Consider the many discussions you have participated in as a student.

1			Did you participate widely in classroom discussions? Or were you a student who didn't participate much? If you didn't participate, do you know why?
2			Did you think your level of participation made any difference in how much you learned? Why? Why not?
3			Of the discussions you remember, which ones stand out in your mind? Which were most effective? Least effective?
4			What features did the effective discussions have in common?
5			What features did the ineffective discussions have in common?
6			What do you think students learn during discussions? What don't they learn?
7			What do your answers above say about you and your views on classroom discussion? Will you be a teacher who uses discussions often? Or will you tend to stay away from dissections and use other approaches instead?