Questioning Sequences in the Classroom

Who Am I Talking To?

• First Year Educators?
• Second Year Educators?
• Mentors?
• High School Educators
• Middle School Educators?
• Elementary Educators?
• Who Did I Miss?

Why are YOU Here?

• Why THIS one?
• Why Questioning
• What Do You Hope to Gain from this Experience

Conversation

• I share...not an expert
• Time to reflect w/peers
• Feel free to jump in...questions, comments, examples...learn from each othe
• THIS IS FOR YOU...

Research

Untitled Slide

• Average 300-400 Questions/Day
• Important Variable
• Classroom Discrepancy
• Effective Questioning is Key

Blooms Taxonomy

Purpose of Blooms' Taxonomy

• classifying objectives vs. classifying questions
• mixed findings re: achievement
• Are higher order questions really better?

Higher vs. Lower Order Questions

• No Clear Indication of Superiority (chart)
• Varying Combinations
• Dependent on Learning Goals
• Focus on SEQUENCES

Focus on SEQUENCES

• "Series of questions that cultivate and deepen students understanding of the content."

Translating Theory to Practice

Sequences

• Questions about DETAILS
• Questions about CATEGORIES
• Questions that require learners to ELABORATE on previous answers
• Questions that require learners to PROVIDE EVIDENCE for their elaboration

Sequences

GOAL: Using End Punctuation Appropriately

Detail Questions

• When is it apprpriate to use a question mark?
• When is it appropriate to use a period?
• What type of end punctuation would you use in the following sentences?

Category Questions

• Ask about a category to which end punctuation belongs
• What are some other types of punctuation that help us know when a sentence is over?
• How is a semi colon different from a period in terms of what it is telling the reader?

Elaboration Questions

• WHY do you think we see relatively few colons compared to periods or question marks in writing?

Evidence

• How do you know your answer is accurate?
• What evidence do you see that supports that idea?
• examples, quotes, research, etc...

Peer Talk

Detail Questions

• building blocks
• foundation for more complex ideas/thinking
• draw out and develop knowledge base
• Focus: clearly stated learning goal/objective

Types of Detail Questions

• people
• organizations/groups
• intellectual/artistic products
• naturally occurring objects/animals
• naturally occurring places
• manmade objects
• manmade places
• event
• natural phenomena
• physical actions
• mental actions
• feelings/conditions/states
• human constructs (ways of organizing the world)

Details Lead to Stems

• PEOPLE
• What time period is associated w/this person?
• What places are associated w/this person?
• What events are associated w/this person?
• What accomplishments are associated w/this person
• What people are associated w/American Revolutio

Details Lead to Stems

• ORGANIZATIONS/GROUPS
• What beliefs are associated w/this org/grp?
• What locations are associated w/this org/grp?
• What time period are associated w/this org/grp?
• What events are associated w/this org/grp?

What's the Point

• Know Your Standards
• Can be used as pre-assessment
• Don't stay there!

Peer Talk

Category Questions

• Help learners identify common characteristics
• List of examples - find commonalities (from detail phase)
• Ex. American Revolution (people/presidents)

3 Types of Category Questions

Identify Examples in a Category

• Ex. Revolutionary War people that became US Presidents
• as many examples as possible

Describe General Characteristics of a Categor

• All the presidents are POWERFUL
• All the presidents are MEN
• All the presidents are AMERICAN CITIZENS

Make Comparisons Within/Across Categories

• help learners identify characteristics unique to a category
• help learners identify characteristics shared among several categories
• EX - . Compare U.S. Presidents from different time periods (colonial/modern; Rev. War/WWII)
• EX - A. Compare U.S. President to foreign leader(s)
• EX - A. Identify a New Category (i.e. both 1st presidents, both presidents during war time)

CATEGORY STEMS

• PEOPLE
• What ACTIONS do people in this category perform?
• What are the REQUIREMENTS to become a member of this category?
• What PHYSICAL TRAITS are common among people in this category?
• What PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAITS are common among people in this category?

What's the Point

• Know Your Standards
• Lots of opportunity for formative assessment/differentiation
• Don't stay there!

Peer Talk

Category ?'s will allow me to identify/differentiate for the learning needs in my classroom.

Elaboration Questions

• develop learners' abilities to make and defend claims
• argumentation
• think, research, confer w/peers

3 Types of Elaboration ?'s

Explain Reasons for Characteristics

• Why Questions
• Ex. Why are presidents powerful, usually men, Am. citizens?
• think, research, confer w/peers
• Ex. Why do presidents veto bills
• think, research, confer w/peers

Describe Effects of Specific Characteristics

• What Effect Questions
• EX. What effect does the veto power of the president have on the U.S./Congress/lobbying groups
• EX. What effect did their role in the Revolutionary War have on the leadership style of President Washington/Jefferson?
• EX. What effect does being a good (or poor) communicator have on a president?

Project What Might Occur Under Certain Condit

• What If Questions
• Learners often have differing opinions
• think deeply about reasons, effects, hypothetical outcomes

Elaboration Example

• Why were the intellectuals you examined literary people?
• Why were the intellectuals you examined Caucasion?
• Why were the intellectuals you examined mostly men or women married to intellectual men?
• What effect does being a literary person have on being an intellectual?
• What effect did being a Caucasion in the 18th century have on being an intellectual?
• What effect did being married to an intellectual have on women in the 18th century?
• What if Benjamin Franklin's brother had not been a printer?

Pairs/Triads Research - Ben Franklin

• father was soap/candle maker
• brother started printing company
• Ben - apprentice - not allowed to write for the paper (pseudonym)
• Despite obstacles: travelled to Europe, statesman, intellectual leader
• His daughter also became intellectual leader

Conclusion

• Men in the 18th century were able to become intellectuals in spite of obstacles
• Women in the 18th century needed to be surrounded by and/or supported by men who were intellectuals in order to be successful

Peer Talk

Evidence Questions

• Provide support for their elaboration (Tell me why you think that questions)
• refer back to previous learning
• possible additional research/investigation

Five Support Prompts

Identify Sources

• name the source
• reliable and credible

Explain Reasoning

• Tell me why you think that - literally
• describe their premise
• how was the elaboration constructed
• EX. Elaboration - U.S. Citizen understands values/beliefs of U.S. citizens
• Ex. Support: (premise) grew up with U.S. citizens and/or learned from your parents

Qualify or Restrict Some Conclusions

• encourages learners to consider ideas or aspects of an issue they might have previously missed
• i.e. children born in the U.S., but growing up in a foreign country w/parents that are not U.S. citizens
• Qualifier: still allowed to run for president, but might have difficulty getting elected - values/beliefs different

Follow Up Question

• misleading or inaccurate information in reasonin
• 5 Types: faulty logic, attack (irrelevant), weak reference(unreliable), misinformation

Follow Up Question

Examine Elaborations from Different Perspecti

• Why would someone consider your perspective to be right or wrong?
• How would you respond to that person's perspective?
• Benefits for learner?

Flexibility

• flexibility - linear or not
• flexibility - one lesson/unit
• learner needs
• learner goals

Summary

• Structure for planning/implementing effective questioning
• embraces all levels of questions
• another tool in your tool kit

Peer Talk

Resources

• www.marzanoresearch.com/classroomstrategies
• lmalone@coppellisd.com