepts. New techniques are merely a variation on the theme. Let me propose that we examine times and techniques, “best practices”, if you will, that have proven results.
Historically speaking two times come to mind that literally changed the history of the world. One was the Golden Age of Greece. The other was the Renaissance. Arguably, there may have been others, but none with the impact of these two. So now when we analyze those two periods we must cipher out the methodology used to educate those great minds. The common denominator is the Socratic Method: a method that has produced an astounding number of world class geniuses and contributors to our civilization. Examine a sampling of names of major contributors of these eras and the point should be made: Socrates, Plato, Sophocles, Pericles, Demosthenes, Hippocrates, Aristotle, da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Thomas More, Raphael, Brunellschi, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler. One must admit that this is a pretty impressive list but it is far from complete!
Why, then are we not using it now. Further examination reveals that education was not for the masses but for the privileged, the affluent, and the few. As mass (public) education was introduced in the 19th century, the Socratic Method was shelved in favor of a more pedantic style. Educators could not manage the classes of 20, 30 and 40 plus students using the Socratic Method. Financially, it was also cost prohibitive to use it properly, not to mention there were not sufficient numbers of teachers to educate all the students public education would have to educate. Thus, a Prussian style of education was adopted to address public education: One teacher, 30-40 students, rigid rules of behavior, little interaction and much memorization and repetition. Students learned in spite of this style, not because of it. Although most will admit that these techniques are not the best, they essentially have continued to dominate the educational scene for the last 200 years.
So let’s take a look at educational innovation in that same time period. The most obvious is Montessori; great technique, somewhat Socratic but limited in scope. Creative/Critical thinking enters the scene to give “meaning and depth” to what our children are learning. This is another nice effort, but limited in its application. It is clearly one aspect of the Socratic Method. Another question arises, “why stop there?” Gifted and talented programs have sprung up around the nation to address those “smart kids” who became bored in the “regular” classroom. What techniques do they employ to teach these “smart kids”: Socratic, of course!
So why not use those methods that were most productive to mankind in every classroom, every day, in every subject, with every student? That’s where the Modern Socratic Method and St. Andrew’s Country Day School come into play. Under the guidance of Dr. Win Wenger, the faculty of St. Andrew’s has taken Socratic techniques designed to develop Creative Thinkers in Industry and have adapted them to work with children; many children. Simultaneously, they create an environment that promotes individual critical thinking, cooperative learning, responsibility and success.
These techniques vary in difficulty. The most basic is call BUZZING and is used to generate student conversation about any question or topic. WINDTUNNEL is somewhat more complex and we affectionately refer to it as “Brainstorming on Steroids”. We use it as a problem solving method that will lead us into other forms of creative problem solving.
Word based consciousness accounts for a mere 2% of our intelligence. The other 98% is virtually untapped. So when Socrates and his contemporaries believed that all knowledge was within the individual and needed to be drawn out (EDUCARE), they weren’t to far off the mark. The individual is a multisensory organism that is constantly bombarded with stimuli that is received, stored and interpreted as needed. So the question remained as to how to tap into this vast body of information and utilize it to the benefit of all. The answer is the techniques used in the Modern Socratic Method.
We can all agree that in order for Knowledge to be meaningful, the Learner must experience success, self-worth and significance. The Learner must be responsible for their own learning and satisfy some basic psychological needs in order for his education to take place.
These Basic Education Needs come down to:
-What I am doing is worthwhile
-My contribution is important
-I am heard
We feel that this is where Behaviorist Theory, Cognitive Theory and Social Learning Theory intersect.
Here are some of the Educational Aspects of the Modern Socratic Method:
- Interactive Learning
- Scaffolding
- Peer Tutoring
- Increased Listening Skills
- Analytical / Critical Thinking Skills
- Accelerated Learning
- Dynamic Format
- Problem Solving
- High Order Thinking
The aspect that will thrill most school districts is that it is also economical.
Past the training in these techniques, there is no further cost for each trained teacher to practice them every day. It is highly cost effective.
The results depend on each practitioner; however, we have data that supports a correlation between the frequency of use and accelerated learning.
Currently, the faculty has developed and is utilizing approximately 10-12 Modern Socratic Techniques. Not all techniques can be applied to all grade levels and all age groups. However, as we fine tune techniques and students groups, we continue to discover that all techniques used engage students, regardless of the size of the class. These techniques elicit associative responses from the students that actually accelerate learning. They continue to push students to a higher level of thinking. The unique aspect is that the entire staff is trained in these techniques so that the students are engaged continually, regardless of the subject or the grade level. Social Studies, Language Arts, Science, Math, Music, Art and Physical Education all share this common element. Students are educated (drawn out) at every turn!
