Socratic Seminar Notes Summary

Socratic Seminar Notes Summary

            Free play is good because it forces the brain to create the rules for play as well as using detailed language to describe imaginary objects. It is better for kids to play with kids in free play rather than adults because adults can fill in the gaps that children can’t and therefore make the brain work harder when describing something to another child. When rules are set however and the child is unable to question the rule itself they learn less by not creating nor describing the rule itself.

            Guidelines and rules are important to set general boundaries so that a child will not do anything too dangerous but at the same time free enough where the child can experiment on their own within those limitations kind of like raising a colt in a corral instead of a stable.

How do we apply institutional knowledge to real world situations?

            We need to remix/change stuff to fit our lives and actually bridge the gap between school and life ourselves. A class like this creates the environment to experiment with the stuff we have learned and apply it to our lives and see how it works before it truly hits real life outside of school.

Geography used to be a hindrance to getting resources but is a problem no longer because of the information age we live in.

Paragraph #1: How can these concepts enhance your learning as you arrive at a moment when grades no longer matter?

            The idea of working the mind as a muscle by being creative re-enforces my ideas of mental flexibility. Essentially its spur of the moment do what you can with what your given stuff that will truly help us become as capable as we can. These concepts pretty much tell me there is no wasted information and that if I want to be the best I can then I have to use everything I’ve been giving to get there. I have a world of information at my fingertips and it’s my fault only if I don’t want to learn it to get me to some dream that could be a reality.

Paragraph #2: How can these concepts enhance your ability to master content for the AP exam and other hurdles you have yet to leap?

            Well, I can see the exam just like a hurdle and then try to figure out why it would someone take the time and effort to make that particular test. I could attempt to see the non-cash value in the test like the test maker who wrote it and therefore have some sort of meaning to me that goes beyond the test. Everything in creation held the interest of someone, even if that person was solely interested in making tests or exercises that are just as effective as any sleeping pill.