QFT: Collaborative Learning with Question Formulation Technique

1. Today’s Agenda • Welcome and Community Building • Why Spend Time on Teaching Question Formulation? • Collaborative Learning with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) • Explore Classroom Applications & Student Work • Planning a QFT Lesson & QFocus Design Testing • Lunch • The Art & Science of the QFT: Facilitation, Planning, & Troubleshooting • EdTech & the QFT with Jay Sorensen • Questions, Reflections, and Closing Words

2. 2 Keys to Beginning to Plan a *Lesson with the QFT • Starting at the End • QFocus Design *or session, meeting, professional development, etc.

3. The QFT , Not a Detour but a Shortcut

4. Engagement Knowledge acquisition Formative assessment Summative assessment Peer review Skill development Various Teaching Purposes

5. Next Steps? Pop Quiz or Reading Check Debate Prep Lab work & Experiments Exit ticket or ”Do Now” Paper topic Projects Research Hang on walls, Check Off as Answered Test Prep And sometimes… Nothing! Homework Class discussion prompts Presentations Student Choice Projects Socratic Seminar Prompts Interview an Expert Make Your Own Final Test Guest speakers Journal Prompt Close Reading Protocol Blogging or Tweeting Year-long or Unit-long Essential Questions Tailoring Instruction Service Action Projects

6. Discuss • How have you used the QFT? • How do you think you will use the QFT next? What will you do with the questions that are produced? • What idea have you heard or seen that you want to try out sometime soon?

7. 2 Keys to Beginning to Plan a Lesson with the QFT • Starting at the End • QFocus Design

8. Question Focus (QFocus):A stimulus or prompt for student questions • A phrase or quotation • An image or video • A podcast or speech • A hands-on experience or experiment • An equation or data set The QFocus is nota question!

9. Directly tied to lesson’s main idea Simple…but not too simple Interesting or provocative to students…but not biased or leading Designing a Question Focus An effective QFocus is:

10. InitialQuestionFocus:

11. The city fathers were aware that the decaying bodies of these rodents were making people sick. (page 28) RevisedQuestionFocus:

12. Initial Question Focus: “People, Animals, and Friends” Why do people want to be friends with animals? Why are people making friends with animals? Why do people, animal, and friends live in different countries? Where did my dog and friend go? Can my friend pet our new dog? Why do I have eyes? How do people smell? Can animals speak? Can people fly? Where is my bunny? What happened? • Do people exist? • Where do people live? • Why do animals live in the zoo? • Why do people go to the pool? • Why are friends fun? • Why do animals bite? • Why do people go to school? • Do people, animals, and friends play together? • Do animals make friends? • Why do I need friends?

13. “People, Animals, and Friends” Your idea here! Revising the Question Focus

14. The one quality all excellent QFT designers share? Thick Skin.

15. Putting it into Practice • Work through pages 1-5 of the lesson planning workbook to design your own QFocus. • Then, write your working QFocus on an index card. It’s ok if it is still a bit rough.

16. WANTED: Q Focus Guinea Pigs Who is willing to share the QFocus you were working on?

17. QFocus Testing • Find a trio (or 4) to work with. • One person volunteers a QFocus for feedback. • Give minimal context for the QFocus (grade, subject, objective). • Group members jot down the first few questions that come to mind about the QFocus. Focus on the QFocus itself, not the objective or context. Follow the 4 rules! • The QFocus creator debriefs with the group and makes revisions based on the questions they received.

18. Today’s Agenda • Welcome and Community Building • Why Spend Time on Teaching Question Formulation? • Collaborative Learning with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) • Explore Classroom Applications & Student Work • Planning a QFT Lesson & QFocus Design Testing • Lunch • The Art & Science of the QFT: Facilitation, Planning, & Troubleshooting • EdTech & the QFT with Jay Sorensen • Questions, Reflections, and Closing Words

19. Today’s Agenda • Welcome and Community Building • Why Spend Time on Teaching Question Formulation? • Collaborative Learning with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) • Explore Classroom Applications & Student Work • Planning a QFT Lesson & QFocus Design Testing • Lunch • The Art & Science of the QFT: A Deep Dive into Facilitation, Planning, & Troubleshooting • EdTech & the QFT with Jay Sorensen • Questions, Reflections, and Closing Words

20. Individual Reflection & Agenda Setting Individually, reflect on what you’ve learned so far today. You might also consider: • Questions that you have • Any anxieties or challenges you foresee with using the QFT or sharing the QFT with others Feel free to write down anything you’d like on the post its, and we’ll make sure we don’t leave today without addressing a thought or question that came up for you.

