Today’s Agenda Welcome and Community Building

Today’s Agenda Welcome and Community Building
Why Spend Time on Teaching Question Formulation? Collaborative Learning with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) Explore Classroom Applications & Student Work Planning a QFT Lesson & QFocus Design Testing Lunch The Art & Science of the QFT: Facilitation, Planning, & Troubleshooting EdTech & the QFT with Jay Sorensen Questions, Reflections, and Closing Words

2 Keys to Beginning to Plan a *Lesson with the QFT
Starting at the End QFocus Design *or session, meeting, professional development, etc.

The QFT , Not a Detour but a Shortcut
For example…Deirdre didn’t have to do a couple of the lessons she was planning, bc kids were further along than she thought and had figured out a couple things already! A formative assessment that quickly, effectively actually shows what kids are thinking? The QFT

Various Teaching Purposes
Engagement Knowledge acquisition Formative assessment Summative assessment Peer review Skill development Put a space after each bullet.

Next Steps? And sometimes… Nothing! Pop Quiz or Reading Check
Debate Prep Lab work & Experiments Exit ticket or ”Do Now” Paper topic Research Projects Hang on walls, Check Off as Answered Test Prep And sometimes… Nothing! Homework Class discussion prompts Presentations Student Choice Projects Socratic Seminar Prompts Interview an Expert Ok to change your mind once you see what you get; but try to be transparent with students, show them how/why their questions matter (rather than one off activity) Make Your Own Final Test Journal Prompt Guest speakers Close Reading Protocol Blogging or Tweeting Year-long or Unit-long Essential Questions Tailoring Instruction Service Action Projects

Discuss How have you used the QFT?
How do you think you will use the QFT next? What will you do with the questions that are produced? What idea have you heard or seen that you want to try out sometime soon?

2 Keys to Beginning to Plan a Lesson with the QFT
Starting at the End QFocus Design

Question Focus (QFocus): A stimulus or prompt for student questions
A phrase or quotation An image or video A podcast or speech A hands-on experience or experiment An equation or data set The QFocus is not a question!

Designing a Question Focus
An effective QFocus is: Directly tied to lesson’s main idea Simple…but not too simple Interesting or provocative to students…but not biased or leading

Initial Question Focus:
Topic: Albert Camus’s The Plague Purpose: Pre-reading engagement and prediction of central themes going into the text

Revised Question Focus:
The city fathers were aware that the decaying bodies of these rodents were making people sick. (page 28)

Initial Question Focus: “People, Animals, and Friends”
Do people exist? Where do people live? Why do animals live in the zoo? Why do people go to the pool? Why are friends fun? Why do animals bite? Why do people go to school? Do people, animals, and friends play together? Do animals make friends? Why do I need friends? Why do people want to be friends with animals? Why are people making friends with animals? Why do people, animal, and friends live in different countries? Where did my dog and friend go? Can my friend pet our new dog? Why do I have eyes? How do people smell? Can animals speak? Can people fly? Where is my bunny? What happened? Let’s look at one more example of a Qfocus that needed some revision. This is from an elementary classroom in Hawaii. The initial Qfocus was the phrase “people, animals, and friends,” and the teacher was engaging students at the start of a unit on “How can a pet be an important friend?” Apart from noticing how adorable question #20 is, you may have noticed: First (In orange), Most of the kids picked one of the three nouns (people, animals, OR friends) and zeroed in on it, asking questions that didn’t consider it in relationship to the other words in the prompt. These lines appear in purple. To me, this indicates that most kids just didn’t have enough direction, guidance from the Qfocus. They needed more hooks to go on, or maybe an image. Second (Blue) : there is really good information here about what students care about and are interested in, in questions about their own pets and their own friends, which may be helpful to the teacher going forward or in re-designing a Qfocus Third and finally (IN purple): some students are really thinking about the relationship b/w the 3 things listed and trying to connect the 3, so even in a batch of questions that are kind of off topic/not what the teacher expected, she could still have used #11 or #12 in her next steps.

Revising the Question Focus
“People, Animals, and Friends” Your idea here! My ideas: I wonder what they would ask about, for ex, "humans need animal friends" or "animals are very important friends to humans" or "friendship between people and animals"? Maybe even more provocative: "To survive, people need animal friends." This is where Dan and I sometimes go back and forth; adults/teens can sometimes benefit from a more open-ended, vague phrase; sometimes kids need more "hooks," more of a complete thought to guide their thinking. Here's another thought. Say you kept the same Q-Focus and all the same questions--could you get kids, through prioritization, to your goal? (If you didn’t want to do the QFT all over again) What if the prioritization instructions were, "out of all our class questions, pick the 3 questions that you think would help us learn about friendships between pets and humans." Bingo—right back on track, no extra time, still honors their process.

The one quality all excellent QFT designers share?
Thick Skin. Practice makes…more comfortable anyway.

