Re:The answer to "Will you mentor me?" is...No.
by philwelch on Saturday December 11, 2010 @06:36PM
(#1995910)
I don't think you understood my comment.
The "Socratic method" as a teaching tool is one thing, and I actually rather like it.
The actual method Socrates uses in the Socratic dialogues is something similar, but less constructive. Basically he asks someone the meaning of "justice" or something, and then uses questions to demonstrate all the flaws in the proffered meaning of "justice". At the end, all you're left with is not a better meaning of "justice", but just the sense that what you had to begin with doesn't work.
Re:The answer to "Will you mentor me?" is...No.
by billswift on Saturday December 11, 2010 @09:30PM
(#1996235)
While I have heard that called "the Socratic method" it actually isn't; I agree that is an excellent form of tutoring, but it is better thought of as a type of "hinting" with leading questions being a kind of hint.
But yes, unfortunately, it drives people nuts, unless they have a penchant for this sort of thing.
Even if it drives them nuts, it works, albeit the student tends to lose focus if s/he gets upset or frustrated and so the whole thing can take a long time.