Stephanie Pish Post 12

If I were to be a guest lecturer in the next section of this course, I would feel most comfortable explaining how to enter class discussions. This would include leading discussions, as well participating in discussions in a way that is persuasive and supports your arguments while still having a conversational tone. One thing that I think I’ve really become more comfortable with is incorporating other people’s arguments into discussions. The discussions each class have made me realize how important it is to address what other people say and either use it to support your argument or refute it.

In order to explain this topic, I would probably first discuss the methods in They Say I Say. They Say I Say stresses how incorporating what other people say strengthens discussions, as it can bolster your argument and can give a platform to lead into what you want to say. For example, instead of ignoring what someone said before you and jumping right into what you want to say, it is more effective to say, “I agree with what Tom said, and in addition…” or “Although Sam thinks this, I believe… because…” It can also be helpful to restate what the person before you said to clarify that you understand their argument. For example, you could say, “Frank, by this you meant … Am I understanding that correctly?” This helps avoid confusion and can lead to more in depth discussion about the topic as well.

After explaining the methods you can use in discussion, it would be beneficial to then choose a topic on which people have different opinions and have a discussion about it. The students should use the methods described above. After concluding the discussion, I think it would be helpful for the students to think about things they did differently in this discussion compared to class discussions they have had in the past. They should think about if these methods promoted effective discussion and what they could do to continue to build on this.

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