Discussion As a Way of Teaching by Stephen Brookfield

After reading Stephen Brookfield's myriad of ideas, suggestions, and examples regarding classroom discussion, I think my head is about to explode.
It seems to me that there are so many different ways to facilitate a classroom discussion and some of those even contradict one another. Which way is best? I've come to the conclusion that the only way to choose a discussion activity or method is to consider your specific classroom and base the activities off of the needs and characteristics of your current students. That being said, there were a few activities that stood out to me in Brookfield's paper.

1. Near the beginning of his paper Brookfield talks about a circle activity where students sit in a circle and share their thoughts on a given topic. The students each get a chance to speak (one after the other). I think this is a fantastic way to start classroom discussions (especially if your students are unused to talking or jumping into a discussion.)

2. Another discussion activity requires the teacher to assign roles to each student. I think that this is a fantastic way to allow each student a part in the discussion while still providing some comforting guidelines and rules. I think this activity would be best for students unused to discussion or for a new classroom that is still warming up. However, this activity does require all students to participate and this brings up a question. Should all students be asked to participate in classroom discussions? Should it be required? Brookfield proposed both sides of the argument and honestly, I have no idea where I stand. On the one hand, students often need to be pushed and encouraged before they are willing to step outside of their comfort zone and participate. This often leads to the students becoming more confident and realizing that they do have a voice and important things to share. However, I also don't want my students to feel forced or oppressed when it comes to classroom discussions. I honestly have no conclusion on the matter. Again, it may simply depend on the class.

3. The last discussion activity described in the paper that I liked was another circular one where students sit in a circle, share in order, cannot interrupt, and have to find a way to connect what the person before them said to what they will share. This is a fantastic way to get students thinking in a more academic way. It is also perfect for encouraging students to listen to their peers and really consider what is being said instead of just stating their own opinions once or twice.