21. The Art & Science of the QFT: Design, Facilitation, and Troubleshooting

22. The Science: The QFT is a rigorous protocol, with specific steps and sequence, that produces consistent results QFT: An Art and a Science The QFT Present a Question Focus Produce questions following the 4 rules Improve questions Prioritize questions Discuss next steps Reflect

23. The Art: You should tailor the QFT process to the specific content and people you are working with. Tailor the QFT through: Planning how to use student questions Question Focus design Prioritization instructions Reflection questions Facilitation QFT: An Art and a Science

24. Facilitation Starting at the End QFocus Design Prioritization Instructions Reflection Questions Five Areas Related to the Art of the QFT

25. Teacher: Ling-Se Chesnakas, Boston, MA Topic: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Waoby Junot Diaz Purpose: To help students generate questions for a Socratic Seminar at the end of the unit Classroom Example:12thGrade

26. The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) in Action https://rightquestion.org/resources/the-question-formulation-technique-in-action/

27. Monitor student adherence to the process Do not give examples Do not get pulled into group discussion Acknowledge all contributions equally Four Principles of Facilitation • Discuss: What could be challenging about each principle? What might be important about each?

28. More Facilitation & Logistical Decisions • Time (how long will it take?) and Timing (when in unit? How often will you do it?) • Group size, Group selection (trios? 4-6? 1-1?) Choose their own group? • Scaffolds? Pre teaching? Accommodations? • Tech? Scribe strategy?

29. Facilitation Starting at the End QFocus Design Prioritization Instructions Reflection Questions Five Areas Related to the Art of the QFT

30. Prioritization Instructions Choose the three most important questions Choose the three questions you consider most important.

31. Choose three questions… General Instructions: that you consider most important that you are most curious about Specific Purposes: that you need to research further to help you solve the problem that you need to answer first that a scientist studying the earth might ask that will help you understand the text that require analyzing data that are not “Googleable” and may be difficult to answer that you think will best open up dialogue that you consider “outside the box” that would best help us learn about (topic or QFocus) that best align with today’s objective Tailoring the Prioritization Instructions

32. “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” – Maya Angelou QFocus: High School • Troubleshooting Tips: • “Spend the next 2 minutes asking about just this word/phrase” • Change the prioritization instructions on the fly

33. Facilitation Starting at the End QFocus Design Prioritization Instructions Reflection Questions Five Areas Related to the Art of the QFT

34. What did you learn about asking questions? How did you learn it? What did you notice about the order/sequence of questions? How can you use what you learned about asking questions? How do you feel about asking questions? How has your thinking changed since last time we did the QFT? What did you learn about the (content)? How did your questions help you think about… key concept specific assignment overarching topic theme in the unit your teaching practice a challenge in our school QFT Process Content Specific Tailoring Reflection Questions

35. “Reflection is the piece that keeps me coming back the next day… The most profound reflections are almost always from the students who perhaps seemed disengaged in class.Quiet students often do a great deal of their thinking in the written reflection.” -Ling-Se Chesnakas, Boston Public Schools One Last Thought about Reflection

36. The Science of the QFT: a protocol The Art of the QFT: You

37. What are your questions?

38. Today’s Agenda • Welcome and Community Building • Why Spend Time on Teaching Question Formulation? • Collaborative Learning with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) • Explore Classroom Applications & Student Work • Planning a QFT Lesson & QFocus Design Testing • Lunch • The Art & Science of the QFT: Facilitation, Planning, & Troubleshooting • EdTech & the QFT with Jay Sorensen • Questions, Reflections, and Closing Words

