Week 1 Discussion

Week 1 Discussion

Purpose: The purpose of this module’s discussion is to help us become acquainted with one another and to discuss a very important topic: discussion. That’s right: we are going to discuss discussion. Put another way: we are going to talk about talking, have a conversation conversation, engage in dialogue around dialogue. You get the point.

Instructions:

1. Read the prompts below and think about how you might respond to them.
2. Start drafting your post. In this first post, you should provide your response to two of the prompts below.
   
3. Read your classmates' posts and responses. Be part of the conversation. Check back a couple of time before the end of the week to offer more of your ideas.

Prompts (pick two):

1. How would you define discussion? (Avoid the urge to Google the term. Just think about it.)
2. What does good discussion look like? What does it not look like?
3. Why is discussion important to a democratic society?
4. How do we handle conflict and confrontation when it arises in discussion?
5. What should we expect from a good discussion moderator or facilitator? What should we not expect from him/her?
   

Important note about discussions: One of your goals for this course is to stay engaged with other learners. This means that you should log into the course throughout the week, read comments and respond. Learners who establish a strong online presence will be awarded the greatest number of points.