Dialogue in the classroom: How to talk to someone you disagree with?
In 2024 we participated in the Estonian Media Literacy Conference: How to navigate the information jungle? Together with Piret Jeedas we gave a workshop about Dialogue in the classroom: How to talk to someone you disagree with? This conference for teachers took place in Pärnu.
We talked about the main characteristics of dialogue, how to implement dialogue in school and the implications for the role of teachers. The students’ ideas, observations and questions are central. The role of the teacher shifts from imparting knowledge to facilitating group conversation.
It was very inspiring to see a room full of teachers so eager to try out our small dialogue exercises: talking 1 on 1 about a photo on your phone and your relationship with your phone. And in groups, teachers practised the first part of an art-inspired dialogue.
They were asked to think of questions based on their favourite painting and to select as a group the most interesting questions for further exploration. Of course, the time was far too short to go any further. But we hope that teachers will be inspired to start experimenting with dialogue in their own classrooms.
Piret Jeedas is trainer, dialogue practitioner and guest lecturer in andragogy at Tallinn University.
The Annual Media Literacy Conference is organised by the National Library of Estonia in cooperation with the University of Tartu, the Ministry of Education and Research, the European Commission Representation in Estonia, the State Chancellery and the Police and Border Guard Board.
Read the full programme of the 2024 conference.
