1. Chicago Public Schools, IL The Right Question Institute
Make Your Job Easier: Teach Students to Ask Better Questions
NCSS 2018 National Conference
Chicago, IL
December 2, 2018
Erica Ferguson
Chicago Public Schools, IL
Joe Janovjak |
Dan Rothstein
The Right Question Institute
Cambridge, MA

2. We’re Tweeting…
@RightQuestion
@RothsteinDan
#NCSS18 #QFT

3. Evaluation http://bit.ly/2018NCSSEval
Please take note of the link below to access our evaluation at the end of the session:
We value your feedback and work hard to continuously revise our resources to best support the work of educators in the field. Thank you!

4. Acknowledgments
We are deeply grateful to The Hummingbird Fund and to the Right Question Institute board of directors for the work they do to support our sharing of the Question Formulation Technique (QFT). We would also like to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of thousands of educators currently using the QFT, sharing it with students and colleagues, and continuously teaching us. Without their ingenuity and generosity, this work would not be possible. We are grateful to Sarah Westbrook and Katy Connolly at RQI, for all their work helping make this session possible.
#NCSS18 #QFT

5. Today’s Agenda Welcome
Why Spend Time Teaching the Skill of Question Formulation?
Collaborative Learning with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT)
Explore Classroom Examples
Your Ideas for a QFT Lesson Plan
Q&A and Evaluation
#NCSS18 #QFT

6. Who is in the room?
#NCSS18 #QFT

7. To Access Today’s Materials:
seminar-resources/
Join our Educator Network for:
Templates you can use tomorrow in class
Classroom Examples
Instructional Videos
Forums and Discussions with other Educators

8. Why Spend Time Teaching the Skill of Question Formulation?

9. LAWRENCE, MA, 1990
“We don’t go to the school because we don’t even know what to ask.”

10. "There is no learning without having to pose a question."
- Richard Feynman
Nobel Laureate, Physics, 1965

11. “We must teach students how to think in questions, how to manage ignorance.”
- Stuart Firestein
Chairman
Department of Biology Columbia University

12. College Presidents on What Students Should Learn in College
“The primary skills should be analytical skills of interpretation and inquiry. In other words, know how to frame a question.”
- Leon Botstein, President of Bard College
“…the best we can do for students is have them ask the right questions.”
- Nancy Cantor, Chancellor of University of Illinois
The New York Times, August 4, 2002

13. Yet…only 27%of students believe college taught them to ask their own questions
Alison Head, Project Information Literacy at University of Washington, 2016

14. But the problem begins long before college...

15. A 1912 Study Romiett Stevens, 1912
The Question as a Measure of Efficiency in Instruction: A critical study of classroom practice. Columbia University Contributions to Education, No. 48
“An unusual lesson because twenty-five of the thirty-four questions were asked by the pupils.…The result was that the lesson developed an impetus born of real interest. I mention it because this lesson was unique in the series of one hundred.”

16. Percentage of Basic Skill Attainment
Sources
Data on question-asking based on parent and teacher feedback

17. Percentage of Basic Skill Attainment
Sources
Data on question-asking based on parent and teacher feedback

18. We can work together on changing the direction of that slope

19. We Are Not Alone
350,000 educators using the strategy all over the world

20. What happens when students do learn to ask their own questions?

21. Research Confirms the Importance of Student Questioning
Self-questioning (metacognitive strategy):
Student formulation of their own questions is one of the most effective metacognitive strategies
Engaging in pre-lesson self-questioning improved students rate of learning by nearly 50% (Hattie, p.193)
John Hattie
Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800
meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement, 2008
UC Davis Research Linking Curiosity to Memory (UC Davis) 2014
The Fullerton Longitudinal Study (FLS), a 30-plus year study of the development of giftedness across various points in time conducted by Adele and Allen Gottfried of California State University ”This finding has strong implications for the development of STEM considering that curiosity is a fundamental predictor of the aspiration to become a scientist.”
S. von Stumm, B. Hell, T. Chamorro-Premuzic. The Hungry Mind: Intellectual Curiosity Is the Third Pillar of Academic Performance. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2011 meta-analysis shows They found that curiosity did, indeed, influence academic performance. In fact, it had quite a large effect, about the same as conscientiousness. When put together, conscientiousness and curiosity had as big an effect on performance as intelligence.

