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Chapter 32. DIALOGIC/DIALECTIC
Activities Using
Dialogic/Dialectic Thinking
See also "Activities
& Groups." ---
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
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DEBATE: Imagine a dialogue, silly or serious, between two people
who clearly disagree on an important or silly issue. Write a debate
between them, having them support their sides with detailed facts and/or
examples.
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ROLE PLAYING: (A) In a small group of three or four
people, choose or make up an interesting or controversial
subject. Then imagine three entirely different roles to play--different from
yourself and from each other: for example, a younger female student might choose
to be an elderly male politician; an older male student might choose to be a young female
corporation vice-president, etc. Each role should be entered on paper (or a computer):
e.g.,
"U.S. CONGRESSMAN:". Then each of you should, in your role, write a position as
different as possible from that of the others in the group. Do so on the group on the
subject you have chosen. Next, read your positions out loud (or, on
the computer, look at all three; positions together). Then, once the above is finished,
the final step is to work as a group to summarize each position in two to three sentences.
When you are done, read the results to the entire class: the subject, your
individual roles, and your summaries.
(B) If you wish to continue the above exercise, each
group should pass its paper to another group (or, if you are at a computer
terminal, stand as a group and move to another group's computer terminal).
Next,
each group should read the summaries of the three differing positions before them. Then
each group should imagine that it is a highly paid professional team of leaders in the
field involving the arguments before them. As highly paid professional leaders, it is
your group's job to find a higher, better position or belief--or, at the least, a compromise--which can
satisfy all three of the people who wrote three such different arguments about the
position on the computer terminal. Write at least 50 words stating/explaining this fourth
position; then read it to the class.
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PASSION AND LOGIC: In groups or as an individual,
(A) first choose a point of view
with which you agree or disagree intensely. Write as fast as you can about it, agreeing or
disagreeing, either alone or in small groups. (B) Then choose a point of view with which
you neither strongly agree nor disagree, but one about which you have knowledge or
experience. Write representing both sides well. (C) Then choose either to (a) write
supporting the opposite position of your choice in #1 above, or (b) choose an entirely odd
or even strange third point of view for the subject of your choice in #2 above.
(D)
Finally, analyze and write about the different feelings, logic, and writing experiences
you had: describe what each was like, explain how or why they occurred, and evaluate the
value of each by comparing and contrasting them with each other and with what is expected
in school and work for such writing.
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OTHER ACTIVITIES
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THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CHAPTER:
As an individual or a group, read the chapter and take
notes about it using one or more of the methods in "General
Study Questions."
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ROUGH DRAFT: As an individual or a group, write
a paper as described in this chapter. Use the subtitles
shown in the "Introduction" or the "Basics" section as
subtitles of your rough draft, and write at least 50+ words in each body
section. If you are working as a group, you may, if your instructor
allows, develop a fictional and fanciful background and subject for your
rough draft.
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GROUP MAPPING & PLANNING: Divide into
small groups of 3-4 people randomly. In each group, one person each should
volunteer to be
(i) the facilitator (the person helping everyone to do the
work),
(ii) the writer/recorder (who does the writing for the group),
(iii) the reader/announcer (who reports
the group's works to the class), and
(iv) if there is a fourth, the timekeeper, the observer taking notes about the group's way of working,
and/or the "social encourager"--someone who finds questions to encourage quieter
members of the group.
The group should then follow these steps using a
timetable given by the instructor, either in a small, close circle with the
writer using pen or laptop, or at a segment of the whiteboard with the
writer using a marker:
(A) What is the key or essence of this type of paper? Brainstorm an
interesting, fun idea (serious or silly) to write about.
(B) Then look at the "map" or blocks of how to build this type of paper,
from introduction through the body sections to the conclusion. The
instructor can either project it on a screen or draw it on the board.
Then fill in the parts with 50-100 words for each main body section, and
20-50 for the intro and conclusion (depending on the instructor's
directions).
(C) If your instructor suggests this, add a good made up illustration,
graphic, or quotation or two to each section from an "expert" and give
credit to your made-up expert. (Note: Never add made-up detail or
experts to a real paper.)
(D) Have your reader/announcer read your result to the entire class.
(E) After all groups have gone, then the "observer" in each group--or the
facilitator--should answer three brief comments on how the group process
happened: "What worked well," "What didn't," and "How could it be changed?"
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GROUP CRITIQUE OF A
LATER DRAFT:
If your class has a paper all of you are preparing for grading, gather in a group to
critique each other's developed drafts:
(A) Simply pass the papers to each other;
your paper preferably should be checked by three other people. (Some
instructors prefer that you make several copies, distribute them to your
group members, take the copies home that you receive, and comment on them
there.)
(B) Write comments for each other.
To do so, use a a
set of grading guidelines (or "rubric"):
for example, "How are the contents,"
"How is the organization of parts," "Do paragraphs work
well," and "How well have editing errors been corrected?"
Preferably, you can use the guidelines your instructor applies when grading.
(C) For each question or requirement in your guidelines, write one or more
comments. Your comments should be substantial and specific (more like a
complete sentence, and more specific than just "Nice!" or "Needs
work"). Your comments also should be positive or helpfully
constructive: when positive, they should offer specific praise of a particular part, detail, or
method; when constructive, they should offer specific advice about what to add or do to make
the paper better.
(D) Add a final positive or constructive comment about how you think the
average reader of this paper might respond to it, and/or how the paper could
be changed or fixed for a stronger or more positive response from its
audience.
(E) After
receiving your comments from others, take them home. Review
what they have written. Remember
that your readers are not commenting on you as a person, but rather on how
easily (or poorly) they have been able to read your paper as its audience
members. Pay attention in particular to comments that may have
been repeated by more than one of your readers.
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For a wide variety of other activities and
exercises, go to "Activities
& Groups."
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Related Chapters:
Researching
Recommendation Report
Magazine/Nwsltr.
Article
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Related
Links in
OnlineGrammar.org:
12.
Types of Papers
14. Online Readings
16. Research
Writing
20.
Major/Work Writing
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