The Paideia Seminar

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The Paideia Seminar
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What is a Paideia Seminar?

• Paideia Seminar is a collaborative, intellectual
  dialogue facilitated by open-ended questions
  about a text.
• The goal of Paideia Seminar is for students to
  expand their understanding of ideas, concepts,
  and values about the curriculum.

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Three Stage Process

• Pre-Seminar (Mon. w/ Media Matters)
• Seminar (Friday in class)
• Post-Seminar (end of class Fri)

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The Process

• The main purpose of seminar is to arrive at a
  fuller understanding of the ideas and values from
  the text.
• Participants are asked to think, listen, and
  speak candidly about their thoughts, reactions,
  and ideas.

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The Process

• You do not need to raise your hands in order to
  speak rather, you try to stay focused on the
  main speaker and wait your turn to talk.
• You should try to both agree and disagree in a
  courteous, thoughtful manner

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The Process

• The seminar facilitator is primarily responsible
  for asking challenging, open- ended questions,
• Will take notes to keep up with the flow of
  ideas.
• Will help move the discussion along in a
  productive direction by asking follow-up
  questions based on notes.

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Goal Setting

• Before each discussion, all participants will
  write down one goal they have for the seminar.
• Ex To speak at least three times or To refer to
  the texts in detail
• A group goal should also be set
• With the purpose of helping the flow

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The Seminar Questions

• Opening
• Start with Round robin question(one word
  responses)
• Questions meant to Identify the Main Ideas from
  text

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The Seminar Questions

• Core
• Identify details from the text
• Focus on specifics
• Analyze the contents
• Use line numbers
• In line 4 it states

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The Seminar Questions

• Closing
• Personalize the ideas
• Use the textual details to create personal
  meaning
• Question(s) that Incorporate the Magnet Theme
• The Dignity of the Common Man

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Post Seminar

• Assess individual and group participation in
  seminar discussion
• Determine success of the individual and group
  goals
• Invite people to share

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Preparing for your Seminar

• Selecting the Right Text
• Paideia Question Writing
• Scripting and Mapping

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Identify Ideas and Values

• You must have a clear idea of the values you want
  to discuss in order to select a good text.
• Create a list of 3-5 ideas and values
• Look for a text that includes some or all of the
  ideas and values

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Types of Texts

• Tangible item or document
• Poem, Painting, Essay, Chart, Short Story,
  Photograph

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Lets Try

• What text could be used for these ideas and
  values?
• Justice
• Strength
• Opposition
• Change

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What makes a text strong?

• Many ideas and values
• Level of challenge
• Relevance to the subject area (Magnet)
• Relevance to the participants (the class)
• Ambiguity (provide several interpretations)

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Seminar Questions

• Open-ended --gt Example ?
• Though Provoking --gt Example ?
• Clear --gt Example ?

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Three Types

• Opening Identify Main Ideas
• Core Close analysis
• Closing Apply to real world

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• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
  all men are created equal, that they are endowed
  by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
  that among these are Life, Liberty and the
  pursuit of Happiness. -That to secure these
  rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
  deriving their just powers from the consent of
  the governed, -That whenever any Form of
  Government becomes destructive of these ends, it
  is the right of the people to alter or abolish
  it, and to institute new government

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Opening Questions

• What is the authors purpose in______?
• What might be another good title for this?
• What is the main idea or value in this text?
• What is most important in______?

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Core Questions

• According to the text, what does the
  term______mean?
• In what ways are ____and____different?
• How do you think____was viewed by___?
• Does the text agree or disagree with this
  statement______?

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Closing Questions

• What are the consequences of this text?
• How do the ideas in the text relate to today?
• What if____happened instead of_____?
• Why is this important?
• What are other related questions?

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Creating a Script

• Step-by-step plan and dialogue
• Write a script that will lead you through the
  seminar.
• State the Ideas and Beliefs
• Group/Individual Goal Setting
• Opening Questions Round Robin and Main Idea
• Core Questions Refer to Text
• Closing Questions Be the Change
• Post Seminar Reflection