In order to ground these techniques and give validity to our practice, we have tested our students. Tests are independently scored and analyzed. As with any worthwhile project the effects must be able to be measured and then replicated. The results in the first year were beyond encouraging. There was measurable growth in all tested. An anomaly occurred in Grades Two and Four. The results demonstrated accelerated academic growth at these two levels. The only variable was that both teachers at these levels were in-serviced in the Socratic techniques as opposed to the other grade levels where only one teacher at each level was in-serviced. The conclusion was that these children were being exposed to Socratic techniques with greater frequency. In any event, it appeared that we had discovered a long lost treasure.
The following year the entire staff was taught to use these techniques and the results bore witness to their efficacy. Through the utilization of various Modern Socratic techniques in the classroom, students seem to have a better and deeper understanding of material that is being taught. Although not perfect, the trends indicated demonstrate an acceleration of academic growth from one year to the next. If one can anticipate a normal growth rate of 1.0 per academic year, the results illustrates a growth rate that is double, triple, quadruple and more. The trend shows that the growth increases dramatically the longer the student participates in the program (8th graders testing out at a 12th grade level).
There are several other indices that support this academic growth. The first is the high proportion of scholarships granted to graduates. Scholarship awards amounted to over $250,000 the last two years for approximately 45 students. That’s about $5,600 for each student. The second is the increased scoring in NY State assessments. Last year the school boasted a 94% rate of students earning threes and fours. That was about a 12% increase from the previous year and almost a 20% increase over the last two years. If one examines the numbers for each cohort one can see the arithmetic progression from one grade level to the next. If allowed to extrapolate results into the future, it would be safe to say that students educated by means of Modern Socratic Techniques will experience accelerated academic growth to the point that graduates will be testing out at high school or collegiate level.
The test results in the Third Year mirrored those of the Second Year once again showing an average academic growth rate of 4.4 years. It is more clearly illustrated with the chart tracking academic growth in cohorts.
Further data will be collected and will need to be tested in an urban situation. In line with the Federal Government’s efforts to “Close the Gap”, we feel that Modern Socratic Teaching Techniques not only have a place but may become the preferred method by which we educate our populace, close the gap and provide relief to an education system that has been less than adequate for many years. If what exists is not functioning now, then more of the same will not solve the problem.
Intellectually, all agree that a paradigm shift is necessary to accomplish the mission. Yet we return to that with which we are comfortable. If we encourage our students to be risk takers, we, as educators, should be willing to lead by example.
The data indicates that the risks are minimal but the rewards are enormous. Schools, in particular, and society, in general, can ill-afford to be idle and do nothing. It must also be noted that there is NO CHANGE TO CURRICULUM, merely the way it is delivered.
Education is called upon to return to its roots and to a time when it was most successful. History tells us that we cannot approach the problem as we did in the past, if we are to be successful.
With Modern Socratic Teaching Techniques it is possible to address the problem with the same basic tenets of learning and human behavior. The difference comes in the methodology that has shown that it can simultaneously stay true to the basic ideologies of learning theory and be practiced with larger learning communities that current economics demand.
It appears to be a win-win situation that should not be overlooked.
Our work is clearly unfinished. We continued to seek funding for expanded studies. We are however confident that these methods will have broad applications not only in general education but in urban education and special education. We feel that the Modern Socratic Method will be the future of education. Ultimately, it will create a generation of critical thinkers capable of discovering solutions to complex problems. It will allow a better educated citizenry to create an improved social situation for all.
On August 24th, 2010, the New York State Education Department announced that NY State has been awarded $696,646,000 in the 2nd round of the Race to the Top Competition. The news release further advises, therein, that $348.3 Million will be used "to build the capacity of educators statewide and directly support new curriculum models, standards, assessments, Teacher and Principal preparation and professional development and the statewide student data system".
Will the NY State Education Department use any of the money to Evaluate and Promote innovative Accelerated Learning & Educational Teaching Processes such as the Modern Socratic Teaching Techniques, as experienced for the last 2 years, at St.Andrew’s School?
To this end, the Center for Modern Socratic Innovation, Inc. will continue to seek additional funding for expanded studies at St. Andrew’s that would include the establishment of a 2nd Learning Lab in the Buffalo Public Schools or an Urban Charter School, beginning in the Summer of 2011.
Testing Results
Average G.E, June Testing
Cohort Growth Stptember 2009
2009 - 2010 Analysis