Effective Questioning

Betsy MadisonBetsy.madison@grrec.ky.govBetsymadison.com1Please complete the Questioning Anticipation Guide

"Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers." Josef Albers

2Todays target for learning:Today we will expand our understanding and use of questioning and discussion techniques to enhance teaching and learning and increase student achievement

3Habits Are Hard to BreakA teacher with 20 years of experience will have asked something like a half a million questions in her career. And when youve done something the same way, half a million times, its quite difficult to start doing it another way.Wiliam (2003)QuestionsYou can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. Naguib Mahfouz

Jerry Seinfeld video

4Questioning FactsOn Average, a teacher asks 400 questions a day (one third of their time)Most of the questions are answered in less than one second (Hastings, 2003)60% recall facts and 20% are procedural (Hattie, 2012)IRE structure is dominate (Initiate respond evaluate)Most answers are right or wrongWhy do we ask questions?To guide students toward understanding when we introduce materialTo push students to do a greater share of the thinking in the classroomTo remediate an errorTo stretch studentsTo check for understanding6Questioning and the Acronyms

KCASFACHETLPGESEffective Questioning and CHETL

Signers of the Declaration of Independence Small Group ActivityAfterwards have participants use CHETL 1 page document to reflect on activity8Questioning in Formative Assessment

All of assessment relates to questioning. In asking students to identify, explain, or demonstrate what they know, the teacher can identify gaps, misinformation, and misuse of knowledge.Laura Greenstein, 2010 5 Keys to Formative AssessmentClarifying, sharing, understanding goals for learning and criteria for success with learners.

Engineering effective classroom discussions, questions, activities, and tasks that elicit evidence of students learning.Providing feedback that moves learning forward.

Activating students as learners for their own learning.Activating students as learning resources for one another.

Keep in PGES10The Formative Assessment Question LoopQuestion Aligned with Learning TargetStudent Response (actual level of student knowledge and skills)The Gap(teacher and student analysis of discrepancy)Feedback for Teacher(modify instruction)Feedback for Student(change learning strategy/correct misconception)Cognitive Level of Question

Type of FeedbackRememberLet students know if the answer is correct or incorrect. Provide cues or clues to guide them to a correct answer.Understand, ApplyAsk students to elaborate, explain their answers, expand on responses. Let students know if their answers are factually correct or incorrect.Analyze, Evaluate, CreateProvide feedback on students thinking. Help me know how you arrived at that answer. Let students know if their answers are factually correct or incorrect.Move to Blooms12To what extent do you intentionally and systematically use questioning to facilitate formative assessment and feedback to support student learning?

(Strategy= Think-Pair-Share)Move to Blooms with previous slide

Choose your faceTurn and talk with your neighbor about how you can be more intentionalShare out13Questioning inPGESP (Professional)G (Growth) andE (Effectiveness)S (System)

14Domain 3: Instruction; Component 3b: Questioning and Discussion TechniquesRead Domain #3, Component BCompare and Contrast the Accomplished and Exemplary ColumnsOn a piece of paper, Summarize the difference between the two designations Match up with a partnerListen carefully to their summarization of the differencesNOW- as a team create a NEW summary of the difference that is SUPERIOR to your individual answers-Be Prepared to share out.(Strategy= FSLC: Formulate-Share-Listen-Create)

Authentic Discussions~ what does it take?A warm classroom climate- students must feel comfortable talking to each otherA physical set up conducive to discussion- students need to see each otherEstablish criteria for a good discussion- if you want to see if you need to teach it

16Listen well and validate questions- expand on them, challenge them, and encourage students to challenge you!Allow enough time for the discussion and for students to respond. wait time.Warm up the audience: review questions, etcTalk Moves

17I am an extrovert. I find that when Im with people, I have more thoughts and ideas, more motivation and excitement to write and learn, than when I am in periods of silence. In order to write well, I need conversation. I need other people. When I am silent, I dont really know what I am thinking. My thoughts swirl around idly and I cant grab ahold of them. I only know what Im thinking when someone asks me a question.Tanya MarlowTake this slide out18

Consider what it takes to move your practice from accomplished to exemplary in the area of questioning and discussion techniques

Write down one Classroom idea for each element that you can use to move your practice from accomplished to exemplary

(Strategy= Give one/Get one)Questioning in KCAS

80-90% of the Reading Standards require Text-Dependent analysis.Text Dependent questions can only be answered by close reading of the text.Text Dependent questions are not recall questions. They require inference.

Take out slides on TDQ20Text Dependent QuestionsText Dependent

How did Frederick Douglass ability to read contribute to his emotional struggle for freedom? Cite examples from the text to support your answers.

Non Text DependentHow did Frederick Douglass ability to read contribute to his emotional struggle for freedom? Cite examples from the text to support your answers.

Text Dependent QuestionsSequenced questions guide students focus through the text.Sequence= focus on words and details, logic of authors argument, central ideas and themes of the text.Questions guide students to look for patterns within and among text(s).

