We acknowledge differences amongst us in backgrounds, skills, interests, values, scholarly orientations and experience. As silence and obedience to authority were most rewarded, students learned that this was the appropriate demeanor in the classroom. hooks is author of several books, including Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom (New York: Routledge, 1994), in which she applies to the classroom her philosophy of liberation from social hierarchies and prejudices. However, my own approach to ground rules is taken from writings in critical and feminist pedagogy, wherein students come to have consciousness and power for themselves through use of dialogue and critical reflection (4 Individual Development and Identity).1 Teachers using this framework act as subject matter experts regarding curriculum and methods, but encourage students to be experts with regard to their own experiences and perspectives. 10. Sometimes I ask students to begin every response with a positive remark of some kind to another speaker (I respect your comment. Results support the notion that ground rules play an important role in the facilitation of a positive online discussion experience. Having ground rules for discussion in the classroom is not a new concept; in many classrooms, such rules are posted. Report Glitches: Discussion forums are electronic. Mary Field Belenky, Blythe McVicker Clinchy, Nancy Rule Goldberger, and Jill Mattuck Tarule, Womens Ways of Knowing (New York: Basic Books, 1986). This isn’t Diversity 101. Abstract: Traditionally, instructors use tools such as e-mail and discussion forum for online discussions. Use the important points below as ground rules for discussing potentially emotionally charged issues: Often one of the best signs of an engaged classroom is having a loud classroom. Thinking this over, the students then added a few rules of their own: 4. No lurking in the cyberspace background. Listen and speak with the same respect you would like shown to you. 11. As more and more classes include online discussion components, it becomes more and more important for instructors to understand the rules of etiquette that, when followed, help make the individual postings easy to follow, keep the conversation thread focused, and the overall discussion on-track. Here, I focus on the preservice education classroom; the techniques, however, can be adopted for any setting and any grade level (see the inset on page 25 by Vicki Lynch). Work of any kind requires communication—and you may need to broach difficult subjects. 41. MULTICULTURAL GROUND RULES FOR DISCUSSION. In class, instructors can either work with students to generate ground rules or discussion guidelines, or they can present a set of guidelines and then work with students to accept or modify them. No one is perfect. Small, guided daily discussions allow students to practice using ground rules. By Linda Fisher Thornton Talking about controversial topics has become a daunting task. 1. By Peter Connor. Time: 45 minutes. Putting words in terms of us v. them serves no purpose in a dialogue intended to build understanding. The class I use this exercise for is an upper-level seminar of about 15 students. 3. Whatever our gender, class, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual identity, age, or physical or mental ability, we are all human beings involved in a process of education. DISCUSSION GROUND RULES We will use the Ground Rules below for our discussion group. Effective ground rules help: 1. Although she is a notable academic (BA Stanford University; MA University of Wisconsin; PhD University of California, Santa Cruz), hooks argues that academia is not the sole purveyor of important intellectual work. Example 6 (from Dr. Ruby Beale, adapted by The Program on Intergroup Relations, University of Michigan) Multicultural Ground-Rules for Discussion. Ground rules facilitate engagement and interaction, fostering a positive learning environment and a supportive classroom community. Acknowledge that we are all systematically taught misinformation about our own group and about members of other groups. Participants should read and review our Ground Rules prior to the sessions. Ira Shor, Empowering Education: Critical Teaching for Social Change (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996); Seth Kreisberg, Transforming Power: Domination, Empowerment, and Education (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1992). Try to avoid thinking about how you are … Deena C. McKinney is an associate professor at St. Leo College in Lake City, Florida. 2. They aren’t always the same, but include variations on the same themes: Never walk alone, and don’t ever run unless you are part of an organized athletic activity. We are all adults here, so we should keep a mature attitude in all that we do. At several times during courses, when I would use this roadmap of ground rules, which was adopted and amended by subsequent classes, I asked students what they thought about the process of discussion, particularly its strong and weak points. To give them a nudge in the right direction, I suggested three rules to place first on their roadmap, clearly indicating this was only a starting point for their own journey: 1. LISTEN: Let’s value one another during the discussions by really listening to what is being shared. 12 Ground Rules for Online Discussions By Peter Connor Participate: This is a shared learning environment. How can students create meaning out of their discomfort? First, as teachers, we need to recognize the ownership students can experience in their own classrooms. Students have spoken up more to express their views and feelings. To ensure a civil conversation: Show respect for the views expressed by others, even if you strongly disagree. Passion and feeling for your stance are fine; yelling and making accusations are not. 2. 5 Ground Rules for Online Classroom Discussion by Cristin Peratt on November 9, 2020 Somehow, online course discussions tend to spiral out of control quicker than in-person debates. Every teacher has had that certain privilege, pleasure, and anxiety of facing a new class full of unfamiliar faces. We know there probably wont be hurt feelings; its like weve sort of already apologized for anything that may be said. Try this if the members have a similar taste in books and don't want to explore new genres. Do participate and share your knowledge and experience. Members new to these issues are encouraged to spend time reading and listening. This study investigated the role of discussion ground rules in an online family science class. In other words, the students find their own voices mingling in a chorus within and about diversity. Very brief discussion guidelines could include items like: Allow everyone a chance to speak; Listen respectfully and actively; Criticize ideas, not individuals; Commit to learning, not debating; Avoid blame, speculation, inflammatory language ; Avoid assumptions about others, especially based on their perceived social group; Here are some useful examples of discussion guidelines: Three sample Although these tools facilitate discussion to some useful extent, outcomes of those discussions remain largely unpredictable. Activity 1: Students set discussion criteria and rules. Each session will be a facilitated discussion of selected chapters, led by a member of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. 7. 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