1. Select a portion of text (1-5 paragraphs) which...

You do not immediately understand on a quick reading Is interesting—you want to know what it means Introduces a new concept, theoretical framework, or way of looking at the world

You might consider this an opportunity to examine closely portions of texts which you have always wanted to think through leisurely but have never had the time. This might include passages from new books, from classic texts, or from college textbooks which you never did really understand.

For some people, it may require a paradigm shift in order to become aware of those aspects of texts which one does not under-stand. The predominant paradigm for educated Americans, in which we are constantly socialized and re-socialized, is that we are Knowers, not Learners. Even those individuals who have an identity as a Seeker (such as someone who may be engaged in a spiritual quest) may not be aware of himself or herself as someone whose conceptual understanding is inadequate. The reason that there continue to be entire books written on concepts such as proof, func­tion, the scientific method, justice, the rule of law, rationality, consciousness, etc. is that there are no completely adequate under-standings of these very sophisticated concepts. Intellectual progress is driven as much by scholars who refine our conceptual under-standings as it is by new empirical discoveries.

There are thousands of opportunities for improving our conceptual understandings in all academic disciplines. Even in those areas in which we feel most confident of our understandings we should always be open to challenge and refinement. There are good, practical reasons why most adults do not spend hours think­ing about the question, "What do I really mean by `time?'; but if one wants to cultivate a culture of inquiry in the classroom it is important that one sincerely models inquiry in the course of conversation.

2. Work through the text together with your students...

Always learning yourself (e.g., "Today we are going to work together to understand this passage. I want you to help me think about what this author is saying.")

Coaching them on reading strategies (e.g., "The way that I make sense out of this paragraph is to try to understand how the first sentence relates to the other sentences in this paragraph ")

Taking responsibility for failures to communicate and encouraging others to do the same (e.g., "It is my under-standing that `being conscious' means being aware of who I am and what I am doing. Does that make sense? Am I helping you to understand?^")

Encouraging students to give several examples of every new concept (e.g., "Let's try to understand this by means of examples. Can someone help us out with an example of `being conscious' as you currently understand it?")

Coaching them on interpersonal process (e.g., "It may improve the conversation if you invited other people to express their opinions.")

Summarizing new conceptual understandings based on the students' ideas, not your ideas (e.g., "From what you are saying, it sounds as though examples of `being conscious' include running, walking, talking, and knowing your name. Am I understanding you correctly?")

Place before the group any incongruities so that they may resolve them (e.g., "I don't understand how those are examples of being aware of who I am and what I am doing. I guess I'm trying to figure out: can I be running and not be aware of what I am doing, or am I necessarily aware of what I am doing while I am running?")

Encourage them to give summaries of confusing issues (e.g., "I am confused by this conversation; can one of you provide a summary of what we have said it means to be conscious?")

If they are floundering, provide helpful syntheses of the conversation which will allow it to move forward into another topic ("It sounds to me as though you are saying that the most important fact about the examples you have given is that people are awake while doing the activity. But I don't yet understand how the example `knowing your name' fits into that because it seems possible to me that you could know your name while you are sleeping. Do you understand my problem?")

Allow them to explore ideas which interest them (e.g., if they get excited about the idea of consciousness, let them discuss it as long as their excitement lasts and the conversation is constructive.)

Use out of the text conversations, in which you apply ideas to life, as gas pedal to the conversation, and in the text conversations, n which you decipher text a

If the students are working together effectively to decipher text, back out of the conversation and let them do it on their own.

Let them determine when they have understood the text adequately (e.g., "Is this concept clear enough to move on or do we need to work on it some more?") If they are divided as to whether to move forward or not, in most cases it is appropriate to slow them down.

Always work to improve your understanding of the way that you construct knowledge ("What is the relationship between running and being conscious?"), the way that your students construct knowledge ("Why is she thinking that `knowing her name' is an example of being conscious?"), the way the author of the text is constructing knowledge ("Is the author referring to consciousness in a shallow sense or a deep sense?"), and the way that our society generally constructs knowledge ("Do we really understand what consciousness is?")

Never use recitation questions. If you want them to know something, tell them directly.

Although your understanding will usually be much clearer than is theirs, and although you are gently guiding them to clarify their understandings so that there exists some consonance between yours and theirs, you do not want to be simply a monitor who determines whether or not they are right. It is important that you are engaged in the project as a learner, that they perceive you as someone how is exploring new territory , who is working to clarify her or his own thoughts, someone who is constantly seeking better ways to understand and better ways to articulate understanding.

3. Save the last five-ten minutes of class time to debrief the conversation.

Explain that the purpose of debriefing is to discover what was helpful about our conversation and what was unhelp­ful so that we can learn how to improve the conversation in order to make it more effective for all participants.

Go around the circle and ask each student to say the best and the worst thing about the conversation.

"The text is boring" and personal insults are not allowed as worst things.

For all other "worst things," turn t s into suggestions for improving the group (e.g., Student: ^"People were arguing without listening to each other"; Leader: "Is there anything that you can do to help us become aware of when we are beginning to argue without listening to each other? Could you point out to us when we are start­ing to do that?").

When you offer your best and worse, offer them honest feedback on what kinds of behaviors improved their func­tioning as an intellectual team and what behaviors hindered their functioning successfully as an intellectual team. (E.g., "My best thing was that you did a terrific job of working through that last paragraph and you were especially good at listening to very complicated hypotheses about what it meant. I was impressed. My worst thing was that there were some small disruptive behaviors which made it hard for me to concentrate on the ideas.")

4. Assign work that encourages them to bring their thoughts to a concrete result.

Ask them to write:

Idea essays
Journal writing
Fiction
Research paper

Ask them to create:

Visual art
Construction projects
Music
Performances 

Ask them to solve:

Theoretical problems
Practical problems

• Encouraging students to give several examples of every new concept (e.g., "Let's try to understand this by means of examples. Can someone help us out with an example of `being conscious' as you currently understand it?")

• Coaching them on interpersonal process (e.g., "It may improve the conversation if you invited other people to express their opinions.")

• Summarizing new conceptual understandings based on the students' ideas, not your ideas (e.g., "From what you are saying, it sounds as though examples of `being conscious' include running, walking, talking, and knowing your name. Am I understanding you correctly?")

• Place before the group any incongruities so that they may resolve them (e.g., "I don't understand how those are examples of being aware of who I am and what I am doing. I guess I'm trying to figure out: can I be running and not be aware of what I am doing, or am I necessarily aware of what I am doing while I am running?")

• Encourage them to give summaries of confusing issues (e.g., "I am confused by this conversation; can one of you provide a summary of what we have said it means to be conscious?")