1. The ART of ASKING Good QUESTIONS:
I have always thought that the University did we teachers a disservice by not offering a methods class on the Art of Questioning when preparing us for the classroom… And not just “questioning” but Good Questioning.
How those questions improve student learning

3. When students do not ask questions, both teaching and learning suffer.
- J.T. Dillon

4. Today’s Outcomes:
Those in attendance will improve their questioning skills by learning about:
Types of questions
Good inquiry questions – including essential and subsidiary questions
Hands-on activities that stimulate student question development

5. Questioning is a large part of the learning process.
Many times we ask questions that don’t really get to the heart of what we mean. What really matters.
More and more, research is demonstrating that questioning is a very large part of the learning process. In support of that statement, I’d like to tell you about a study in which one of the main components is teaching the students “how to ask good questions”.

6. The Schooling Practices That Matters Most
Research done by NWREL (Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory) identifies several research findings related to the development of higher level thinking skills.
In schools and classrooms where students’ higher-level thinking is encouraged and fostered, many effective schooling principles are in place, especially:

7. There are high expectations or student learning.
In schools where student higher-level thinking is encouraged and fostered, we find:
There are high expectations or student learning.
Instruction is clear and focused.
Learning progress is monitored closely.
In addition to this, research on questioning reveals that teaching students how to respond to and how to frame higher-level questions is positively related to their voluntary participation in these higher cognitive processes in classroom discussions.

8. “Questions – not answers – are the heart of education.”
Meet Dennis Duncan.
“Questions – not answers – are the heart of education.”
Let me tell you a little about Dennis. At the time of this research, he was teaching in Port Angeles, a small community in NW Washington supported by logging, shipping and a paper mill. Reflecting the surrounding community, his students are nearly all white/non Hispanic, and the socio-economic levels ranged from low income to upper middle class.
Dennis came to realize that if students have well-developed inquiry skills, they will have no difficulty acquiring content knowledge. So, he refined his strategies to take the focus off learning CONTENT in favor of learning PROCESSES.
“KIDS NEED to be able to state a problem clearly in their minds and then know how to systematically ask the questions that will help them resolve it.”

9. Critical thinking skills
logical reasoning
questioning
…with the approach differing depending on the students, subject matter, and the setting (whole class, small group or tutorial)
Charged with developing thinking skills class for gifted 2nd and 3rd graders, he developed a series of games which comprise the heart of the thinking skills curriculum. These may involve identifying a mystery number or a mystery president or a call for exposing a tricky construct.
Gramma game – “Gramma likes apples but not pears, puppies not dogs..”

11. 1 7 2 6 3 + -
1,820
669
10,000
666
1,357
33,420 44 X
11,111 55
124 12 40
140
1,011 4
180 33
4,570
160 10
980 5
333 9
888
3,170 15
1,234
3,339 91
10,120
2,170
900 A B C D E F G
Here is an example of a game to play with a class to help develop inquiry skills. (This incidentally was used in a 2nd grade class.)
“You are to identify a mystery number and you can only ask yes-no questions.”
“Can you think of a question that will eliminate more than one row?”
Make rules progressively more restrictive.
“You can guess at any time, but if you are incorrect, you are eliminated.” If they guess, they are to explain their line of reasoning.
Play other rounds – no color questions, no number of digit questions.

12. One correct answer; evidence Interpretive Questions
Types of Questions
Factual questions
One correct answer; evidence
Interpretive Questions
More than one answer; evidence
Evaluative Questions
No wrong answers; opinion, belief or point of view
There are three main types of questions: *
Factual questions have only one correct answer, like "What did you have for breakfast this morning?" The answer is not always simple, however; it depends on how broad the question is. "Why does a curve ball curve?" is a factual question that can have a very complicated answer. Factual questions usually make the best inquiry-based projects, as long as they are answerable and have room for exploration.
Interpretive questions have more than one answer, but they still must be supported with evidence. For example, depending on their interpretations, people can have different, equally valid answers to "Why did Ahab chase Moby Dick?" The answers are not wrong unless they have no relationship to the text at all, such as "Because aliens from outer space controlled him!" When exploring any type of text (video, fiction, nonfiction, a painting, poetry, etc.), it is important to ask interpretive questions that build on one another because students will have to refer back to the text. Interpretive questions are effective for starting class discussions, for stimulating oral and written language exercises and, sometimes, for leading to good inquiry-based learning projects.
Evaluative questions ask for some kind of opinion, belief or point of view, so they have no wrong answers. Nonetheless, the answers do depend on prior knowledge and experience, so they are good ways to lead discussions (e.g., "What would be a good place to take the kids on a field trip?") and explore books or other artistic works (e.g., "Do you agree with Ahab's views on whales?"). They rarely make for good inquiry-based projects because they are internally focused, but they can be a great way to connect with and elicit interaction from young or shy students (e.g., "Who's your favorite Pokemon?")
The Structure of Questions

14. Let’s Fly!
Brainstorming is important when learning to ask questions. Here is a way to practice brainstorming. It can be done alone, in partners, small groups or large.
Write an idea or subject at the top of your paper. (Put oyur name on the back.)
GO!
STOP! Pick up pther student’s airplance, unfold, write a divergent question about the topic.
Refold. Repeat several more times.