22. Student Reflection
“The way it made me feel was smart because I was asking good questions and giving good answers.”
-Boston 9th grade remedial summer school student

23. Student Reflections
“Just when you think you know all you need to know, you ask another question and discover how much more there is to learn.”
- Sixth-grade student, Palo Alto, CA
“When you ask the question, you feel like it’s your job to get the answer.”
- High school student, Boston, MA

25. Collaborative Learning with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT)

26. Rules for Producing Questions
1. Ask as many questions as you can
2. Do not stop to answer, judge, or discuss
3. Write down every question exactly as stated
4. Change any statements into questions

27. Producing Questions Ask Questions Follow the Rules
Ask as many questions as you can.
Do not stop to answer, judge, or discuss.
Write down every question exactly as it was stated.
Change any statements into questions.
Number the Questions

28. Some students are not asking questions.
Question Focus:
Some students are not asking questions.
Please write this statement at the top of your paper.
Remember: Number the questions. Follow the rules.

29. Categorizing Questions: Closed/ Open
Definitions:
Closed-ended questions can be answered with a “yes” or “no” or with a one-word answer.
Open-ended questions require
more explanation.
Directions: Identify your questions as closed-ended or open-ended by marking them with a “C” or an “O.”

30. Closed-ended Questions
Discussion
Closed-ended Questions
Advantages
Disadvantages
Luz: Give your directions.
Sarah: TYPE a RESPONSE in the chat box now.
SARAH read some questions.
Luz: Disadvantages.

31. Discussion
Open-ended Questions
Advantages
Disadvantages

32. Improving Questions Closed Open Closed Open
Take one closed-ended question and change it into an open-ended question.
Take one open-ended question and change it into a closed-ended question.
Closed
Open
Open
Closed

33. Strategize: Prioritizing Questions
Review your list of questions
Choose the three questions you consider most important.
While prioritizing, think about your Question Focus: Some students are not asking questions.
After prioritizing consider…
Why did you choose those three questions?
Where are your priority questions in the sequence of your entire list of questions?

34. Strategize: Next Steps
From priority questions to action plan
In order to answer your priority questions:
What do you need to know? Information
What do you need to do? Tasks

35. Next Steps: Action Plan
In order to answer your priority questions:
What do you need to know? Information
What do you need to do? Tasks
Information
Tasks

36. Share Questions you changed from open/closed
Your three priority questions and their numbers in your original sequence
Rationale for choosing priority questions
Next steps

37. Reflection How did you learn it?
What did you learn?
How did you learn it?
What do you understand differently now about some students not asking questions?

38. Let’s peek inside the black box
#QFT #NCSS17

39. The QFT, on one slide… Question Focus Produce Your Questions
Follow the rules
Number your questions
Improve Your Questions
Categorize questions as Closed or Open-ended
Change questions from one type to another
Prioritize Your Questions
Share & Discuss Next Steps
Reflect
Ask as many questions as you can
Do not stop to discuss, judge or answer
Record exactly as stated
Change statements into questions
Closed-Ended:
Answered with “yes,” “no” or one word
Open-Ended: Require longer explanation

40. Three thinking abilities with one process
Curiosity and Rigor
Three thinking abilities with one process

41. Thinking in many different directions
DIVERGENT THINKING

42. Narrowing Down, Focusing
CONVERGENT
THINKING

43. The Importance of Questions
"Questions are the engines of intellect, the cerebral machines which convert energy to motion, and curiosity to controlled inquiry."
- David Hackett Fischer,
Historians' fallacies: Toward a logic of historical thought.
Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1971.
“[The QFT] helps me by getting me to think about questions on my own…it gets my mind in motion to think about the questions other people make."
- 8th grade student in James Brewster’s U.S. history class Gus Garcia Young Men’s Leadership Academy, Austin, TX, 2015

