Title: Questioning Strategies to Enhance Student Learning
1Questioning Strategies to Enhance Student Learning
- Presented by
- Kristi Orcutt
- ESSDACK 620-663-9566
- www.essdack.org
- kristio_at_essdack.org
2Introductions 20 Questions
- Introduce yourself to your tablemates.
- Try to find ONE thing that you all have in
common. - Using only YES-NO QUESTIONS, we will try to guess
each groups commonality.
3What is a QUESTION?
- What does it look like?
- What does it sound like?
- What does it feel like?
- What does it do?
- Why do we ask it?
4Questions in the Classroom
- Few instructional skills are as important to
good teaching, or as pervasive across classrooms
and disciplines, as questioning. Yet, little
formal training exists to help teachers hone this
critical skill. - Marie Collins
- Questioning to Enhance Student Learning
5Questions in the Classroom
- Teachers spend 1/3 to more than 3/4 of
instructional time asking students questions. - Teachers ask 300 - 400 questions every day.
Why ask questions?
6Classifying Questions
- In your table-groups, choose a topic.
- Individually, write down all the questions you
can think of to ask about this topic. Write
questions on individual Post-Its. You will have
5 minutes for this. - When you have finished, analyze the groups
questions and put them into categories.
7Why Ask Questions?
- Develop interest and motivate students
- Evaluate students preparation and check on
homework or seatwork completion - Review and summarize previous lessons
- Assess achievement of instructional goals and
objectives - Stimulate students to pursue knowledge on their
own - Develop critical thinking skills and inquiring
attitudes
8Why Ask Questions?
- Questions may be the most powerful technology we
have ever created. Questions and questioning
allow us to make sense of a confusing world. They
are the tools that lead to insight and
understanding. - Jamie McKenzie, Beyond Technology Questioning,
Research and the Information Literate School
9Things That Make You Go Hmmm . . .
- If electricity comes from electrons, does
morality come from morons? - Do illiterate people get the full effect of
Alphabet soup? - Can you get cornered in a round room?
- Why do we wash behind our ears? Who really looks
there? - Why don't the hairs on your arms get split ends?
- If an atheist has to go to court, do they make
him swear on the Bible? - Why is it illegal to park in a handicapped
parking space but its ok to use a handicapped
toilet?
10Things That Make You Go Hmmm . . .
- In that song, she'll be coming around the
mountain, who is she? - If heat rises, then shouldn't hell be cold?
- Wouldn't it be smart to make the sticky stuff on
envelopes taste like chocolate? - Why are the commercials for cable companies on
cable but not on regular television? Don't they
want the people without cable to buy the cable? - Have you ever noticed that if you rearranged the
letters in mother in law, they come out to Woman
Hitler?
11Things That Make You Go Hmmm . . .
- Isn't it ironic that the word 'politics' is made
up of the words 'poli' meaning 'many' in Latin,
and 'tics' as in 'bloodsucking creatures? - Why is it that when things get wet they get
darker, even though water is clear? - What happens if you put this side up face down
while popping microwave popcorn? - Why is chopsticks one of the easiest songs to
play on the piano, but the hardest thing to eat
with? - How come you play at a recital, but recite at a
play? - If a fork were made of gold would it still be
considered silverware?
12Things That Make You Go Hmmm . . .
- Why is vanilla ice cream white when vanilla
extract is brown? - If your sick for one week and on one of those
days they had to cancel school because of snow,
do you have to make up that day in June? - Why do you get in trouble for blocking an exit
when you're standing in the doorway? In case of
an emergency, wouldn't you run out, too,
therefore NOT blocking the exit? - Why is a square meal served on round plates?
- Why is the 0 on a phone after 1 and not before 1?
- Why are people allowed to put naked statues
outside but why can't we run outside naked?
13Things That Make You Go Hmmm . . .
- Why do all superheroes wear spandex?
- If mars had earthquakes would they be called
marsquakes? - If a missing person sees their picture on a milk
carton that offers a reward, would they get the
money? - Why aren't safety pins as safe as they say they
are? - Why is it that its good to score under par in
golf but its bad to be under par in any thing
else? - Is Jerry Garcia grateful to be dead?
- Why do people say, "You can't have your cake and
eat it too"? Why would someone get cake if they
can't eat it too?
14Things That Make You Go Hmmm . . .