39. Today’s Agenda • Welcome and Community Building • Why Spend Time on Teaching Question Formulation? • Collaborative Learning with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) • Explore Classroom Applications & Student Work • Planning a QFT Lesson & QFocus Design Testing • Lunch • The Art & Science of the QFT: Facilitation, Planning, & Troubleshooting • EdTech & the QFT with Jay Sorensen • Questions, Reflections, and Closing Words

40. We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place For the first time. --T.S. Eliot Closing Reflections

41. An “a-ha moment” or a meaningful take away from your experience today A key question that will guide your work What was new for you? Closing Reflections

42. Thank you! Have a great rest of the year!

43. To Access Today’s Materials: http://rightquestion.org/events/ Join our Educator Network for: • Templates you can use tomorrow in class • Classroom Examples • Instructional Videos • Forums and Discussions with other Educators

44. Closing Reflection & Evaluation Please spend 2 minutes leaving us some feedback. We value your thoughts.

45. Additional Math Resources Look through more math classroom examples: (available to download at http://rightquestion.org/events/and select “More STEM Examples PowerPoint”) http://kindlingfires.blogspot.com/2018/01/immigration-project-launch.html A fantastic blog written by a high school math teacher in Freemont, CA. If you search the blog, you’ll find several of Rick Barlow’s QFT lessons with all levels of students—from ELL immersion classes to AP classes. This particular link takes you to an incredible project Rick did with ELL students, using statistics to challenge immigration claims. Question > Answer Math Educator blog, available to download at http://rightquestion.org/educators/seminar-resources/Two math educators debate back and forth about whether, and how, the QFT can be used to actually learn math.

46. Additional Science Resources Look through more science classroom examples: (available to download at http://rightquestion.org/events/and select “More Math & Science Classroon Examples PowerPoint”) https://www.ebsco.com/blog/article/build-stem-skills-with-the-question-formulation-techniqueA short article that details several different science applications, pre-k through higher education and builds a larger argument about why curiosity is so critical to science and innovation. https://goo.gl/Wx6VNFFabulous curated resources from former Science Department Chair, now assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Alison Gest from Maine Township, IL. She lists 8 of her own QFT lessons (linking out to worksheets, student work, examples of final projects, etc.) and then offers many additional QFocus ideas.

47. Additional English Resources Look through more English classroom examples: (available to download at http://rightquestion.org/events/and select “More History& English Classroom Examples PowerPoint”) https://spark.adobe.com/page/xJ0EpzrDEI1vI/“What is the American Dream? Is it just a dream or can it really be a way of life? Dig into this great blogabout kicking off a year of American Literature and The Great Gatsby with the QFT. http://rightquestion.org/blog/biography-and-bioethics-9th-graders-ask-questions-about-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks/ This postincludes insight into how to tailor certain steps of the QFT and ramp up difficulty in particular areas for students already experienced with the process. https://tinyurl.com/mkgrf7h Inthis blog, English Department Chair Matt details a lesson in which he used the QFT to help students explore media coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing. The lesson led to an entire unit on persuasive writing and analysis of non-fiction texts.

48. Additional History Resources Look through more History classroom examples: (available to download at http://rightquestion.org/events/and select “More History& English Classroom Examples PowerPoint”) http://rightquestion.org/blog/my-qft-journey-putting-students-minds-into-motion-with-their-questions/ Texas social studies teacher, James Brewster, reflects on the large scale cultural changes in his classroom after a year with the QFT and offers several specific lessons, using political cartoons as Qfoci. https://rightquestion.org/resources/inquiring-minds-using-the-question-formulation-technique-to-activate-student-curiosity-new-england-journal-of-history-2017/ A longer article in the New England Journal of History, co-written with a history teacher from New Hampshire, that details several very different applications of the QFT in history. This article also builds a larger argument for the importance of curiosity.

49. To Learn Even More https://rightquestion.org/events/teaching-students-to-ask-their-own-questions-best-practices-in-the-question-formulation-technique-3/ Check out our 3-week online course hosted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education

50. Teacher: Rachel Woodruff, Assistant Professor of Biology, Brandeis University, MA Topic: Molecular Biology Purpose:To build students’ research skills and prepare them to develop their own research proposal Classroom Example: University