15. Let’s Recap… Expected Outcomes
Those in attendance will improve their questioning skills by learning about:
Types of questions
Good inquiry questions – including essential and subsidiary questions
Hands-on activities that stimulate student question development

16. The purpose of active questioning is to increase the number of questions that children ask (fluency) and raise the level of complexity an creativity (flexibility).
Students will have fun identifying basic recall, convergent, right answer questions as “Skinny” and more complex, divergent, open-ended questions as “FAT”
questions.

17. “Skinny” and “FAT” questions
What is 2 + 2?
Can you name the animal called man’s best friend?
List the characters in the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
What color is Mickey Mouse’s nose?
What animal looks like a horse but has stripes?
What are all the ways you can think of to say four?
How are dogs and cats alike and different?
How would you feel if you found a bear hiding in your bedroom?
What if your nose were on top of your head?
How come zebras have stripes and horses don’t?

18. How do you start students questioning?
Triggered brainstorming
“Quescussions”
Kinesthetic hands-on activities such as “Airplane”, “Grab Bag”, spinning questions
Graphic organizers such as Inspiration
The answer is: ______ activities
Before and after question activities
How Do You Start Students Questioning?
There are many different ways. Some potential ways are:
Triggered Brainstorming
1. Use a trigger such as a picture, a quotation, a current event, a theme, an unusual object.
4. Allow students an opportunity to do some research on the questions.
3. Translate the areas of interest into questions.
2. Brainstorm areas of interest and curiousity based on the trigger. This may be done better first in small groups of four to five.
5. Discuss findings, and revisit the questions to improve, focus or change it as needed. Again, this may be easier done first in small groups, then reporting back to the whole class.
"Quescussions"
A shift from making statements to starting to wonder and ask questions. The participants make points as in a normal discussion, but the use of statements is forbidden.
3. The discussion can only contain questions.
2. Have a discussion with the whole class, with the strict rules below.
1. Provide a trigger (such as a poem, topic or theme).
* Open-ended questions are preferred to closed questions. " What", "Why" "How" rather than "Is it true that...."
* Do not raise your hand.
* This is monitored by the class. (Participants yell "Statement" or or make a sound if anyone makes a statement rather than asking a question).
* A question does not have to be directly related to the previous question.
* Humour is encouraged, sarcasm is discouraged.
* Try to ask questions about feeling as well as facts, try to ask simple knowledge questions as well as sophisticated questions.
4. This forces students to reflect on questions and go one level deeper than statements.
Example: Trigger = Hamlet
"Why is Hamlet in the play?"
"Who is Hamlet?"
Followed by discussion:

19. Let’s Play “My Turn…Your Turn”
p. 22 “The Quick Question Book”

20. What is a good inquiry question?
Most importantly…something you are interested in.
The question is open to research.
You don’t already know the answer.
The question may have multiple possible answers.
It has a clear focus.
The question should be reasonable.
2. This means you should be able to find some answers to the question by doing research.
3. Too often we go after questions for which ewe already have some kind of answer. This might make it easier to write a quick paper but it really violates the spirit of genuine inquiry.

21. Ask “why” Not “what”
4. Ask “why” questions rather than “what” questions. “What” questions lead to single answers and “Why” questions lead to explanations.

22. What is a good inquiry question?
Most importantly…something you are interested in.
The question is open to research.
You don’t already know the answer.
The question may have multiple possible answers.
It has a clear focus.
The question should be reasonable.
5. Some focus is required to allow productive research. An initial general question can get things started but it will need to be revised and focused as the research continues.
Your final question should be as direct and specific as possible or have clean sub-questions.
6. There should be credible information which you can use to research your question. You should use critical analysis in your research.

23. What is a good inquiry question? (continued)
Try to avoid or rephrase questions which have a premise.
Make sure you have defined all the terms in your question so you know exactly what you are asking.
A new question can be asked once all your information is gathered.
6. * For example: Why do we only use 3% of our brain?
* With this question comes the assumption that we do, in fact, only use 3% of our brain.
* What if you use this question as the basis for your research, only to discover that is isn't true? A better alternative might be: What influences the percentage of our brain that we use? This questions doesn't make any initial assumptions and leaves room for many possible alternatives.
7. A good inquiry never really completely ends. It should trigger new questions and things you are curious about.