- Since bread is square, then why is sandwich meat
round? - Why is it that when babies are born they only
weigh like 7 lbs yet the mom weighs 30 lbs more? - Since a running back runs forward, why is he
called a running back? - Why do they call the small candy bars the "fun
sizes"? Wouldn't be more fun to eat a big one? - Do the security guards at airports have to go
through airport security when they get to work? - Why do we teach kids that violence is not the
answer, then have them read about wars that
solved America's problems? - Who gets to keep the pennies in a wishing well?
- If money doesn't grow on trees then why do banks
have branches?
15Things That Make You Go Hmmm . . .
- Since there is a rule that states "i" before "e"
except after "c", wouldn't "science" be spelled
wrong? - Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing
the clothes you were buried in for eternity? - Why would Dodge make a car called Ram?
- What did cured ham actually have?
- If lava melts rock, wouldnt the lava melt the
volcano? - Are children who use sign language allowed to
talk with their mouth full? - Why do people say, "you've been working like a
dog" when dogs just sit around all day? - How is it that we put man on the moon before we
figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels
on luggage?
16Building Your Capacity to Question
- Three questions to consider
- What kinds of questions do you ask?
- Who asks and who answers questions in your
classroom? - How engaged are your students?
17The Value of a Good Question
- READ
- The Value of a Good Question in your
handouts on pages 5-6.
-
- THINK - PAIR - SHARE
- How does what you read compare with your own
personal and/or professional experiences?
18Why Ask Questions?
- Develop interest and motivate students
- Evaluate students preparation and check on
homework or seatwork completion - Review and summarize previous lessons
- Assess achievement of instructional goals and
objectives - Stimulate students to pursue knowledge on their
own - Develop critical thinking skills and inquiring
attitudes
19- Questions may be the most powerful technology we
have ever created. Questions and questioning
allow us to make sense of a confusing world. They
are the tools that lead to insight and
understanding. - Jamie McKenzie, Beyond Technology Questioning,
Research and the Information Literate School
20Welcome Back!
- This afternoon
- Building your capacity to develop questions
21The Value of a Good Question
- Perhaps the most important reason for using
well thought-out questions in the classroom is
that questions have the extraordinary power to
help you engage students intellectually. -
- Marie Collins
- Questioning to Enhance Student Learning
-
22Question Types and Purposes
- Thinking Task Questions
- Focus on task to perform
- Observe, recall, compare, contrast, classify,
predict, speculate, demonstrate, evaluate - Management Questions
- Focus on behaviors
- Manage, clarify, orient, refocus, monitor, probe,
extend, narrow, summarize - Open and Closed Questions
- Refers to a range of possible responses
23Question Types and Purposes
- Low-Level and High-Level Questions
- Response requires either relatively
straightforward thought processes (low) or
integrated critical thinking (high) - Metacognitive Questions
- Thinking about thinking
- Helps students refine their thinking and gain
better control over their learning - Reflect, personalize, verify, question, idealize,
revise, utilize
24Question Types and Purposes
- Cognitive Level of Complexity
- Hierarchical categories leading from lower to
higher levels of thinking - Blooms Taxonomy and Blooms Revised Taxonomy
25Questioning Strategies to Enhance Student Learning
- Presented by
- Kristi Orcutt
- ESSDACK 620-663-9566
- www.essdack.org
- kristio_at_essdack.org
26(No Transcript)
27Effective Classroom Questioning
- Imagine a classroom in which questioning is
motivating, promoting, and supporting student
learning. What would you see, hear, and feel in
such a classroom? What would the teacher be
doing? What would the students be doing?
28Is your vision of classroom questioning more
like.
- Deep-Sea Fishing
- White-Water Rafting
- Mountain Climbing
- Scuba Diving
Form Groups!
29Group Metaphors
- Effective classroom questioning is like
_______________ because - Brainstorm as many responses as possible!
30Brushing Up on Blooms
- Bloom's Taxonomy is a multi-tiered model of
classifying thinking according to six cognitive
levels of complexity. Throughout the years, the
levels have often been depicted as a stairway,
leading many teachers to encourage their students
to "climb to a higher (level of) thought."
31Revised Blooms Taxonomy
- Terminology Changes
- Structural Changes
- Changes in Emphasis
32(No Transcript)
33Terminology
- Remember Describe where Goldilocks lived.
