Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces in Literary Discussion
Robert Scholes (1985) described the different between centripetal forces
and centrifugal forces that may influence a literary discussion.
Centripetal forces drive interpretations to the center, forcing readers to
come to consensus and reach agreement on what a piece of literature
means. These centripetal forces can be imposed by a teacher or can
develop on their own because of students’ prior experiences with
literature in school settings. The close down and limit possibilities.
Contrarily, centrifugal forces expand ideas, opening up spaces for
interrogation of ideas and shared contemplation, allowing for new
possibilities and alterative interpretations. In a community of readers,
the goal is not consensus but rather the intellectual challenges posed by
contradictory interpretations.
As classroom teachers, we need to be mindful of the presence of both
types of forces and how they may affect our literature discussions.
The Four Practices, or Processes, of Think-Talk
1)
2)
3)
4)
generating meanings
articulating meanings
negotiating meanings
revising meanings
~ Around the Workshop in 180 Days by Frank Serafini ~
Question: So, what about reading the Bible?
EDLE 565 Critical Thinking in Content Literacy, Rose Korp, M.S.ed., Summer 2011
Resource: Around the Reading Workshop in 180 Days by Frank Serafini, 2006