Resources The Pedagogy of Argument
January 2023

The Pedagogy of Argument

Robbie Gringras
Co-Founder and Co-Director
For the Sake of Argument
The Pedagogy of Argument seeks to develop learners who are passionate about debates

The Pedagogy of Argument seeks to develop learners who are connoisseurs of argument: They are skilled at healthy argument, enjoy argument, and choose to engage in arguments that support their growth. The pedagogy looks to allow room for passion to enter the conversation, while building the learners’ sense of agency. It differentiates between three main forms of dispute: The Debate (I aim to convince), The Negotiation (we aim to agree), and The Healthy Argument (I hope to learn). The pedagogy works with “argument-stories”. These are very short stories, read out-loud, designed to provoke an argument. Referring in particular to the book “Stories for the Sake of Argument”. Each of its 24 stories focus on an acute personal dilemma that emerges from a clash of values. In particular, the stories offer an emotional engagement with the “thick expressions” of “thin ideas” (Michael Walzer) – at a step removed from “real life”.

Robbie Gringras is a British-born Israeli living in the Galilee, working in education, performance, and writing. In the field of Israel Education, Robbie coined the phrase “Hugging and Wrestling with Israel”, created and drives the 4HQ System of Israel Education, and consults and teaches for many international Israel Education projects. For several years he was the Creative Director of Makom, the Israel Education Lab of the Jewish Agency. January 2022 will see the publication of “Stories for the Sake of Argument”, an Israel Education book Robbie wrote with Abi Dauber Sterne. Robbie has also been working in a professional story theater for over 30 years. After performing the Mahabharata with Gregory Thompson’s AANDBC Theater Company, he co-founded his own physical story theater company called Besht Tellers – performing Jewish story theater in London’s West End and throughout the world. Since making aliya, he has taught at Israel’s main theater schools, directed several plays, and his self-written solo shows perform throughout the world in English, Hebrew, and Spanish. He’s married to Dorit, a magical stained-glass artist, and they have two kids.
Share

More PEDAGOGIES RESOURCES

A Pedagogy of the 48: Connecting Pirkei Avot, LIfe, and Learning

Dr. Gila Silverman

Director of Jewish Lifelong Learning
Siegel Lifelong Learning, Case Western Reserve University

This pedagogy invites participants to consider how the 48 different ways of “acquiring Torah” resonates with them

Access Resource

L’Shem Yichud: A Pedagogy For the Sake of Integration

Rabbi Jesse Paikin

Executive Director, Base

L’shem Yichud: For the Sake of Integration is a pedagogy based on an ancient practice of intention setting.

Access Resource

Machloket-i: A Personal, Professional Development Program

Edward Magiste

Educator
The Temple Tifereth Israel

Designed as a professional development strategy, this pedagogy of Machloket targets veteran educators asking to develop their teaching and ideas

Access Resource

Loving Goodness: A Pedagogy through Individuality and Belonging

Charles Herman

Former Executive Director & Founder
The Nesiya Institute

The pedagogy of Loving Goodness explores the tension between self-love and the love of the other

Access Resource

Pedagogy of Kinyan Torah: Helping Students Develop Their Own Interpretations of Torah

Ilana Gleicher Bloom

Founder of Mensch Academy at Mishkan Chicago,
Doctoral Candidate in Jewish Education, Coordinator of Pardes Experiential Educators Program

The pedagogy of Kinyan Torah helps educators support all learners to find their own unique Torah within themselves.

Access Resource

Insourcing, Reflection, and the “Long, Short Path”

Chanie Chein

Co-Founder and Director
Chabad at Brandeis and M54

The pedagogy of reflection focuses on acquiring the language and tools to learn from existing experiences, habits and choices, at appropriate life stages

Access Resource