44. Thinking about Thinking
METACOGNITIVE
THINKING

45. Exploring Classroom Examples
Exploring Classroom Examples

46. Classroom Example: 1st Grade
Teacher: Mitch Mosbey, Noblesville, IN Topic: Unit on rules and responsibilities Purpose: To engage students at the start of the unit, and introduce the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Kids.

47. Question Focus

48. Student Questions Priority Questions: What do leaders create?
What do they change?
What do leaders create to make change?

49. Classroom Example: 4th Grade
Teacher: Deirdre Brotherson, Hooksett, NH
Topic: Math unit on variables
Purpose: To engage students at the start of a unit on variables

50. Question Focus
24 =  +  + 

51. Student Questions Why is the 24 first? What do the smiley faces mean?
Why are there 3 smiley faces?
How am I suppose to figure this out?
Is the answer 12?
Can I put any number for a smiley face?
Do three faces mean something?
Do the numbers have to be the same because the smiley faces are the same?
What numbers will work here?
Does it mean 24 is a really happy number?
Can we replace each smiley face with an 8?
Do any other numbers work?
Can we do this for any number?
Does it always have to be smiley faces?
Do we always have to use three things?

52. Next Steps with Student Questions
Questions posted on classroom walls.
Students cross off the questions they answer during subsequent lessons.
Teacher returns to student questions at the end of the unit to discuss with students what they learned and what they still want to know.

53. Classroom Example: Middle School
Teacher: Erica Ferguson, Chicago, IL
Topic: Police-civilian relations
Purpose: To gather information students want to know about a contemporary issue before taking informed action

54. Student Questions Class #1 Selected Questions:
Why do people die in the hands of law enforcement?
Why do people blame death on law enforcement?
Why aren’t officers found guilty when they commit a crime but citizens are found guilty when they commit a crime?
Why aren’t white officers found guilty when they commit a crime?
What makes officers want to kill innocent people? [o]  Do officers try to kill innocent people? [c]
Why do police officers walk in people’s house without a warrant?
Why do police officers get better treatment than American citizens?
Can officers go to jail?
Can citizens get away with a crime? [c]  How can a citizen get away with a crime? [o]
How many people die in the hands of law enforcement?
Class #2 Selected Questions:
What is the percent of officers get arrested?
Why do black people get arrested for crimes they didn’t commit?
Why do white people think it’s a joke?
Why are white people always killing black people?
Why do black people always have a better chance of dying?
Why does the judge always agree with the police?

55. Student-Identified Next Steps
Information to Find
Steps to Take
How many times are police found guilty?
How many people do they accuse of murder they didn’t do?
If [police] are racist. They never arrest white people.
“I need to do research for the information.”
“I need to ask a security guard.”
“Look on the police website.”

56. Classroom Example: 8th Grade
Teacher: Joe Janovjak, Chicago, IL
Topic: The effects of the Holocaust on individuals
Purpose: To ask about and reflect on the experience of the concentration camps while reading Night by Elie Wiesel

57. Question Focus

58. Student Questions Were they forced to look at the camera?
Class #1 Selected Questions:
How many people are held in each barrack?
How do they sleep with bowls as a pillow?
Why are some of them naked?
Why are they so skinny/emaciated?
Are they cold?
Are they uncomfortable?
How can they sleep in small spaces? [o]  Can they sleep in small spaces? [c]
If there isn’t enough room, do they have to sleep standing up?
Do they get splinters from the bunks?
Are they separated by age? [c] How are they separated in their blocks/bunks? [o]
Class #2 Selected Questions:
Were they forced to look at the camera?
Who was behind the camera?
What happened after the picture?
Were there any survivors?
How long were they there?
What did they have to do?
Are they resting?
Were they dying?
What was the purpose of the picture?

