Socratic Seminar Reflection #2

     The seminar influenced my view of the "Grapes of Wrath" by introducing new ways of viewing the text. During the seminar, nothing was said that I hadn't deeply considered beforehand.

      

      Calm discussion worked best for the seminar. There was neither fighting nor displayed anger. This allowed a continuously smooth conversation that allowed the slow generation of new concepts and ideas. 

    The non-dominant group should be more assertive. If they become more assertive, discussion beyond five people would take place, causing the seminar to move forward. Overall, the seminar was quiet nice, but again pacing felt slow. 

Chapters 20-28: Family Discussion Reflection #4

Part 1:

Modern day Europe's GDP has remained almost exactly the same for six and a half years. Without any growth, Europe's economy will collapse. This is similar to the problems faced by the Joad family, in that debts remain extremely high and are unable to be paid. O'Brien, Matt. "Europe’s Greater Depression Is Worse than the 1930s."Washington Post. The Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.

Part 2:

1.  If you were faced with the possibility of a debt that could not be paid, would you flee to new lands?
2.  If you owned the last independent business of a type of production, would you sell out to a rising monopoly to escape debt?
3.  Would you defend your own economy or your traditions?

Part 3:

The most memorable part of my discussion was the amount of time it used. The topics of the discussion were satisfying, as they were different from what we normally discuss. We attempted to place ourselves in the positions of others to try and gauge our own reactions. We also looked at laws and our opinions of our neighbors for this discussion. My questions could be slightly more specific in what they ask, but otherwise they appear suitable.