- Understand Summarize what the Goldilocks story
was about. - Apply Construct a theory as to why Goldilocks
went into the house. - Analyze Differentiate between how Goldilocks
reacted and how you would react in each story
event. - Evaluate Assess whether or not you think this
really happened to Goldilocks. - Create Compose a song, skit, poem, or rap to
convey the Goldilocks story in a new form.
34Structure One-dimensional to Two-Dimensional
35(No Transcript)
36Brushing-Up on the New Blooms
- Read the chapter Quality Questions Engage
Students at Varied and Appropriate Levels - Highlight key ideas and identify areas where you
have questions
37Practice writing questions
- Cognitive Skill Questions
- Use a sample text and Blooms taxonomy to develop
one sample question for each of the six cognitive
skills.
38Welcome Back!
- This afternoon
- Building your capacity to develop questions and
improve discussion techniques
39The Value of Questioning
- Good questions lead students to inquiry and
high levels of thinking.
All learning begins with questions. Kenneth
Chuska (1995, p.7)
40The skillful questioner causes students to do the
following
- - Focus their attention on the issue(s) at hand
- - Integrate new ideas with prior knowledge
- - Examine their values and beliefs
- - Apply knowledge to life situations
- - Pursue areas of inquiry
- Explore ideas at various levels of thinking
41The skillful questioner causes students to do the
following
- - Form habits of thinking
- - Verify and justify their positions
- - Transfer knowledge to other areas
- - Reflect on what they are learning
42Asking thought-provoking questions
Anyone can ask questions, but posing questions
that promote learning and thinking takes TIME,
THOUGHT, EFFORT, and PRACTICE. Poor questions
simply use valuable class time without benefiting
anyone.
43(No Transcript)
44Discussion Types Purposes
- 1. Recitation
- 2. Discussion
45Differences between Recitation Discussion
Now we need volunteers for the students and the
teacher in a script of a second classroom
conversation.
46A Typical Classroom Conversation
CONTEXT Fifth grade students were learning about
the Revolutionary War. Last night they were
assigned pages 274-284, Troubles with Great
Britain and the War Begins, in their social
studies book, United States and its Neighbors,
1966, New York Macmillan/McGraw-Hill School
Publishing Co. The following day, they were
asked questions to find out what they retained
from the reading. The lesson concentrates on the
events leading up to the American Revolution.
The students are seated in straight rows with
their books open to page 274.
47A Classroom Dialogue
Teacher I want to know what you think were the
events that led to the Revolutionary War. Lets
concentrate on the rebellion and taxes. Jane,
what were the important things that
happened? Jane The Boston Tea Party Teacher OK,
who else can tell me something? Tracaena The
first shot was at Lexington. The British fired
it. Teacher Yes, youre right, Traceana , but
what happened before that? Jane Ohthe people
didnt like taxes. Teacher Taxes? Jane Yeah,
you know, England was taxing everything, and the
Americans had to pay it whether they liked it or
not. Teacher All right, let me list the taxes.
The following list was written on the
board.. Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Intolerable
Acts Teacher What were the reasons for these
taxes, and why did the colonists not want to pay
them? Brad They were laws that made th e people
pay for everything, like food, newspapers, and
tea. Jane Oh, yes, the Boston Tea Party happened
because they didnt want to pay taxes on
tea. Teacher Who was responsible for the
Townshend Acts? Students (in unison) Townshend.
48Conducting Recitations
When a student responds . . .
Correctly
- Use Wait Time II (pause for a least 3-5 seconds)
Incorrectly
- Indicate incorrectness then rephrase
- Probe then cue or clue, if appropriate then
redirect question if necessary
- Make sure the class hears the correct answer
- Hold original students accountable for correct
answer later
49When a student responds . . .
Incompletely
- Then cue or clue if appropriate
Not at All
- Make sure the class hears the correct answer
- Hold original student accountable for correct
answer later
50Discussion TechniquesWait Time
Wait Time refers to that period of teacher
silence that follows the posing of a question
(Wait Time I) as well as that following an
initial student response (Wait Time II).
51Discussion Techniques Wait Time
1. The length of student responses increased.
2. More frequent, unsolicited contributions
(relevant to the discussion) were made.
3. An increase in the logical consistency of
students explanations occurred.
