CATAPULTING TOWARD ANALYSIS CATAPULTING TOWARD ANALYSIS & WRITTEN RESPONSE & WRITTEN RESPONSE

WITH QUESTIONSWITH QUESTIONS

Ramonda L. FieldsTeaching Fellow

NSTWP 2005 Instituterfields@ftworthisd.tenet.edu

THOUGHT TO PONDERTHOUGHT TO PONDER

The classic concept of learning is that it occurs when the teacher asks the questions and the learner can answer them, but reality is that learning does not occur until the learner needs to know and can formulate the question for himself (Morgan and Saxton, 75)

MotivationMotivation

My students had not been exposed to constant, interactive methods to go beyond the knowledge and comprehension levels of thought (ELL/LEP, Gifted and Pre-AP/AP).

Philosophy of Many EducatorsPhilosophy of Many Educators

“Teachers’ questions and students’ responses are the main interactions in the traditional classroom, and as such they are essential to teaching and learning” (Dillon).

Composing the QuestionComposing the Question

LEVEL 1 “Right There” Question

Who isWhere isWhat isWhen is

How manyWhen did

What kind ofWhat happened

Composing the QuestionComposing the Question

LEVEL 2 “Think and Search” Question

ExplainFind examples of

What causedSummarize

Compare/ContrastHow didWhy did

Theme/Life Lesson

Composing the QuestionComposing the Question

LEVEL 3 “Author and Me” or “On My Own” Question

Predict/Infer

What might have happened if

Propose an alternative

How might you prove

State a rule

Which is more moral

Justify the actions of

Level 1Level 1 Questions Questions Match Match Bloom’s Bloom’s Taxonomy Taxonomy Knowledge & ComprehensionKnowledge & Comprehension

LevelsLevels

Level 2Level 2 Questions Questions MatchMatch Bloom’s Bloom’s Application Application & Analysis& Analysis Levels Levels

Level 3Level 3 Questions Questions Match Match Bloom’s Bloom’s Synthesis & EvaluationSynthesis & Evaluation Levels Levels

Taking ActionTaking Action

“Questions are powerful tools for facilitating thinking about significant knowledge. They should also convey to students the potential of questioning for their learning” (Sattes and Walsh, 36)

Level 1 Questions -- Student Level 1 Questions -- Student SamplesSamples

Who were the Kobras? -- “Priscilla & the Wimps”

What kind of expectations did Sandra Cisneros’ father have for her opposed to the expectations

he had for his sons? -- “Only Daughter”

What is the “black table”? -- “The Black Table is Still There”

What is the purpose of Staples using the word “victim” in the first sentence? – “Just Walk On By”

Level 2 Questions -- Student Level 2 Questions -- Student SamplesSamples

Explain what caused Priscilla to take such action

against Monk. - - “Priscilla and the Wimps”

Summarize the attitude of the teacher toward Richard’s situation. - - “Shame”

Explain and compare how the all black table is parallel to self segregation in society. - - “The

Black Table is Still There”

Summarize the events that forced Staples to change

the way he walked in public. - - “Just Walk On By”

Level 3 Questions -- Student Level 3 Questions -- Student SamplesSamples

Predict what kind of person Monk Klutter turned out to be after the incident with Priscilla. – “Priscilla and the

Wimps”

Justify Graham’s reaction toward integration. Whatwould you have done if you were placed in the author’s situation? -- “The Black Table is Still There”

Justify Staples’ use of onomatopoeia in paragraph three. – “Just Walk On By”

What can you infer about Richard’s lifestyle after he was humiliated by the teacher? – “Shame”

BenefitsBenefits of Inquiry-Driven Classroomof Inquiry-Driven Classroom

The Youth Learn Initiative observes, “Many kids who have trouble in school because they do not respond well to lectures and memorization will blossom in an inquiry-based learning setting, awakening their confidence, interest, and self-esteem.” (2001)

Responsive StrategyResponsive Strategy

A nswer the Question

P rovide “Textual Evidence”

E xplain With Independent

Thought

A nswer the Question

-- Clear, specific response; be sure to actually answer

-- Should be evident what question is

-- Include names, places or important terms from question

P rovide “Textual Evidence”

-- Should support or highlight response as credible

-- Should easily connect to response with relevance

E xplain With Independent Thought

-- Should illustrate an individual connection to question/text

-- Should convey some individual analysis

-- Should express what you learned or how you reacted to question/text

BEGINNING RESPONSE BEGINNING RESPONSE

Why would the ending of the story be categorized as ironic?

