Discussion Assignments
Whether you are taking EarlyEdU courses online, in-person, or a mix of both, you will engage in discussions with your classmates. Course discussions are the perfect space to practice discourse with peers. And if you approach discussions as opportunities for conversations, you will be able to find both your comfort and your growth zones.
Brave Spaces
The term “brave space” was first popularized by Dr. Brian Arao and Kristi Clemens in the 2013 book, The art of effective facilitation: Reflections from social justice educators.
According to Arao and Clemens, brave spaces have five main elements you should keep in mind when you engage in discussion:
- “Controversy with civility,” where varying opinions are expected and accepted
- “Owning intentions and impacts,” in which participants acknowledge and discuss instances where a dialogue has affected the emotional wellbeing of another person
- “Challenge by choice,” where participants have an option to step in and out of challenging conversations
- “Respect,” where participants show respect for one another’s basic personhood
- “No attacks,” where participants agree not to intentionally inflict harm on one another
In summary:
“Brave spaces are used today in classroom settings as a mechanism to create supportive environments so that all students may equally participate in challenging dialogue. The creation of brave spaces is never without the risk of discomfort for those participating, but they allow for a more enriching and extensive dialogue while simultaneously providing tools of support for those who are most vulnerable” (Ali, 2017, p. 9).
Online Discussions
Most online discussions have a peculiar requirement for you to post a specific number of times; often you are required to do one initial post and two reply posts. While this number-of-posts requirement is an artificial construction of a conversation the goal is to encourage dialogic thinking. Take advantage of the opportunity by collecting and forming your thoughts for your initial post and also specifically asking a question for others to answer in their reply to you.
Online discussions usually have a written prompt for you to answer, but you are not limited to responding in writing. Canvas allows users to create video and audio replies. See How do I record media using the rich content editor?
Learning Lab
Read the sample discussion prompt below. Think about how you would respond and come up with two different questions you could ask your peers to continue the conversation on this topic.
Sample prompt: Describe your own cultural background. Would you say it is more focused on supporting independence or interdependence? What other features of your cultural background are important in your role as an educator? How do they influence the way you interact in the classroom?
Sample questions to continue the conversation:
- To learn about other perspectives: How does your cultural background differ from mine? How is it similar?
- To learn about other people’s environments and experiences: How does your cultural background compare to that of the children and families in your program? In what ways do you think they interact?
- To learn about other people’s teaching strategies: Have you incorporated your cultural background in ways that you find are beneficial to children and families in your learning setting? What did you do?
Citations
- Ali, D. (2017, October). Safe spaces and brave spaces: Historical context and recommendations for student affairs professionals. National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Research and Policy Institute. [Article]
- Arao, B. & Clemens, K. (2013). From safe spaces to brave places: A new way to frame dialogue around diversity and social justice. In L.M. Landreman (Ed.), The art of effective facilitation: Reflections from social justice educators (pp. 135-150).
Dialogical thinking refers to thinking that involves a dialogue or extended exchange between different points of view, cognitive domains, or frames of reference.
See more at Wikipedia: Dialogic Learning