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The esteemed cognitive scientist John Vervaeke says that modern people know where to search for knowledge, but they have no idea where to look for wisdom. Unlike knowledge, wisdom can’t be found on page one of a Google search. Instead, it comes through the careful examination of human experience. Luckily for us, we all have access to a great library of human experience: classic literature.
Classic books stay with us because they illuminate some aspect of human life in a powerful and immediate way, imprinting themselves on readers. In our online literature classes, students often speak of the fear, joy, and sadness that great books evoke. That human experience is the gateway to wisdom. But to walk through the gate, students have to do more than experience great literature. They have to analyze it. The Socratic Method and Literary Analysis Literary analysis can sound intimidating, but it does not have to be. At its core, literary analysis is about active engagement with a story. Rather than passively receiving the book, the literary analyst reaches a deeper understanding by asking questions. For example, we often open our online literature classes by asking students a set of related questions:
The first question asks students to recall the experience of reading the book. Yet experience alone is not enough. To understand the text, students have to interrogate their experience. This is what the great philosopher Socrates was getting at when he said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates’ method of teaching challenged students to contemplate their experience in order to grow in wisdom. Learning Through the Socratic Discussion For Socrates, the ultimate goal of education was not knowledge, but wisdom. And although he features prominently in many books, Socrates never wrote anything himself. Instead of writing, Socrates’ method was focused on discussion. By inviting his students to search for the truth in an open dialog, Socrates created a new intellectual tradition, which we now call the Socratic Method. In the Socratic Method, people learn because they share a love of friendship and wisdom. This shared foundation, which the Greeks called philia-sophia, makes it possible for students to question and challenge one another without fear of causing offense. As they struggle to respond to their discussion partners, students learn more than they ever could on their own. This is why the Socratic discussion is a natural complement to literary analysis. Everyone is capable of analyzing a book on their own, but no one can replicate the experience of a live discussion.
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One of the perks of homeschooling is that it gives parents full control over screen time. As public school students spend more time online, homeschoolers can offer their children an alternative. We are all for it. But at the same time, every student should participate in live discussions — and it is not always easy for a homeschooler to find a discussion partner nearby. In this article, we will look at some ways that homeschoolers can facilitate discussions on their own. We will also answer a question we often hear from parents: are live online homeschool classes right for my family? The Importance of Live Class Discussions Have you ever felt like you know something, only to be stumped when a friend asks you about it? That is natural, and it is why discussion is the key to good academic work. When you read something in a book, it comes to you in its most straightforward form. After all, the author has explained it as clearly as they can. When you set the book down, you feel like you fully understand the topic. But in reality, you have only seen it from the simplest angle. When you try to persuade someone to agree with you, things are not so simple. They are likely to ask the toughest questions they can as they try to understand your position. In the heat of a live discussion, you often discover that you do not know your topic as well as you thought you had. If you only understand the simplest version of an idea, you do not truly understand it. You have to look at it from many different angles to fully process it. That is why the Socratic Discussion sits at the heart of the humanities. When you discuss a topic with people who are searching for the truth, you are forced to turn it around in your head and figure out exactly what it is. Only then can you start to build an argument that might convince someone to agree with you. How to Facilitate Live Discussions for Your Home School In the best case, a classroom offers students the opportunity to discuss difficult topics face to face. But as we all know, that best case is hard to find in the real world. Luckily, homeschoolers have found creative ways to foster discussion and debate outside the traditional school system. For example:
Sometimes, none of these three options make sense. That is when online homeschool programs might be the right solution for your family. Adding Live Online Classes to your Home School Many parents approach us about our live online homeschool classes because they want their students to participate in discussions led by a knowledgeable teacher. In our courses, the teacher:
That being said, our teacher’s main job is to facilitate the Socratic Discussion. Instead of leading through lectures, he leads through questions. This challenges students to think independently and express themselves on the spot. As for screen time? Our history classes meet once a week, and our literature classes meet once a month. That leaves the majority of the week open for reading, research, and independent study. If our classes sound like the best online homeschool programs for your family, head over to our About the Academy page to learn more. |
AuthorAdam De Gree is our Academy teacher for history, literature, and government & economics. Archives |
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