52Discussion Techniques Wait Time
4. Students voluntarily increased the use of
evidence to support inferences.
5. The incidence of speculative response
increased.
6. The number of questions asked by students
increased.
7. Greater participation by all learners
occurred.
53Discussion Techniques Invitational Language
- Encouraging Open Communication
- Use an approachable voice
- Use plural forms
- Concerns, options
- Use exploratory language
- Might, possible
- Craft Positive Presuppositions
54Discussion Techniques Prompting Student Response
- Don't neglect the pauses they can lead to
general discussion and questions from students.
Pause after asking question
- Pause following student response
55 a verbal prompt to help students
make connections or associations that will
facilitate responding
a verbal or nonverbal prompt used
as a starter, such as a key word, beginning
sound, etc.
? Recitation ? Discussion
? Recitation ? Discussion
A verbal prompt to probe for sharper, clearer,
less ambiguous response
Question(s) which aid a student in making a more
complete or appropriate response
? Recitation ? Discussion
? Recitation ? Discussion
56 a verbal prompt to help students
make connections or associations that will
facilitate responding
a verbal or nonverbal prompt used
as a starter, such as a key word, beginning
sound, etc.
What do we call a mathematical statement in which
one side is equal to the other?
Q Spell principal (a school leader).
Q
Student I dont know.
Student
A variable?
PROMPT Your principal is your pal.
PROMPT
No it starts with E.
? Recitation ? Discussion
? Recitation ? Discussion
A verbal prompt to probe for sharper, clearer,
less ambiguous response
Question(s) which aid a student in making a more
complete or appropriate response
Q What is the cause of our disappearing wetlands?
Q Why does Romeo die?
Student Coastal erosion
Student He is misguided.
PROMPT How do you know our wetlands are eroding
at the coast?
PROMPT What do you mean by misguided?
? Recitation ? Discussion
? Recitation ? Discussion
57Question Types and Purposes
- Cognitive Task Questions - (Blooms, 3 Level
Guides) - Thinking Skills Questions
- Essential Questions
- What are the similarities and/or differences
between Cognitive Skill Questions and Thinking
Task Questions? - What are strengths and challenges associated with
each type of questioning?
58Three-Level Categories
- Reading Beyond the Lines
- Reading Between the Lines
- Reading the Lines
- Critical
- Inferential
- Literal
59Thinking Task Questions
- Observe
- Recall
- Compare
- Contrast
- Classify
- Predict
- Speculate
- Demonstrate
60Essential Questions
- AKA - Guiding Questions, Focus Questions, Unit
Questions - Teachers begin by asking, What is essential for
students to know? - Essential questions force the teacher to choose
the conceptual outcomes the students will
examine. - EQs focus on the big picture, the essential
understandings - A question, rather than an objective, is thought
provoking and invites inquiry.
61What are Examples of Essential Questions?
- What is worth learning?
- When is the cost of discovery too high?
- Does history really repeat itself?
- What makes art/poetry/writing great?
- What makes writing worth reading?
- How do we explain the unexplainable?
- What makes me who I am?
- Can you win and lose at the same time?
- What is snow?
- Are numbers real?
62Question Types and Purposes
Read through A Variety of Question Types on
pages 10 - 28.
- 1.With which question types are YOU most
comfortable and proficient? - 2.With which question types are your STUDENTS
most comfortable and proficient? How can you
tell?
63EQs-One-Two Punch1st recall 2nd apply
- What does working out mean? How does it help
you? - What is the writing process? Why do accomplished
writers use it? - What are linear equations? How can we use them
in real life? - What are the elements of an effective computer
presentation? Why is visual design important to
such a presentation?
64Why ask Essential Questions?
- Engage students with the curriculum, make it more
learner-based and less content-driven - Raise the level of discourse in the classroom
- Provide the framework -- the glue for chapters
/ units / lessons / year-long study
65What Are Criteria for Essential Questions?
- Students should be able to understand the
question. - There is often no right or wrong answer.
They prompt students to think expansively, to
consider ideas. - Teachers should be comfortable with not
answering the question. - The question should be congruent with the unit
content, and should be written in broad,
organizational terms. - Essential questions can easily be related to
standards.
66What Are Criteria for Essential Questions?