Lexile 950Grade level Equivalent 5.3Interest Level 9-12Sequence of Text Dependent Questions General UnderstandingsWhy would the author title the chapter Go Away?Key DetailsFind two places in the text where something could have been done to prevent this tragedy?Vocabulary and Text StructureHow does the chronological structure help you understand the events?

Authors PurposeWhose story is most represented and whose story is under-represented?InferencesWhy would Mrs. Brown run lifeboat number 6 with a revolver?

Opinions, arguments, intertextual conectionsCompare this book with Ken Marschalls Inside the Titanic. Give two similarities and two differences.

A Night to Remember (Walter Lord) Ch. 10

Lexile: 630Grade level Equivalent: 3.4Interest Level: Grades 1-3

General Understandings:The text says, Grandma looked at the horizon Who is talking and telling the story? How do you know?

Key Details: By looking at the details in the illustration on the first page, where do you think this story is going to take place? What details from the illustration did you use to decide?

Sequence of Text Dependent Questions From Page 1:Vocabulary and Text Structure: The text says Grandma drew a deep breath Is that DREW like a drawing? What does DREW mean on this page?

Authors Purpose: Why didnt the author just use an easier word instead of DREW?Inferences: Infer what the author means by adding the words, all right. at the end of the sentence, This is Thunder Cake baking weather, all right. Why was it necessary to include that?

Opinions, arguments, intertextual connections: What does it look like is coming? Why might Grandma announce that so far in advance?From Martin Luther Kings note to Letter from Birmingham JailBegun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me.

Creating Text-Dependent Questions

TDQ WorksheetMLK text and writing a TDQ

Told me that he only had little scraps of paper to write on and he made use of all of them

Lonely, but still communicatingBlooms taxonomy of Questions6 Types of Questions & 3 Levels of Processing

HandoutAdd Ciardellos levels of questioning32Level 1-the lowest level of thinkingRememberingUnderstandingAsks: Who? What? When? Where?Define.

Betsy

33Level 2-asks students to process information and make connectionsApplyingAnalyzingStudentsDescribeCompare/ContrastIdentify the Main Idea

Betsy34Level 3-requires a higher level of mental operation.EvaluatingCreatingStudentsThink intuitivelyThink creativelyThink hypotheticallyAsk WHY?

Betsy

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Write 3 questions about this picture.One must be from each of the 3 levels Of Blooms Taxonomy Level 1: Remembering & UnderstandingLevel 2: Processing & Making ConnectionsLevel 3: Evaluating, Creating, HypothesizingUse the Video Reflection document as you view this clip from Great Britain.

Intentional Bloom's Sequence of Questions

BetsyShow through 8:10Use the Video Reflection ToolCall attention to text-dependent questions and textual evidence37Use the Video Reflection document as you view this video clip.Questioning in an Elementary Science Classroom

Use the Video Reflection Tool

38General Rules of Thumb For Effective Questioning

39Balance Open & Closed Questions

Start Video @ 9:00Note the scaffolding technique of repeat, rephrase, and reduce.When should you ask closed versus open questions?

40Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers. Anthony RobbinsClosed QuestionsOpen QuestionsImply that teacher has a predetermined correct response in mindRecall of facts Simple comprehension where answer has been previously providedAllow for range of responses

Encourage students to think beyond literal answersHelp teacher to assess students understanding of contentStrategies for Redeeming Closed QuestionsA Range of AnswersA StatementRight and WrongStarting From the Answer/EndOpposing StandpointHandout & Activity42One at a TimeHave you ever done this?Sarah, how is the rats house different from Mrs. Frisbys and which one do you think she would rather live in?Do you want Sarah to compare and contrast specific details OR infer a characters point of view on an event?We are more tempted to do this when we are excited or in a hurry.Consequences:Students arent sure which question to answer.Students skip the hard question.Teacher cant plan follow-up questions.

Simple to ComplexSimple questions engage student thinking, and activate memory and opinions.Simple questions build a fact base students can build on to argue more complex questions.Correctly answering simple questions builds student confidence and increases the likelihood they will attempt harder questions.Can provide background knowledge for some studentsFollow a Blooms sequence44The Role of Background Knowledge in Student Success Every child comes to school with a frame made of their experiences since birth.Some students have a frame that looks like garden lattice.

Some students have a skinny little frame.

Put with Wait time slides45All day long, we throw dirt clods at their frames.

New Knowledge has to have Prior Knowledge to stick to.Which frame will more dirt clods stick to?

No Bait and SwitchIf you repeat a question, make sure to ask the same question.Small changes can derail a studentWhy do you think the author wrote this article?What was the purpose of this article?Students may have raised their hands because they felt confident in the first question, yet are not prepared for the second question.Clear and ConciseIs it a wrong answer or a wrong question?Start with a question wordLimit questions to two clausesWrite important questions in advanceAssume the answerStudents need to recognize that you are asking a questionRigorous and Demanding, but especially young students need to be clear. Dont wrap up a question in a long-winded ornate opinion statement.Also write a follow up for students who get the question correct and an alternate question if they get it wrong.Who can tell me rather than Can anyone tell me49Wait Time--Think Time--Write Time--Talk TimeWhen 3 or more seconds of Wait Time is giventhe length and correctness of student responses increases.the number of I dont know and no answer responses decreases.the number of volunteered, correct answers increases.

