H.O.T. Questioning In question sets, projects, lectures, discussions

Three Questions to Keep in Mind:  How do you use questioning?  What is the effect of your questioning?  How might you change the way that you use questioning based on what you’ve learned from this conference?

Why Do We Ask Questions? To engage students in their learning

Why Do We Ask Questions?  To See What Students Know  To See What Students Understand  To See What Students Remember  To Extend Student Thinking on a Given Topic  To Encourage Synthesis of Information  To Help Students Make Connections Between Topics

ALL Question Types Have Their Place The Key is Making Sure You Have a Place for All Question Types

How do we know if we’re asking higher level questions? #1 – If You’re Using Questioning to Extend Thinking – That’s Higher Level

How do we know if we’re asking higher level questions? #2 – If You’re Asking Authentic Questions – That’s Higher Level

Planned Spontaneous  Question Sets  Projects  Lectures  Discussions

Thinking, Not Busywork

How to Build Good Question Sets  Always follow knowledge questions with questions that require students to extend their thinking  Include at least one authentic question in each set of questions

Easy Extensions  What is the effect…?  Why is it effective…?  What can you infer…?  What makes you think that …?

Easy Authentic Questions  What is the author’s purpose?  What (do you think) is the most significant point…?  How does that change your understanding…?  How does that compare to what you know…?  How does that contrast with what you know…?  Why does it matter…?  Why did the author include it…?

Building A Question Set Example 1. What is the narrative point of view in this story? 2. Why was this an effective point of view to use? 3. How might the story have been different if the author had used a different point of view?

Differentiating Question Sets  Provide scaffolding questions that supply the facts for students who struggle with reading or depth of thinking  Eliminate knowledge questions for students who need a challenge

Struggling Reader/Thinker 1. Provide quotations that shows this story was written in 3 rd Person Omniscient POV 2. What extra detail about a character do we get because the POV is 3 rd Person Omniscient and how does that effect your opinion of that character? 3. How might the story have been different if the author hadn’t provided those extra details?

Strong Reader/Thinker 1. Write 3-4 sentences explaining why the narrative POV was an effective point of view to use. 2. Develop 3 examples of how the story would have been different if the author had used a different point of view.

Social Studies Example 1. Explain the four main underlying causes of World War I. 2. Which of the four main causes of WWI do you think is the most significant? 3. Why might it be more correct to call the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand a catalyst of WWI rather than a cause?

Three Questions to Keep in Mind:  How do you use questioning?  What is the effect of your questioning?  How might you change the way that you use questioning based on what you’ve learned from this conference?

Projects that Question

Higher Level Questioning: Projects 1.Have an over-arching essential question that the students answer while completing the project 2.Make the project a conceptual project rather than an informative one

Essential Question: Medieval Castle Example (Stolen from Jason Johnston) The Project:  Build a replica of a medieval castle The Question:  How does the architecture of a time period reflect the challenges and priorities of the culture?

Informative Concept: Ivan Posters  Choose one of the following terms or ideas:  Organic Imagery – Cold  Motif – Time  Symbol – Numbers on Clothing  Theme – Systems of Oppression  Then, create an informative and insightful poster exploring that term or idea in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Posters must not only be visually appealing, but also visually thought provoking, and include an analysis of the thematic implications of your term or idea, as well as multiple quotations.

What Makes this a H.O.T. Question?  “A-worthy” posters will also be heavy on visual concept and light on prose – in other words, think about how to make your point visually and symbolically instead of literally and in writing.

When You Push Students to Present a Concept in a Medium that isn’t Writing, It Changes the Question… How can I say what I need to say in a way that is very different than I’m used to?

What About Lectures?

Why Do We Ask Questions?  To See What Students Know  To See What Students Understand  To See What Students Remember  To Extend Student Thinking on a Given Topic  To Encourage Synthesis of Information  To Help Students Make Connections between topics

Plan Your Questions  Build questions right into your Power Point  Include pictures that you can stop and ask questions about  Provide students with an authentic essential question to guide their note taking

Circe Witch Turned men to pigs Question: Which hero’s consort called Circe auntie?

Include Images, but don’t give students all the information they need

Death of Achilles By: Peter Paul Rubens Style: Flemish Baroque Era: 16 th -17 th Century Baroque = Ornate

Essential Question  How does the Greek convention of xenia factor in to the stories of the Trojan War and what can you infer about their ideals of civilization (and of war) because of its inclusion?

Three Questions to Keep in Mind:  How do you use questioning?  What is the effect of your questioning?  How might you change the way that you use questioning based on what you’ve learned from this conference?

Spontaneous Questioning Distinguished Questioning in Discussion

Begin with Authentic Questions  This is a contrast with planned question sets  Benefit: Allows the students to set the direction of the conversation

Easy Authentic Questions  What is the author’s purpose?  What was the most significant __________?  How has your understanding changed because of new information?

Once you’ve established an authentic question, let the students begin where they need to

Graded Discussion Format:  Students sit in a circle  They talk each other, organically – the less the teacher talks the more successful the discussion  Start each student with a passing grade Rules:  Points are deducted for impolite behavior  You must connect what you’re saying to what the person before you said  To get an “A,” you must include at least one text-based piece of evidence*

Easy Question Extensions  What makes you think that?  How does your example prove your point?  Does anyone else agree/disagree?  Have you considered (alternate evidence that might disprove the claim)?  Why do you think it matters?

The Beauty of How and Why  Huge potential for higher level thinking with very easy questioning language

The Problem with How and Why…

It’s not just why… …but why do you think… If you’ve already told them the answer, it’s no longer a thinking question – it’s just recall

“How?” Is Most Challenging When… …used to determine how an argument develops Examples:  What is the author’s main point?  How does the author develop that point?  What evidence suggests that?  How does your evidence prove your claim?

Three Questions to Keep in Mind:  How do you use questioning?  What is the effect of your questioning?  How might you change or enhance the way that you use questioning based on what you’ve learned from this conference?