Putting it into Practice
Work through pages 1-5 of the lesson planning workbook to design your own QFocus. Then, write your working QFocus on an index card. It’s ok if it is still a bit rough.

WANTED: Q Focus Guinea Pigs
Who is willing to share the QFocus you were working on?

QFocus Testing Find a trio (or 4) to work with.
One person volunteers a QFocus for feedback. Give minimal context for the QFocus (grade, subject, objective). Group members jot down the first few questions that come to mind about the QFocus. Focus on the QFocus itself, not the objective or context. Follow the 4 rules! The QFocus creator debriefs with the group and makes revisions based on the questions they received.

Why Spend Time on Teaching Question Formulation? Collaborative Learning with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) Explore Classroom Applications & Student Work Planning a QFT Lesson & QFocus Design Testing Lunch The Art & Science of the QFT: A Deep Dive into Facilitation, Planning, & Troubleshooting EdTech & the QFT with Jay Sorensen Questions, Reflections, and Closing Words

Individual Reflection & Agenda Setting
Individually, reflect on what you’ve learned so far today. You might also consider: Questions that you have Any anxieties or challenges you foresee with using the QFT or sharing the QFT with others Feel free to write down anything you’d like on the post its, and we’ll make sure we don’t leave today without addressing a thought or question that came up for you.

The Art & Science of the QFT: Design, Facilitation, and Troubleshooting

QFT: An Art and a Science
The Science: The QFT is a rigorous protocol, with specific steps and sequence, that produces consistent results The QFT Present a Question Focus Produce questions following the 4 rules Improve questions Prioritize questions Discuss next steps Reflect

QFT: An Art and a Science
Tailor the QFT through: Planning how to use student questions Question Focus design Prioritization instructions Reflection questions Facilitation The Art: You should tailor the QFT process to the specific content and people you are working with.

Five Areas Related to the Art of the QFT
Facilitation Starting at the End QFocus Design Prioritization Instructions Reflection Questions

Classroom Example:12th Grade
Teacher: Ling-Se Chesnakas, Boston, MA Topic: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz Purpose: To help students generate questions for a Socratic Seminar at the end of the unit

The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) in Action

Four Principles of Facilitation
Monitor student adherence to the process Do not give examples Do not get pulled into group discussion Acknowledge all contributions equally Discuss: What could be challenging about each principle? What might be important about each?

More Facilitation & Logistical Decisions
Time (how long will it take?) and Timing (when in unit? How often will you do it?) Group size, Group selection (trios? 4-6? 1-1?) Choose their own group? Scaffolds? Pre teaching? Accommodations? Tech? Scribe strategy?

Prioritization Instructions
Choose the three most important questions Choose the three questions you consider most important.

Tailoring the Prioritization Instructions
Choose three questions… General Instructions: that you consider most important that require analyzing data that you are most curious about that are not “Googleable” and may be difficult to answer Specific Purposes: that you think will best open up dialogue that you need to research further to help you solve the problem that you consider “outside the box” that you need to answer first that would best help us learn about (topic or QFocus) that a scientist studying the earth might ask that best align with today’s objective that will help you understand the text

QFocus: High School “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” – Maya Angelou This is an example from a history classroom in Rhode Island. The teacher gave students this full quotation with the attribution to Maya Angelou. During the first step of producing questions, she noticed that most students were focusing their questions on Maya Angelou, rather than the content of the quotation—”who was Maya Angelou? Why would she say this? What in her history needed to be faced?” which are all great questions, but they didn’t suit the teacher’s purpose; she needed them to ask some overarching questions about history to guide their work all year. Now, of course, the teacher could make a change to the Qfocus next year and just take out the words “Maya Angelou,” but what does she do now, in the middle of the lesson? There are two easy fixes. First, as you facilitate the first step, producing questions, you could give students additional directions: READ slide. Second, you could change the prioritization instructions on the fly: READ Slide So, prioritization instructions are crucial for helping students narrow down, especially if there is a specific direction you have in mind. Troubleshooting Tips: “Spend the next 2 minutes asking about just this word/phrase” Change the prioritization instructions on the fly

Tailoring Reflection Questions
QFT Process Content Specific What did you learn about asking questions? How did you learn it? What did you notice about the order/sequence of questions? How can you use what you learned about asking questions? How do you feel about asking questions? How has your thinking changed since last time we did the QFT? What did you learn about the (content)? How did your questions help you think about… key concept specific assignment overarching topic theme in the unit your teaching practice a challenge in our school

One Last Thought about Reflection
“Reflection is the piece that keeps me coming back the next day… The most profound reflections are almost always from the students who perhaps seemed disengaged in class. Quiet students often do a great deal of their thinking in the written reflection.” -Ling-Se Chesnakas, Boston Public Schools

The Science of the QFT: a protocol
The Art of the QFT: You The key role of the teacher and YOU ARE sTILL In CONTROL: Behind the scenes as lesson planner Facilitate process according to the steps of the QFT and the five facilitation principles Use student questions as part of next steps

What are your questions?

