Use Discussion Circles in the Secondary Classroom

This course will help you facilitate class discussion circles, where students are more actively involved and can safely explore their personal, social and cultural views. You will discover how to switch from a teacher who gives direct instructions to a facilitator who lets their students lead their learning.
From an experienced facilitator, you’ll learn:

• The basics of facilitation
• How to set up a discussion circle for any group of students
• How to use tools like group agreements and open-ended questions
• How to provide a safe space for students to listen and share their views

This course will take you 2 hours to complete. Enjoy it in one session or spread it out over a few weeks. You will have ongoing access.

This course is on-demand and for private study. Learn at your own pace and at times that suit you. Get a certificate when you finish.

• Year 7 – Year 12: All subject areas
• Cross curriculum priorities: All cross-curriculum priorities
• General capabilities: Literacy, Personal and Social Capability, Intercultural Understanding

This course is mapped to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. It is accredited for professional development hours for:

Proficient Teacher
1.5.2 Develop teaching activities that incorporate differentiated strategies to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
3.3.2 Plan and implement well-structured learning and teaching programs or lesson sequences that engage students and promote learning.
3.5.2 Use effective verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student understanding, participation, engagement and achievement.

This program has been approved for accreditation within the ACT for 2023.
Please  be advised you will be accredited within 14 days of completion.  

Mark Drummond from Cool Australia is your course teacher. He has worked in the education sector for over 11 years as a classroom teacher, Leader of Pedagogy within an Ed-Tech startup and as an educational consultant. Mark is an absolute science nerd and loves talking about dinosaurs as much as he loves talking about education (which is a lot)!

Jane Fishburn helped write this course. She is an education consultant who devotes her time to improving the self-driven participation of young people. Jane began her career as a secondary drama and music teacher. Through a school leadership role, her direction turned to learning design. Jane moved to the not-for-profit sector, developing and managing education programs. This experience connecting teachers and students in community learning contexts drives her new work focus on people, possibility and change.