1. Using a Question- Centered Approach to Reading and Writing Jenny Bixby Joe McVeigh March 31, 2012 TESOL, Philadelphia

4. 1. How do you use questions in the classroom

5. 2. Types of questions

6. What kind of question is it? 1.What is the approximate attendance at this conference? 2.What was your first impression of Philadelphia? 3.What’s this presentation going to be about? 4.You will stay until the end of this presentation, won’t you? a)display question b)experiential question c)fact-based question d)leading question

7. What kind of question is it? 1.Do you use the TESOL website very often? 2.What makes a professional organization valuable to its members? 3.Why do most people join TESOL? a)essential question b)topical question c)yes-no question

8. 3. What is an essential question?

9. 1.Who are your friends? 2.What makes a city livable? 3.Is discovery always a good thing? 4.Does school prepare you for work? 5.What makes you want to buy something? What do these questions have in common?

10. An essential question should: be thought-provoking and grab the attention of your students have transfer value (to other content areas) link to prior knowledge require core content that you will be covering --- Wiggins & McTighe

11. 4. Using backward design when planning a lesson or course

12. Backward design

14. What is backward design? 1.Identify what the lesson or unit outcome will be. 2.Determine how you will measure it. 3.Choose one or two essential questions to guide learning. 4.Select readings that will provide content students need to students reach the outcome. 5. Design your activities.

15. 5. Using questions to frame your lessons will: give students a __________ for learning keep the focus of attention on __________ rather than covering points or completing activities elicit __________views; cause students to __________what they know lead to __________ thinking show students the value of __________ and discussion for knowledge and understanding introduce concepts that can __________ to other areas of study

16. Questions lead students to the content, through the content, and finally to write about the content.

17. 6. Looking at a question- centered lesson

18. Theme: Life events Skills: Reading- building reading fluency Vocabulary- using the dictionary Grammar- simple past with regular and irregular verbs Writing- showing sequence.

19. An essential question should: be thought-provoking and grab the attention of your students have transfer value (to other content areas) link to prior knowledge require core content that you will be covering --- Wiggins & McTighe

20. ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What events change our lives? LEARNING OUTCOME: Write a paragraph about an event in your life.

21. Questions lead students to the content Number the important life events. In what order do they usually happen? Did any of these events happen to you recently? Discuss your answers with a partner. ogot a job  got married  graduated from college ograduated from high school  started school omoved to a different home  was born Discuss the question with your classmates: What events change our lives?

22. Reading 1 In 1993, Greg Mortenson made a promise, and it changed his life completely. He promised to build a school in a small village in Pakistan. Before that, his dream was to climb the tallest mountains in the world. Now his dream is more challenging: to build schools. In the summer of 1993, Mortenson started a very dangerous climb up K-2 in Pakistan. His dream was to climb to the top. Two thousand feet from the top of the mountain, a man in Mortenson ’ s group had an accident. As a result, Mortenson never reached his dream. He was extremely disappointed. During the trip down the mountain, he got lost in the snow. After many days, he found a tiny mountain village. He was exhausted and couldn ’ t walk. The village residents of Korphe (kor-fe) welcomed him. They were very poor, but they took care of Mortenson for many months. The village didn ’ t have a teacher or a school. Mortenson decided to build a school for the village. He wanted to give a valuable gift to them — education. That decision changed his life. [Reading text continues]

23. Questions lead students through the content. Think about the Unit question, What events change our lives? Answer the questions. Then discuss your answers with a partner. 1. Which events happened in your life? Check the boxes. [List of boxes to check.] 2. Which event changed your life? When did this event happen? How did it change your life?

24. Write a paragraph about an event in your life. Students are led through the brainstorming, planning, and writing process. They are encouraged first to think again about the essential question, What events change our lives? They make a timeline about a personal event that was important, answer questions about the event, and then write.

25. How can I use this approach with the materials I have?

26. From Making Connections, McIntire & Williams

27. 7. What is an essential question you can use in your classroom next week? It should be: be thought-provoking and grab the attention of your students have transfer value (to other content areas) link to prior knowledge require core content that you will be covering

28. Some useful resources Review copies available. Please complete form.

29. Download copies of a version of these PowerPoint slides (minus copyrighted materials) at www.joemcveigh.org/resources Thank you !