- The question should be realistic and teachable in
the context of time and course/grade taught. - 2 to 5 questions is the average for a unit
- Questions should be posted to provide a constant
visual organizer and focus for the learner -- and
for the teacher. - The message to the learners is these questions
are essential for you. - Strive to generate questions that lead to more
questions.
67Applying Different Question Types in the Classroom
- All question types are important.
- Students cannot master high-order thinking
processes without first mastering lower-order
processes. - Metacognitive and reflective skills are essential
to comprehension. - All levels of thinking, and all question types
that elicit them, are interdependent and have
value in developing student capacities to think
and learn.
68Applying Different Question Types in the Classroom
A teachers skill is in knowing which questions
are appropriate for students when, and in using
questions to challenge students to pursue deeper
and deeper levels of thinking. To respond
effectively to students changing needs, teachers
must be prepared, even within the course of a
discussion or lesson, to vary the use of
questioning types. Marie Collins Questioni
ng to Enhance Student Learning
69Why vary question types?
- Research shows that increasing the proportion of
high-level questions can increase student
achievement. - One type of question cannot help teachers develop
or assess ALL student skills. - Students responses reveal their thinking
processes and suggest where they may be capable
of going next.
70Varying Question Types
- Think of this as scaffolding student learning.
- Knowing what to ask, when to ask it, and what to
ask next based on student responses requires
planning, sensitivity, and flexibility.
71Open-Ended/ Extended Response Questions
- More and more frequently, students are asked to
respond in writing to open-ended questions (aka
extended response, essay questions, performance
tasks, etc.) - Students need direct instruction in how to
analyze and respond to this type of question.
72Lessons Learned from Peers
- Read the article, Never Say Anything a Kid Can
Say by Steven Reinhart. - Use Post-It Notes to label
- Interesting
- Agree with
- Important for you personally
73Increasing Student Engagement, Involvement and
Interaction
- Make time for questions
- Do not leave question time for the last 2-3
minutes of class. - Wait for students to formulate and answer
questions - remember wait time - Wait 10-15 seconds before calling on any
responder. - Wait 10-15 seconds after the last response before
introducing a new question. - Ask students to write down their responses, then
call on several students to read their answers.
74Increasing Student Engagement, Involvement and
Interaction
- Make it easy for students to ask questions
- Make your classroom risk-free There are no
stupid questions. - Solicit questions by asking
- What aspects of this material are unclear?
- Can I give another example to help you understand
this topic? - Can anyone else add some examples to mine to help
clarify this material.
75Increasing Student Engagement, Involvement and
Interaction
- Establish eye contact and cue students responses
- Let them know there is not a single correct
answer to some questions. - Call on students randomly
- Avoid always selecting those with raised hands
- Utilize strategies to randomize the process
(cards, names in a hat, spinner, etc) - Withhold judgment
- Respond to student answers in a non-evaluative
manner. Provide specific feedback (other than
good job or good answer).
76Increasing Student Engagement, Involvement and
Interaction
- Value all responses
- If a response is incomplete, continue questioning
or paraphrasing. Ask for clarification. - Ask other students to answer in order to
encourage discussion - Ask follow-ups
- Why? Do you agree? Can you elaborate? Give an
example? Can you summarize Jans point? - Plan some questions as you prepare your lessons
77Increasing Student Engagement, Involvement and
Interaction
- Ask clear, specific questions that require more
than a yes or no answer - Avoid ambiguous or vague questions such as What
did you think of the short story? - Use vocabulary that students can understand
- Rephrase questions when needed
- Ask questions from all levels and types
- Cognitive, Thinking, Metacognitive
- Encourage student questioning
- Have students formulate questions prior to class
78What are the benefits?
- Promotes reflective and critical thinking
- Encourages differences in thought processes and
learning styles - Allows time for elaboration and development of
ideas - Demonstrates that questions are not just tests
of for right answers, but the means of
understanding - It is possible to lead students toward important
understandings while allowing them to arrive at
them on their own.
79Building Your Capacity to Question
- Three questions to consider
- What kinds of questions do you ask?
- Who asks and who answers questions in your
classroom? - How engaged are your students?
80For Next Time.
- Analyze the cognitive levels (Blooms) of at least
one set of questions - Generate and/or revise for cognitive levels
(Blooms) at least one set of questions - Work on wait time and other strategies
- Bring content area resources to work from