QuestioningSession 2

Why Do We Ask Questions???

•Gather Information

•Develop interest and motivate students to become actively involved in the lesson

•Evaluate students’ preparation and check homework/seatwork completion

•Discover student knowledge, interests and experiences

•Guide student thinking and learning

Categorized as

• Narrow Questions/Cognitive Memory– Recall facts/correct answer

• Broad Questions– Call for complicated answers

What color was the dress?

Why did the Alamo fighters refuse to give up?

• Convergent Questions– Are thought questions that call for a single

correct answer

If the circumference of the circle is 31 meters, what is the radius?

What measures could be taken to stop crime in our neighborhood?

• Divergent Questions– Open ended thought questions that

stimulate imagination and thinking, but have no correct answer

• Evaluative questions– Call for students to pass judgment on

some action.

Should the Electoral College be abolished?

Levels of Questions

• Lowest– Gather and recall information – Key words or behaviors are : complete,

count, define, describe, identify, list, match, name, observe, recall, recite, select

List the members of the party?

• Intermediate– Processing information – Key words or behaviors are : analyze,

classify, compare, contrast, distinguish, explain, group, infer, make an analogy, organize, plan, synthesize

Compare and contrast the two themes in…?

• Highest– Applying or evaluating in new situations – Key words or behaviors are : apply,

build, evaluate, extrapolate, forecast, generalize, hypothesize, imagine, judge, predict, speculate

How would you apply, what evidence do you have etc..?

Techniques for Good Questioning

• Plan your questions – Write in lesson plans– Readiness level, interest or learning profile

of students– Match the question with the level of

thinking you expect of the students

• Implement your questions – Ask you question before calling on a

student for a response– Allow students “wait time” and “think time”– Call on boys and girls equally– Require student to raise their hands to

answer– Involve as many students as possible in a

Q-A discussion session

General Resources• http://glef.org/php/keyword.php?id=005 – George Lucas

Foundation

• http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/index.html - lesson plans, video on demand, prof development

• http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/3/cu5.html - questioning

• http://www.internet4classrooms.com/ - using the Internet effectively, on-line training modules

• http://www.eduscapes.com/ - a site for life-long learners

• http://www.teachersfirst.com/index.htm - lessons and web resources for K-12 classroom teachers