1. Essential Questions Big Ideas September 13, 2013 Peters

2. Why am I sitting here? Who am I, and why am I taking up your precious PLC time? Why should you care about using Big Ideas and Essential Questions? How would you use them?

3. What is a Big Idea? Basically, a “Big Idea” is an objective. Start looking at a unit. What are the ultimate goals? What do you want students to understand? What do you want them to remember, and why?

4. Essential Questions Used to bookend a unit Is discussed at the beginning of a unit Is supported by Level 1,2,3 questioning Is revisited throughout the unit Is used to find closure to the unit

5. Why Should I Do This? Common Core Keystones Teacher Evaluation Key Buzzes Understanding by Design Backward Planning

6. World Language Examples Learning Process – What language learning skills do I already have? – How can I use skills I already have to learn language? – What are different styles of learning language? How do I figure out what’s best for me? – How can I sound more like a native speaker? Motivation – Why learn another language? – What do I expect to get out of another language? – How will learning another language enhance my life? – What opportunities would come from learning another language?

7. World Language Examples Communication – Why isn’t a dictionary enough? – How do native speakers differ from fluent foreigners? – In what ways to language convey meaning? – How can one communicate without words? – How does language change depending on the situation? – How do I keep a conversation going? – What are the benefits of taking a chance? – How is written language different from spoken language?

8. Strategies for Probing Think Pair Share Socratic Seminar Fishbowl Written dialogue journals

9. Deepening What do you mean by ______? Why? Can you elaborate? Tell me more. I don’t get your point. Can you rephrase? Could you give me an example? How does this relate to______? Can we come up with another perspective?

10. Follow-Up Techniques Why do you think that? What’s your evidence? What is your reasoning? Can you find support in the text? How does that support your conclusion?

11. Keep in Mind There is no single correct answer Everyone is entitled to an opinion. The best is supported by evidence Understanding takes practice These questions will be revisited Try to consider another point of view Everyone is fair game Making mistakes is expected. It’s okay to reconsider things you thought you understood.

12. Let’s Look at a Unit What overarching questions do we have? As a PLC, pick one Decide on what you want kids to get out of the unit Develop questions that lead the students to inquire, reaching for that fourth level of learning.

13. Thank you!!!!!