Conversations about QuestionsCTABC-NWCSI Convention

October 2015 Quentin Flokstra (@qflokstra)

Using Student Questioning to

Improve InstructionA presentation covering the

Question Formulation Technique from the Right Question Institute

www.rightquestion.org

Synopsis

Overview & Rationale Go through the process Designing the Question Focus

DiscussHow many questions do your students ask each day? How often? How many questions do you think a pre-schooler asks? a middle-schooler? high-schooler? adult?

Teachers are the drivers of instruction & inquiry in the

average classroom

Teachers ask > Students answer Teachers explain > students take notes Teachers create > Students complete

What causes students to stop asking questions?Average preschool child asks 100 questions a day Declines in elementary Middle school - getting close to zero

Why should I care?Shifts in curriculum: Common Core & new BC curriculum Asking and answering our own questions is a motivating and engaging process!

Improves academics fosters skills needed for workplace and university

"The most common source of management mistakes is not the failure

to find the right answers. It is the failure to ask the right questions."

Peter Drucker, The Practice of Management

Conversation

Thoughts? How can we encourage students to ask their own questions?

The Question Formulation Technique

(QFT)

QFT has six steps

Overview Practice

Choose a Question Focus

The Question Focus (QFocus) is a prompt presented in the form of a statement, visual/audio aid, piece of text, etc. Attract the student and stimulate questions

What makes a good QFocus?

It has a clear focus It is NOT a question provokes and stimulates new lines of thinking it does not reveal teacher preference or bias

ExamplesTorture can be justified Pollution harms Boston residents Math problems Textbook titles

Rules for Producing Questions

Ask as many questions as you can Dont stop to judge, discuss, or answer them Write down questions exactly as stated Change statements into questions

Students Improve Their Questions

Analyze differences between open & closed questions

advantages/disadvantages of each type change one type to another

Students Prioritize Their Questions

Have students choose their top 3-5 questions Some teachers choose to give guidance Others let them decide

Using the Questions

What will you do with them? Launching point for student-driven inquiry: Essays, presentations, projects, etc.

Using the Questions

Beginning of process During After

Students Reflect on

Their LearningReflection is critical Not just about end

product Focus on the process

ResourcesTwitter:

@rightquestion Web: rightquestion.org

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