When 3 or more seconds of Wait Time is given.teacher questions are more varied and flexible.the quantity of questions decreases and the quality increases.teachers ask add-on questions requiring higher-level thinking and processing.

(Video Clip 11)

Think Time3 second minimumInstruct students to take a thinking moment before you either open the floor for answers or, better yet, YOU choose a student to respond.Provides the students with a time of reflection and rehearsalWrite the question on the board during student think time.

Write TimeI dont know what I think until I write it down. (Norman Mailer)Especially helpful for tactile/kinesthetic learnersIts not specifically the writing that helps the learningWriting is an active, rather than passive, taskWriting involves more of the whole body in the process of thinkingWriting clarifies perspectives

Talk TimeIf you have to talk, you have to think. The importance of dialogic talk By the age of 4, the child of professional parents in the US will have had nearly twice as many words addressed to it as the working-class child, and over four times as many as a child on welfare. For the middle-class child, encouragement from parents vastly outweighs discouragement; but for the child on welfare the climate of adult reaction is an overwhelmingly discouraging one. While talk is essential for intellectual and social development, for some children, the talk which they engage in at school is nothing less than a lifeline. (Robin Alexander, 2004)Strategies for increasing focused Academic Discussions in your classroomAgree or Disagree with this statement

If my students are to demonstrate, explain, critique, analyze, and answer, they need to have academic conversations.Think Time/Write TimeWrite a few of your thoughts on a post-it note

Talk TimeGroup (table) discussion using Accountable Language StemsAt least one Extension question must be askedHow do we increase the likelihood that our students will engage in academically focused conversations?Curiosity + Purpose + Structure

CuriosityWhatever youre teaching, give your students something interesting to think about.

PurposeAn authentic purpose raises student engagement. Students need to be responsible for something as a result of the discussion. Make sure its not a group grade too often.57 Specific Questioning Techniques

58No Opt OutA sequence that begins with a student unable to answer a question and should end with the student answering that question1. Teacher provides the answer; the student repeats the answer.2. Another student provides the answer; the initial student repeats the answer.3. You provide a cue; the student uses it to find the answer.4. Another student provides the cue; the initial student uses it to find the answer.Bottom linethe correct answer is going to come out of your mouth

59Stretch ItA sequence of questioning that doesnt end with the right answer. Right answers are rewarded with follow-up questions that extend the knowledge and test for reliability. Ask how or whyAsk for another way to answerAsk for a better wordAsk for evidenceAsk students to integrate a related skillAsk students to apply the same skill in a new setting

Right is RightWhats the difference between pretty good and 100% correct?

How do you respond to almost right answers?

Turn and Talk61Right is RightMany teachers respond to almost-correct answers by rounding up. They affirm and repeat the answer, adding the details to make it fully correct.Most students stop processing when they hear the word right.What does this communicate about the standard of correctness in your classroom?Whos doing the cognitive work?

How do you handle incorrect answers?Say No to NoWhy does Ms. Bannon focus on improving her questioning rather than simply telling students that an answer is not correct?How does her approach build confidence?My Favorite NoHow does this strategy allow for immediate re-teach or intervention?How does this approach of discussing what is correct and incorrect address both students' academic and psychosocial needs?

Students asking QuestionsTeachers take up to two-thirds of the classroom talk time. Students are talk-deprived (Alvermann et al., 1996)

Student discussion increases retention as much as 50%. (Sousa, 2001)

64Consider thisThe teacher is usually the person who asks the questions during a discussion. In a longitudinal study of elementary and secondary school classes, Dillon (1990) found that each student asks only one question per month on average. Teachers must take deliberate steps to get their students to ask questions.65Daily Question Writing PracticeWhat questions come to mind when you see this picture?List your questions in your reading journal.At least one question must be an open question.At least one question must come from the evaluating, creating, hypothesizing level on your Blooms chart.

Student QuestioningFour Strategies to Spark Curiosity via Student Questioning

(Strategy) LAST WORD67Engaging Students in Effective QuestionsWhen giving an assignment, ask your students to prepare three questions they had while they were completing the assignment.Ask your students to write three questions they would expect to answer on a quiz covering the assignment content.Start class by having your students share their questions in small groups or as a whole class.Your students questions will stimulate discussion and provide you informative assessment data.Use your Blooms Flip chart to help. Make a class set.Students Asking Questions

Teachers cannot teach (and students cannot learn) everything there is to know. (Brookhart, 2009)

Authentic QuestionsChange in thinking shift for teachers. If Luke wants to know how to create a specific movie clip, he goes to you tube for a how to We all use Wikipedia, even though we seem to have issue about students using it. Knowledge of content is at our fingers tips. How do create situations or environments where students want to know something so much that they engineer questions and go find the answer.ResourcesTeach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov (Jossey-Bass Teacher)Active Learning Through formative Assessment by Shirley Clarke (Hodder Education)Advancing Formative Assessment in Every Classroom by Moss and BrookhartThinking Through Quality Questioning by Walsh and Sattes70