Creating A Framework for Discussion Based Course

Sociology has become Honey's more fascinating subject in break-neck time. Each time we venture out of the house, or watch a film, she is keenly aware of cultural/social themes and wants to explore them further.

I have started a journal to record many of these discussions and concepts taught. I quickly realized that my memory has lapsed a great deal since my college sociology class. WHile i believe this discussion format will be most helpful , at least one of us needs to know what they are talking about for it to be a worthwhile endeavor.

I needed to create a framework for our discussions, without hindering the spontaneous interest based learning that is happening. I also needed to give myself a reference point to answer questions and introduce related concepts. As always, I turned to the internet first.

I began by Googling "sociology syllabus" for high school. I came across a number, but this one from an honors soc class in Wisconsin really stood out. I loved how the instructor had not only explained the goals and objectives for the course, but had done so chapter by chapter, outlining the key conepts and essential question. This is could easily incorporate into our dialogues.

I noticed that the course used a college text, Sociology: In our Times. I jumped over to Paperback swap, and quickly requested a copy of the text from there. This will be my reference. I love using college texts, for they usually have excellent online resources from the publisher. This one even has practice student quizzes, that are quite simple to cut and paste into a printable document for use in portfolios.

Additionally, I did a few more searches on "intro to sociology lecture notes" and came up with a couple of helpful sites from professors who have been so kind as to put their notes online. (I'm amazed at how easy this would make the college experience, without trying to guess what material will be expected of you for the exams, but I digress) These are great for me to review before introducing a topic, so that I can explain a key concepts more easily.

The nice thing about this conversational sort of dynamic is that there are no plans set in stone. An idea will arise naturally, we will discuss it. I can refer to these resources to find information or new concepts to add to discussion, deepening understanding. Still, the student continues to steer the ship, ensuring that they will always be engaged with the process.

I find this framework works very well in recording the learning for portfolios. But more importantly, it continually aides the student in keeping learning moving forward. Using a sailing analogy, the captain can't steer without navigation or wind. I provide those, and let her make her own journey.