Second Socratic Seminar: lessons learnt

This past week our TOK group attempted the Socratic Seminar format, for the second time. This time round, instead of a large format (all 26) discussion, my partner in TOK land and I ventured to rely on the smaller outlet of the Google meet Breakout room. The teams were not new to each other, i.e., not new to the small-group discussion structure as we'd relied on this set-up during two previous in-class discussion activities. So, what was different this time round -

• Those comfortable leading made it clear from the get-go that they were comfortable leading and thus structuring the manner in which their discussion was to go about it. 
• Those comfortable being led, so to speak, went along for the ride.
• Those neither here nor there we looking for ways to engage, but were not always certain if they would be stepping on anyone's toes, so to speak.

On the whole, the format of the Socratic Seminar does provide a structure to a discussion beyond a single text and into ideas, but it is not always sufficient - for there still remains the open-ended question of whether it helps breathe life into a heated topic (cultural appropriation) or merely underscores the already existing dilemma about the nature of a structured discussion (e.g., can there be no conclusion, but rather more open-ended questions).