24. What makes a good question?
We are watching clips featuring Ruth Sunda’s resource room in Chandler – Kyrene de las Brisas Elementary School.

25. A Questioning Toolkit
It is suggested that each district should create a questioning toolkit which contains several dozen questions and questioning tools. It should be printed in large type on posters which reside on classroom walls close by networked, information-rick computers.
Portions of this kit should be introduced as early as Kindergarten so that students can bring powerful technologies and techniques with them as they arrive in high school.

26. Sorting & Sifting Questions Unanswerable Questions
Essential
Questions
Subsidiary
Hypothetical
Telling
Planning
Organizing
Probing
Sorting & Sifting Questions
Clarification
Strategic
Elaborating
Unanswerable Questions
Inventive
Provocative
Irrelevant
Divergent
Irreverent

27. Essential Questions BIG HAIRY QUESTIONS The search for truth
These are questions which touch our hearts and souls. They are central to our lives. They help to define what it means to be human.

28. Essential questions…
Would be at the center of all other types of questions.
Are interdisciplinary in nature.
Probe deepest issues confronting us – life, death, purpose, identity, integrity, betrayal, etc.
All other questions serve the purpose of “casting light upon” or illuminating Essential Questions.
We are fighting a long school history of topical research. For decades students have been sent to the library to “find out about” some topic. This tradition has led to information gathering but little analysis or thought.
Reside at the top of Bloom: EVALUATE = MAKE THOUGHTFUL CHOICE
SYNTHESIZE = MAKE NEW VERSION
ANALYZE = DEVELOP A THOROUGH AND COMPLEX UNDERSTANDING THROUGH SKILLFUL QUESTIONING
Answer can’t be found – must be invented. Students construct their own answers and make their own meaning from the information they gather.

29. What is the best way to involve students in the use of e-mail?
Worst that can happen?
Potential benefits?
Obstacles which must be overcome?
Available resources?
Additional resources?
Good Models?
How prepare students?
How prepare parents?
Relationship to discipline code?
Timing?
Who does what?
Assessing progress?
Here is a sample of a question which lends itself to the use of graphic organizers to organize questions.

30. Taking those questions and applying those to graphic organizer might look like this…

31. Subsidiary Questions Build and flesh out the essential questions.
Combine to help us build answers to our essential questions.
Graphic organizers such as Inspiration can help students get a handle on subsidiary questions.
These are questions which combine to help us build answers to our Essential questions.
Big questions spawn families of smaller questions which can lead to insight.
The more skillful we and our students become at formulating and then categorizing subsidiary questions, the more success we will have constructing new knowledge.

32. Here we’ve taken the same brainstormed questions and organized them in their subsidiary question groups.

33. A Questioning Toolkit continued…
Different types of questions accomplish different tasks and help us build up our answers in different ways. We must show our students the features of each type of question so they know which combination to employ with the essential question at hand. We don’t want them reaching into their toolkit blindly, grasping the first question which comes to mind.

34. Questioning toolkit, cont.
Hypothetical Questions
Telling Questions
Planning Questions
Organizing Questions
Probing Questions
Read from notes

35. Questioning Toolkit, cont.
Sorting and Sifting Questions
Clarification Questions
Strategic Questions
Elaborating Questions
Unanswerable Questions

36. Questioning Toolkit, cont.
Inventive Questions
Provocative Questions
Irrelevant Questions
Divergent Questions
Irreverent Questions

37. Web Site URLs http://www.kyrene.org/ schools/brisas/sunda.htm
/toolkit.html

38. Resources on your campus
These are the resource books found on your campus in the Gifted cabinet. Much of the material I have presented today is taken from these resource books.

39. Questioning can reveal their affective nature
Don’t you
guys just love putting up and taking down the Christmas decorations?

40. Questions are the main vehicle for establishing a relationship with students
Questions allow you to discover
What they know
What they feel
Their points of view
Biases
Their preparation
Their motivation
Their strengths and weaknesses

41. OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS Invitations for students to talk
Draw students into conversation
Help students reveal valuable information about themselves

42. Open-ended Questions Establish rapport; Stimulate discussion;
Invite opinions, thoughts and feelings;
Maintain balance between facilitator and participant

43. Today we learned about:
Types of questions
Good inquiry questions – including essential and subsidiary questions
Hands-on activities that stimulate student question development

45. The most important thing is not to stop questioning.
-A. Einstein