Rich Learning: September Conversation Circles

How can the power of tutoring and tiny group conversations be harnessed to improve the quality of Quaker religious education?

Note: The August conversation circles have been postponed to October. 

R

ICH LEARNING IS A RESEARCH-BASED EDUCATIONAL APPROACH with potential to deepen religious education in monthly and yearly Quaker meetings. Since the 1980s, we’ve had growing scientific evidence that a lot of children do not learn very well in a whole-group context for reasons ranging from serious learning differences to simply not enjoying it, and yet we also know all children can learn from
tutoring/mentoring/counseling/conversation when the ratio is no larger than 3 students per teacher. 

In these conversations, Dean Leeper from Atlanta Friends Meeting will share his experiment with recruiting more adults to support first day school in order to change at least part of each lesson into learning within a tutoring modality. He will discuss research on tutoring/mentoring/conversation/counseling in small groups and facilitate a conversation on how these insights interact with Quaker values and practices. 

QUERIES

• How can we open opportunities for rich learning in Quaker RE programs?
• In what ways does rich learning align with Quaker faith & practice?
• How can rich learning be adapted to small meetings and large meetings?
• What kind of questions will open a conversation?
• What skills can support adults to engage in rich learning with children?
• How can rich learning provide an opportunity for parents and children to learn Quaker faith & practice together?
• How could we structure intergenerational time in our meetings to make use of rich learning principles and practices?

RESOURCES