Closing Reflections We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place For the first time. --T.S. Eliot To use during discussion possibly

Closing Reflections An “a-ha moment” or a meaningful take away from your experience today A key question that will guide your work What was new for you? To use during discussion usually

Thank you! Have a great rest of the year!

To Access Today’s Materials:
Join our Educator Network for: Templates you can use tomorrow in class Classroom Examples Instructional Videos Forums and Discussions with other Educators

Closing Reflection & Evaluation
Please spend 2 minutes leaving us some feedback. We value your thoughts.

Additional Math Resources
Look through more math classroom examples: (available to download at and select “More STEM Examples PowerPoint”) launch.html A fantastic blog written by a high school math teacher in Freemont, CA. If you search the blog, you’ll find several of Rick Barlow’s QFT lessons with all levels of students—from ELL immersion classes to AP classes. This particular link takes you to an incredible project Rick did with ELL students, using statistics to challenge immigration claims. Question > Answer Math Educator blog, available to download at Two math educators debate back and forth about whether, and how, the QFT can be used to actually learn math.

Additional Science Resources
Look through more science classroom examples: (available to download at and select “More Math & Science Classroon Examples PowerPoint”) formulation-technique A short article that details several different science applications, pre-k through higher education and builds a larger argument about why curiosity is so critical to science and innovation. Fabulous curated resources from former Science Department Chair, now assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Alison Gest from Maine Township, IL. She lists 8 of her own QFT lessons (linking out to worksheets, student work, examples of final projects, etc.) and then offers many additional QFocus ideas.

Additional English Resources
Look through more English classroom examples: (available to download at and select “More History& English Classroom Examples PowerPoint”) “What is the American Dream? Is it just a dream or can it really be a way of life? Dig into this great blog about kicking off a year of American Literature and The Great Gatsby with the QFT. This post includes insight into how to tailor certain steps of the QFT and ramp up difficulty in particular areas for students already experienced with the process. In this blog, English Department Chair Matt details a lesson in which he used the QFT to help students explore media coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing. The lesson led to an entire unit on persuasive writing and analysis of non-fiction texts.

Additional History Resources
Look through more History classroom examples: (available to download at and select “More History& English Classroom Examples PowerPoint”) Texas social studies teacher, James Brewster, reflects on the large scale cultural changes in his classroom after a year with the QFT and offers several specific lessons, using political cartoons as Qfoci. A longer article in the New England Journal of History, co-written with a history teacher from New Hampshire, that details several very different applications of the QFT in history. This article also builds a larger argument for the importance of curiosity.

To Learn Even More Check out our 3-week online course hosted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education

Classroom Example: University
Teacher: Rachel Woodruff, Assistant Professor of Biology, Brandeis University, MA Topic: Molecular Biology Purpose: To build students’ research skills and prepare them to develop their own research proposal

Ask as many questions as you can about the reading
Question Focus: (Students were assigned a complex molecular biology article) Ask as many questions as you can about the reading

Next Steps with Student Questions:
Students generate questions for homework Students discuss key attributes of a good biological research question and compare to other types of questions Students form groups and improve their questions These questions are discarded or kept in notebooks (up to the student) Students apply this skill to designing their own research project later in the semester

Classroom Example:11th Grade
Teacher: Isabel Morales, Los Angeles, CA Topic: Social Justice Purpose: Engage students in thinking about systemic injustice ahead of several fiction and nonfiction texts in the semester

“The disciplinary policies of our society perpetuate injustice.”
Question Focus “The disciplinary policies of our society perpetuate injustice.”

Student Questions Why are student of color targeted the most?
When will it get better? What are some ways to improve behavior? How do disciplinary policies target specific racial groups? What type of training will teachers go through that’ll bring justice to classrooms? Do teachers nationwide take notice of these stats? How can teachers develop better & effective disciplinary policies? Shouldn’t school police officers be trained like teachers? Why do people see the stats & data as a coincidence? What is considered a criminal offense in school? What does a kid learn about the system once in jail? Isn’t it the teacher’s job to keep the students “in line”? What do people believe expulsion will teach the students? How should disruption in class be handled? Does going to juvie have a long-term effect on younger students about education? How come there aren’t any policies keeping students out of prison?

Next Steps with Student Questions
Students decided to research statistics and poll students and teachers. Students met with the school administration to ask questions and address their concerns. School principal founded a student advisory council, which many students joined, to give students a voice in new policies.

Student Reflections “Asking questions is a step in creating change.” - Jonathan S., 11th grade “I learned how reluctant students are to ask questions. In our society school environment, we shame asking questions. It felt good to openly ask.” - Leslie, 11th grade

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