Learning to Question; Questioning to Learn

1. IB ARC San Antonio, Texas Learning to Question; Questioning to Learn

2. Why Ask Questions? • Questions should always be PURPOSE driven • The purpose will influence the types of questions asked by teacher • Questions asked should be used to assess learning

3. How Can Quality Questioning Transform The Classroom? Teachers ask too many questions; focus should be on quality questions.

4. WHY TEACH QUESTIONING? • Asking questions, not just answering them, is a life support skill. • It is connected to decision making and problem solving. • There is more thinking and learning in asking questions than in answering them. • The question is more important than the answer.

5. Quality Questions Are Seldom By Chance Research reports that 75 to 80 percent of the questions posed in both elementary and secondary classrooms are at the recall or memory level. In your opinion, what are the two or three most important factors contributing to this situation?

6. Changes in Bloom’s Taxonomy • Levels are now expressed in VERBS instead of nouns • Remember vs. Knowledge • Roots have changed • Understand vs. Comprehension • The order is reversed for the last two levels • Evaluate then Create

7. Engaging ALL Students in Answering Questions Research reports that most teachers call on students perceived as high achievers more frequently than they call on low achievers. What do you believe to be the two or three overriding reasons for this teacher behavior?

8. Wait Time, The Miracle Pause: Students Make Connections Research reports that when teachers ask questions of students, they typically wait one second or less for students to begin their responses. Why do you think teachers allow students so little time to begin their responses? Suggest two or three possible explanations.

9. Inviting Student Elaboration • How did you decide that? • How did you arrive at that? • Elaborate for others in the class so they can check their thinking. • What made you think of that? • Tell us about the procedure you used. • Can you justify that? • What steps did you use to arrive at this solution? • Tell us in “eighth-grade” language. • What evidence can you offer to support this point of view? • Can you think of another way of attacking this problem?

10. Engaging the Silent Two-Thirds in Learning & Thinking Research reports that teachers frequently give a student the answer to a question that the student does not answer correctly or immediately. Can you suggest two or three reasons why many teachers provide the answer rather than attempt to elicit a correct response from the student?

11. Active Listening and Respect • We learn from one another when we listen with attention and respect. • When we share talk time, we demonstrate respect, and we learn from one another. • See handout on “Effective Active Listening Behaviors”

12. Teaching Students to Generate Questions Research reports that students ask less than five percent of the questions in both elementary and secondary classrooms. Why do students initiate so few questions? Offer two or three hypotheses.

13. Teaching Students to Generate Questions • Learning how to formulate good questions is a process that occurs over time. These skills must be: • Explicitly taught • Scaffold • Developed to the level of automaticity • One requires good models, practice, feedback, and tangible tools and supports • “Student Question – Generation Formats”

14. Synectics in Action • Share your reasons for your selection with colleagues at your table using the following prompt: Effective classroom questioning is like _____________________________ because ______________________. • (deep-sea fishing, white-water rafting, mountain climbing, or scuba diving)

15. Thank You • Ann Glass, Director of Curriculum; District IB Coordinator for Oberlin City Schools • aglass@oberlin.k12.oh.us Work Email • (440) 865 – 0279 Cell Phone • aglass@roadrunner.com Home Email