1. In Practice – In Theory Pretest Warm - up You should respond to each question twice. On the first pass, answer by selecting the letter on the left that most closely describes your belief. The more honest you are, the more useful the results will be. On the second pass, mark the right side to indicate whether you think the practice is good or bad according to current research.

2. The students will learn appropriate questioning techniques to enhance learning and for motivating students. Classroom Questioning

3. Scoring the Pretest The left side – your beliefs. There are no strictly right or wrong answers to this part. Use the following number values for your responses. Add to get a total for your left side score. ABCDEABCDE 1.12345 2.12345 3.54321

4. ABCDEABCDE 4.12345 5.54321 6.54321 7.54321 8.54321 9.12345 10.12345 11.54321 12.12345 13.54321 The Left Side

5. ABCDEABCDE 14.12345 15.54321 16.54321 17.54321 18.54321 19.12345 The Left Side

6. Scoring the Right Side Expert opinions follow. Give yourself five points for each right answer. 1.Bad8.Good 14.Bad 2.Bad9.Bad15.Good 3.Good10.Bad 16.Good 4.Bad11.Good17.Good 5.Good12.Bad18.Good 6.Bad13.Good19.Bad 7.Good

7. Why Ask Questions? Before we consider the pretest let’s talk about some issues concerning classroom questions. What are the purposes of asking questions? From Dave Johnson. Assessment - Which students understand and which do not? What activities can I best use to find out the above? What can I do when students don’t understand? Is my lesson appropriate for the level of understanding of my students? Am I motivating my students?

8. Questions to Avoid Posamentier Know the following type of questions and try best to avoid using them in class on a regular basis. Overlaid Ambiguous Multiple Choral Response Elliptical Whiplash Factual Leading Yes-No or Guess Teacher-Centered

9. Pretest Results What follows are explanations for each of the pretest questions (guidelines on questioning). It is not necessary for you to agree completely with each of these guidelines. Indeed, there is some disagreement among the experts, the researchers, and experienced teachers concerning the statements that follow. If you are serious about improving your questioning techniques it is necessary for you to think of these guidelines as you make daily decisions about classroom questioning.

10. Back to the Pretest 2.Vary the cognitive level of your questions. Avoid the heavy use of memory, yes-no, factual questions. Vary the cognitive level according to Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. (The next lesson for us.) A reasonable goal would be to have about one-third of your questions, at a higher cognitive level. 1.Plan classroom questions in advance. Key questions should be included on your lesson plan.

11. Back to the Pretest 4. Do not repeat questions routinely. Trains students not to listen attentively. 3. Word questions simply, clearly, directly, and precisely. Posamentier.

12. 5. Provide “think time” after each question. A pause of 3-5 seconds shows improvement in:* Back to the Pretest The number of students responding The number of times a student responded The thoughtfulness of the response The detail of the response The length of the response The confidence of the responder. *M.B.Rowe, “Wait-Time”, Journal of Research on Science Teaching, 11 (1997), pp 91-94.

13. 6. Do not answer your own questions. If students can’t answer your questions then perhaps you are asking the wrong questions. Back to the Pretest 7. State questions BEFORE calling on students. This holds all students attention until you select one to respond. 8. Question Boys and girls equally. This means both number of questions and the complexity of the question.

14. 9. Do not repeat student answers. This practice trains students not to listen and it gives the teacher possession of the answer. Back to the Pretest 10. Do not add information to improve student answers. It makes the student feel as if he or she has given a substandard answer. 11. Call on both volunteers and nonvolunteers. This practice keeps all students involved.

15. 12. Questions should be opportunities not punishment. There are better techniques to discipline students. Back to the Pretest 13. Encourage student to question you and each other. In classrooms where this occurs answers are: More detailed More complex Better thought out Better expressed.

16. 14. Make each student complete his or her answer. Letting a student off the hook is poor practice. It tells the student that the teacher has no confidence in them. Back to the Pretest 15. Handle incorrect answers with dignity. Develop the ability to lead students to better answers. Respect students for their efforts. Set a tone of critiquing ideas and not people.

17. 16. Approach answers diagnostically. Every answer is indicative of the learning/teaching occurring in your classroom. Back to the Pretest What caused the incorrect answer? Was it a poorly worded question? What information need to be revisited? Did my students have enough guided practice on the skills needed to answer the question? Dave Johnson

18. Back to the Pretest 17. Let students team up to answer some questions. Maryland endorses a strategy of “Think, Pair, and Share”. The teacher poses a question. Time is provided for students to think by themselves. Then they are paired to share and discuss. Finally they present their answers. This theme has endless varieties.

19. 18. Survey to get every student’s answer. Have students show agreement or disagreement by showing thumbs up or down. Students can show which of several answers they support by raising the appropriate number of fingers. Back to the Pretest 19. Develop each topic before going on to another. One answer from one student is pretty shaky assessment. Most topics require several questions from a range of cognitive levels.

20. Assignment Calculate the area of the following rectangle. 4 cm 6 cm