I have to admit something. Please don't laugh or think less of me, but I need to know more about questioning. Although on every review I've ever received, questioning is cited as a strength (for me), I struggle with teaching it to students. How to get students to ask questions that go beyond the surface, how to get them to rephrase their questions, be more specific, etc. During lit circles it becomes very evident that they are clueless. I will hear them trying, but I struggle with getting them to stretch and go outside the mold. There's more to it than even Ellin has written in Mosaic, so even though I will go back and read it again, I need more information. Are there any books about questioning? I'm not sure if I could get kids to buy in and follow it. Maybe I need to reread this section, as well.
Joy/NC/4 How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org --- On Sun, 6/22/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [Understand] more on chapter six To: [email protected] Date: Sunday, June 22, 2008, 5:30 PM This is one of the things that I learned from my experiences with lesson study. That the little things matter...the way we say things to kids is important and what we allow kids to do for themselves is also so important. I also struggle with the right way to say things... What would happen, I wonder, if we taught kids about the different types of questions...those that we ask as a teacher to assess what kids know...and those questions that lead the whole class and the teacher into deeper understanding...those open ended types of questions. And then, let the kids do some of the teaching, as Ellin proposes in her model for those reflection sessions. Couldn't you see the kids proposing some questions then and using those questions in follow up lessons? Maybe that would help change the current climate in ways that would help protect that natural curiosity and drive to learn. I need to get my strugglers more motivated...maybe this will help. In Fig 6-1, on the last bullet, Ellin suggests we give kids the opportunity to track changes and revisions in their thinking over time and discuss what led to those revisions. In thinking about some of the discussions that occurred right here on this listserv earlier this spring, adding one simple question to a conference or even to a whole class lesson "What do you know now that you didn't know before?" or "What do you understand about this book that you didn't understand before?" might really help kids understand more about the nature of understanding and give them some more control over their learning. Now that I think of it, perhaps the passive, unmotivated, less than curious student results from a lack of control over their learning environment. Learning is done to them rather than by the students. Jennifer In a message dated 6/22/2008 5:14:16 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: This is something I struggle with. Instead of saying "that's wrong" I try to ask if anyone else has another answer, even if the response is correct. Sometimes my students are confused by this, though. It seems they are accustomed to the teacher acknowledging correct responses and moving on. I explain to them that although the correct answer was given, I want to see what everyone is thinking. With last year's class it worked, with the year before sometimes the kids would get waaaay off track. This is something I need to work on getting the language down right so I get thoughtful responses, even if they are incorrect. **************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007) _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
