Socratic Seminar Reflection: Grapes of Wrath

             Due to the nature of our Socratic Seminar, it influenced my thinking in many new ways. The seminar quickly shifted away from the text and into a political argument, which allowed for me to view the text from a political angle for the first time. A large portion of this discussed the point of view of the residents of California, which I hadn't deeply considered.

            The statement I agreed with the most was that it’s unfair to demonize the most desperate group in a situation (it might have been me who initially brought this up, I can’t remember). The statement I agreed with the least was that desperate workers are to blame for lowering the wage to work. I disagree because I believe it should be the employers at fault for lowering wages whenever possible. There wasn’t anything I felt needed to be added, as I once again did my fair share of speaking.

            Our discussion on the politics of the situation was wonderful. It really showed intelligence and analytical thinking from the students. Being an honors class, it was a great demonstration of what we are capable of.

            Two improvements I thought could be made involve me and the group as a whole. A personal improvement would be to talk less. This is a problem I’ve worked on my whole life. Everyone deserves equal opportunity to talk. As a group, we could have stayed on track and discussed the book more, because that is what the seminar was actually about. However, I loved the discussion we had and I’m glad that we didn’t return to level one and two questions because they would cut into the time we had.

Chapters 23-27: Family Discussion Reflection

RESEARCH

Summary

I found an article discussing recent strikes by fast food employees. The workers, who mostly make the national minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, are threatening to strike until they are paid $15 an hour. The strikes have forced operations in Milwaukee, Detroit, and St. Louis to close temporarily.
Evaluation
In Chapter 26 of The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck discusses labor strikes due to the owner of the peach orchards cutting pay in half. These strikes are similar to the contemporary fast food strikes because both are employees striking for more pay.
MLA Citation
Strauss, Gary. "Fast-food Workers Strike for Higher Pay." USA Today. Gannett, 30 Aug. 2013. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.

PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONING

1. Are strikes effective ways to get the attention of employees?

2. When are strikes justifiable?

3. When are they not?

REFLECTION

1. The most memorable moment of my discussion with my father was when he expressed just how in favor he is of labor strikes. He noted how rare it is for large corporations to pay their low-level employees living wages, and said that labor strikes are almost always necessary. 

2. It was especially satisfying to hear that my dad is such a strong believer in drastic action, as I've always considered drastic political action as a possibility for my future.

3. I wish my questions addressed a wider range of topics. Despite being on track with what I wanted to discuss, there was only one track.

3. 

Socratic Seminar Reflection: PIA #2*

            Although I did very well on this test, there were a few aspects of it, and specific questions on it, that I didn’t fully understand. Many of my correct answers were educated guesses, some were purely based on gut feeling. A select few of my answers were wrong entirely.

            The seminar helped me in many ways. Being the discussion leader, I felt motivated to defend my answer choice on almost every question. Hearing the argument of others either forced me to back up my answer with evidence (something I wish to improve on in the midst of taking tests), or swayed me to a different answer choice. For example, I didn’t know that the word “spectre” literally means ghost. When discussing a question asking for another word for ghost, I was informed that the two were synonymous, and therefore changed my answer. Some people described choosing an answer based on gut feeling, and that is the strategy I agree with the least. I’d have to really not understand the question or the passage to base an answer strictly on gut feeling. There wasn’t anything I felt needed to be said, as I did the majority of the talking.

            While the seminar was mostly beneficiary, there were a few aspects that could be improved for the next one. On the plus side, many uncertainties were clarified for everybody, and it was a strong discussion of test taking skills.

            However, there were a few negative qualities. For example, I spoke too much. Although it was my job to lead the discussion, it was not my job to dictate. While I stated my opinion on every single answer choice, there were some that hardly ever spoke. However, the seminar was an overall success.

*I wrote this almost entirely before I found the rubric. While some of the necessary information is out of order, it is all present.