He thinks that he is white even though he is

black. “Desiree’s Baby” – representative of most responses

BEGINNING RESPONSEBEGINNING RESPONSEHow do the passengers’ reactions differ

according to their gender?

The reactions between the males and females had

differences because of the ways they had acted on

the situation dealing with Samuel. The males had

stated “these kids do seem to be acting sort of

stupid” but they thought of some of the brave

things they had done when boys and women

became very angry when they saw the four boys. “Samuel”

EVENTUAL RESPONSEEVENTUAL RESPONSE

Why did the author use rhetorical questions to emphasize his attitude throughout the passage?Lawrence Graham used rhetorical questions like, “Why did the black kids separate themselves?” to show his agitation toward the situation. He reacted to those students putting a thin wall between themselves and all other kids in the school. He was frustrated with the self-separation that had occurred for years. “The Black Table Is Still There”

EVENTUAL RESPONSEEVENTUAL RESPONSE

Contrast how Monk Clutter is presented at the beginning and end of “Priscilla and the Wimps”.At the beginning of “Priscilla and the Wimps”, Monk is presented as a very big and powerful “ruler”. However, toward the end, Priscilla changes that because of her view of him, and transforms him into the victim. When Priscilla meets face to face with Monk, Monk says, “Whois it around here that doesn’t know Monk Klutter?” andPriscilla responds, “Never heard of him.” She had no fearof him whatsoever, becoming the “ruler” of a new “wimp”. “Priscilla and the Wimps”

EVENTUAL RESPONSEEVENTUAL RESPONSE

How does the subway car depicted in this story actas a microcosm of society?

Society is represented in two angles with the people onthe subway car. The passivists and activists are primarily represented by two main characters. The woman who gains the courage to speak up fails to follow through with action. The man who enforces herwords “. . . where he pulled the emergency cord” reacts too late, and in his actions ultimately causesSamuel’s death. Responsibility is being refused, causing a deterioration of society. “Samuel”

ConnectionsConnections All grade levels benefit from Level Questions. EX: “What might have happened if Little Red Riding

Hood arrived at Grandma’s before the wolf?”“Explain why it is moral/right for Robin Hood to

rob the rich and give to the poor.”“What might have happened if Matilda had been

honest about the necklace?” Dealing with question types for SAT, AP, formal

assessments

TEKS AlignmentTEKS Alignment(1) Writing Purposes

(c) organize ideas to ensure coherence, logical progression and support for ideas

(7) Reading/Comprehension(b) draw upon his/her own background to provide connection to texts(c) draw inferences: conclusions, generalizations, predictions and support with text evidence and experience

(10) Reading/Literary Response(b) use elements of text to defend his/her own responses and interpretations

(12) Reading/Comprehension (c) reads critically to evaluate writer’s motives and purpose

TAKS AlignmentTAKS Alignment

Short Answer Items/OEQ

The short answer items on each test assess two skills.

Students must be able to generate clear,

reasonable, thoughtful ideas or analyses about some aspect of the published literary and expository selections.

Students must be able to support the analyses with relevant, strongly connected textual evidence.

Final ThoughtFinal ThoughtBy using higher order thinking or reasoning

skills students do not remember only factual

knowledge. Instead, they use their knowledge to problem solve, to analyze, and

to evaluate. (Brualdi)

BibliographyBibliographyBlanchette, Judith (2001). “Questions in the Online Learning Environment”.

Journal of Distance Education.

Brualdi, Amy C (1998). “Classroom Questions”. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation. pp.1-3

Morgan, Norah and Juliana Saxton (1994). Asking Better Questions.Markham, Ontario: Pembroke.

Raphael, T.E. (1986). “Teaching Question Answer Relationships”. The Reading Teacher. p.512.

Sattes, Beth D. and Jackie Walsh (2003). Questioning and Understanding to Improve Learning and Thinking. Charleston, WV: AEL Publishing.

Youth Learn Initiative (2001) “Introduction to Inquiry Based Learning”. Morino Institute.