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The Mortimer J. Adler Archive |
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Many of Dr. Adler's books are available through The Radical Academy Bookstore. Books
by Mortimer J.
Adler
The Center for the Study of The Great Ideas Click Here for New & Used College Textbooks at Discount Prices Click
Here for College Education Information & Study
Resources
Bookstore
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What Is Paideia? Paideia is a focus on the art of teaching and what happens in the classroom for all students; it is not a plug-in program. Paideia requires teachers to use three different teaching modes to convey significant ideas, skills and facts within the curriculum. Paideia was developed by Dr. Mortimer Adler and the Paideia Group, Inc. What Can Paideia Do For Me? Paideia can make you, your students or your children think. Paideia focuses on helping all students to acquire, remember, and understand basic ideas, skills, and facts. How Does Paideia Encourage Students To Think? One of the Paideia teacher's skills is the use of the Socratic dialogue. The Socratic dialogue is a discussion developed by the teacher through the use of one question that is followed by further questions that focus on students' responses. This is to identify the students' logic, reasoning and understanding. Some examples of follow-up questions are: "Why do you say that? . . . What do you mean? . . . What is your support?" How Does A Teacher Blend The Three Modes Of Teaching Into A Class Plan? All teaching modes can be used for different lengths of time. The Socratic dialogue can occur in five-minute interaction or be an hour and a half session. It can occur in the middle of a lecture or a coaching session or be developed into a full-length seminar. Consider the following examples: The lecture: When the teacher is giving information. No student should have to sit in a bell-to-bell lecture. It is boring, nonproductive and yields poor results in learning. The lecture is biologically demanding for students making it difficult to maintain interest and attention. The Socratic dialogue can be inserted after a short period of time lecturing (e.g. ten minutes) to interrupt the pace and focus attention. For example the teacher can say, "What was most important in what I just said? . . . Why do you say that?". The coaching session: When the teacher is getting the student to do something. The coach helps the student over hurdles of difficulty. As a result, the coach needs to know what is not clear or confuses the student. The Socratic dialogue yields information about the student progress in understanding the skill. For example, the teacher can ask in a math session, "How did you solve the problem? ... Why did you use that strategy?". The seminar: When the teacher is facilitating an educationally oriented discussion focused on a primary source. The Socratic dialogue is the heart of the seminar as the teacher focuses the students on the important words, points, and ideas in the primary source. There maybe several Socratic dialogues or one that is developed over a period of time. For example, Mortimer Adler once led a seminar on Hamlet for an hour and a half that was developed from an initial question, "Do you like Hamlet?." This was followed by "Why? . . . Where in the play do you see that? . . . Who else agrees or disagrees and Why?'. Is "Paideia" Just Another Name For "Socratic Method"? The Socratic method utilizes the Socratic dialogue which is but one of the teacher's repertoire of skills. It demonstrates the teacher's skill in teaching and knowledge of the material. It can be used in all settings of teaching and with all material. It is integrated with other teacher skills -- such as, the art of the lecture and the art of coaching. Paideia Practice Tips On Seminars With An Observation Topic Seminars focusing on observation topics provide rich opportunities for teachers to coach students in their ability to examine and evaluate information acquired through viewing. Objects selected for these seminars include paint-ings, sculpture, architecture, maps, science experiments and math manipulatives. As in any seminar selection, careful consideration of the merits and worth of the observation topic is necessary. Reasons for selection can be to explore a period of art history or culture, the intrinsic value of art throughout history, significant artists, significant works of art or the relationships among art, history, science and math. Some seminars may compare two works. For example, two illustrations for a fable or two different types of maps provide a chance to examine two different point of view. Others might compare a work of writing and an illustration. As in all seminars, setting the stage is crucial to its success. In this case, observation time is added, Setting the stage for observation seminars includes:
The initial observation time is set by the teacher for a specific short period of time (e.g., one minute). It is always conducted in silence. An example of what the teacher may say to the group is:
A response technique to use to gather information is the round robin. Go around the circle and ask what caught their eye first, and then, what question they have about the piece. This can provide information and questions for an entire seminar. This technique works well for any observation topic used as a focus for a seminar. Teachers need to be aware of how student understanding of some readings may be affected by student observations of other work. For example, in one seminar on Washington's Inaugural Address, a student commented that he thought, "Washington was stupid!" Upon being questioned about how he could support this idea, -- the student pointed -- to the picture, accompanying the text; it was a famous picture of George Washington standing up in a boat crossing a river. This sixth grade student, who lived in an area of the country with many rivers, then replied, "Anyone who stands up in a boot when crossing a river in a storm -- is not bright! Why anyone would follow him, I have no idea!" The seminar leader tried to convince the boy that it was not a photograph, and that there might be merits of Washington noted in the text, but it was to no avail. For more information, see: The National Paideia Center
For more information, you might like to read...
Enrich Your Life With a Philosophy Book... Enrich Your Life With a Philosophy Magazine...
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The Adler Archive Index |
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The
Paideia Program: An Educational Syllabus, by
Mortimer J. Adler
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