ABSTRACT
An easy way to introduce the elements of classroom dialogue to students, perhaps even before introducing the process of Socratic circles, is to begin weaving those elements into other activities with which students are already familiar. Learning to explore questions, embrace multiple perspectives, and support ideas with evidence are skills important to creating classroom dialogue and in having students think dialogue is productive and purposeful. The questions or issues that buzz groups address should be open-ended and allow students to think critically and speak persuasively about the material that has been presented, often taking a stand or making judgments about an idea’s value or worth. After talking about the reflective letters of previous students, the author engages in a short discussion of the characteristics of dialogue and he contrasts them with the characteristics of debate. Still other students prefer to write their annotations on a separate sheet of paper in the form of a dialectical journal.
