Professional Learning: Moving from Compliance to Engagement

How do I evaluate a Lesson? Focus 2: Using Effective Question Techniques

Questioning On 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) Most answers are right or wrong

Question Categories Closed Questions Factual and focus on a correct response Imply teacher has predetermined correct response in mind Kind of Learning it supports: Recall Open Questions: Have many answers that are less predictable Kind of Learning it supports: makes students think further and more deeply Help teacher assess student’s understanding

Let’s Practice Take a look at the questions asked during a math lesson Identify whether they are Open or Closed Questions

Open or Closed? Calculate 25 × 42 Calculate 25 × 42 in two different ways. Compare your ways with those of your friend. 

Open or Closed? Make a word problem where one needs to calculate the volume of a rectangular prism in order to solve it. (One idea is to use a pool, for example.)  Find the volume of a rectangular prism with a height of 2.1 m, depth of 4.5 m, and width of 3.8 m.

Open or Closed? Find 5-2  Write a pattern using positive, zero, and negative exponents, using your chosen base. Try different kinds of bases! (whole number, zero, one, negative, even fractional base...) 

How can I “open” a question? Remove the restriction: How many coins does it take to make 45p? Remove known: I have a closed handful of 5p coins. How much do I have? Swap the known/unknown, change the restriction: I have 5 coins. Three are the same. How much money do I have? Swap the known/unknown, remove restriction: I have 5 coins. How much money could I have? Remove known and restriction, change unknown: I have some coins in my hand. How much money do I have? Change known, unknown, and restriction: What is the shortest/longest line that can be made with 5 coins? How many 5p coins are needed to make 45p?

Talk With a Partner How can I improve the quality of my questions and responses ? Each give at least one improvement

Next Week’s Session Choose ONE lesson you taught: Record the questions you planned Record student responses to the questions