59. Excerpts from Student Reflections:
“…After we got the basic questions down like how many are there or why they were in there we started to get into deeper questions like what happened to the inmates’ families or when was the last time they ate.”
“We had to actually truly think about what kind of message or story the picture wanted to tell. We had to think about what was going on around that time, what were people going through. The image made me personally think from a different perspective.”
“During the QFT I learned that my peers and I have very similar questions, as well as observations. I found out that a single image can generate more than 50 questions.”
“I found out from having questions you learn more.”

60. Classroom Example: 12th Grade
Teacher: Daniel Fouts, Des Plaines, IL Topic: 12th Grade AP Government unit on the American presidency at moments of crisis Purpose: To engage students at the start of the unit and to help students select a topic for an independent project

61. Question Focus
“Nearly all men can handle adversity; but if you really want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

62. Student Questions How does power challenge one’s morality?
tell by adversity?
How can power be obtained by adversity?
If adversity supposedly makes you stronger, does that mean that power makes you weaker?
Does power make people corrupt?
What if the person who is qualified for power doesn’t attain it?
What is considered power?
What defines good character?
How does power challenge one’s morality?
Should everyone have some type of power?
Does power make people corrupt?
What if the person who is qualified for power doesn’t attain it?
How is a man’s power tested?
What is considered power?
What defines good character?
How can we ensure that the good men get the power?
What kind of man can handle adversity?
What can power tell us about a man’s character?
How can power be obtained by adversity?
Why are some people affected by power differently?
If adversity supposedly makes you stronger, does that mean that power makes you weaker?

63. Next Steps:
In groups, students prioritized by choosing their consensus favorite question to add to the class list
Each student selected l question from the class list to work on throughout the unit
Students answered their question using research and knowledge from the unit in a two-page reflection paper
Students shared their reflections in a class discussion on the final day of the unit

64. Why is the skill of question formulation so important now?

65. In the Age of Google…
“How should you respond when you get powerful new tools for finding answers?
Think of harder questions.”
Clive Thompson, Journalist and Technology Blogger

66. Individual Skills and Democracy
Image Courtesy of Highlander Research and Education Center

67. Democracy
“We need to be taught to study rather than to believe, to inquire rather than to affirm.” - Septima Clark
See Chapter 6 on Septima Clark in Freedom Road: Adult Education of African Americans (Peterson, 1996).

68. Putting it into Practice

69. 2 Keys to Beginning to Plan a Lesson with the QFT
Starting at the End
QFocus Design

70. Design Your Own QFocus Directions:
Try creating your own QFocus. (It’s ok if it is a bit rough.)Write it on an index card.
Trade cards with a partner.
Write your questions about your partner’s Qfocus on their card.
Trade back and use their questions to guide revision of the QFocus.
What do you think now about the question focus?

71. Share Out QFocus Ideas

72. Today’s Agenda Welcome
Why Spend Time Teaching the Skill of Question Formulation?
Collaborative Learning with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT)
Explore Classroom Examples
Your Ideas for a QFT Lesson Plan
Q&A and Evaluation

73. Q&A

74. Evaluation http://bit.ly/2018NCSSEval
Please take a moment to fill out this brief evaluation and reflection:
We value your feedback and work hard to continuously revise our resources to best support the work of educators in the field. Thank you!

75. To Access Today’s Materials:
seminar-resources/
Join our Educator Network for:
Templates you can use tomorrow in class
Classroom Examples
Instructional Videos
Forums and Discussions with other Educators

76. Now, Educators Lead the Work
The Right Question Institute offers materials through a Creative Commons License and we encourage you to make use of and/or share this resource. Please reference the Right Question Institute and rightquestion.org as the source on any materials you use.