Blog #5-Questions

Asking questions in the classroom...It seems like a simple small concept in comparison to creating a lesson plan, making sure you understand the concept enough to answer, and staying within the parameters of the course goals that have been set up for you to follow.  When you really think about it though, questions are what stimulate all of these goals.  What lesson plan will I use for this subject matter?  What questions will the students ask?  Have I hit upon each course goal for this unit?

Questions are unequivocally the driving force for knowledge.  Anyone can sit through a lecture, but to really retain information and knowledge, a certain repertoire must be created between the instructor and the students.  Questions provide the bridge between “I’m not sure”, and “Oh, I see!”.  It is our responsibility as teachers to ask the right questions and have our students formulate their own in response.  In this blog post, I will attempt to cover a bit about the best way to ask questions in the classroom.  The subject is so important, however, that I feel the information could be the subject of a whole semester course for teachers.  

Questions are possibly the most important resource in our teaching toolbox.  Questions can be used to tease out answers, or stimulate more questions.  They can be a conversation dead end, or lead to a more complex and rich experience.  I believe the most important function of questions is to ensure that the knowledge that you are passing forward is being understood at the intended level.  Ben Johnson said in a blog post:  “If they do not know what they do not know, there is no way that they can ask a question about it”.  It is up to the instructor to ask pertinent questions in order to ensure that student comprehension is occurring.  Questions should be thought inspiring, multi-leveled, and should be stimulating a critical though response.  A great question is often the only one that needs to be asked, the one question will propagate many others in its wake and this process will emphasize what the students need the most help in understanding the subject matter.  

How do we as teachers know that we are asking the best questions?  Well, for a new teacher, this really depends on trial and error.  Parameters can be followed, such as following course goals, preparing questions in advance and building them into the lesson, and keeping track of the questions that generate the best responses, whether they be asked by you or the students themselves.  Even with great attention to detail, and following personal parameters, some questions will emerge as giving better results.  The best strategy is to read your classroom.  Wait for answers, give the students time to get their thoughts together, and once they are answering, do not interrupt and definately show interest.  Respect goes a long way in a classroom setting (and really in any setting).  When asked a question by a student, keep them thinking by explaining and asking open-ended questions while inviting extended answers.  This goes back to the idea of “intellectual ownership”  in which the students participate fully in the learning process, and will retain information more efficiently because they themselves helped to propagate the learning process.  

If questions are the driving force for knowledge, who should be asking them?  The answer:  everyone.  Teachers should ask questions of the students in order to facilitate the knowledge cycle between themselves and students.  They should also ask questions of themselves throughout the lesson planning process to ensure that the knowledge is fleshed out and ready for presentation.  Students should ask questions of the teacher in order to facilitate self-awareness and critical thinking.  They should ask questions of themselves and each other to stimulate group learning and refine knowledge.  A teacher should be open to moving the lesson in a different direction if a provoking question is asked by a student.  This gives another opportunity for “intellectual ownership” and provides an opportunity for the student to have made a major contribution to the learning process.  

The process of questioning alone is a complex one.  Questions can take on many meanings and facets, and bring about a myriad of conclusions.  Closed questions can be answered with a simple yes or no.  Managerial questions are asked with the intention of keeping up with student organization (lab notebook, journal, time management, etc.).  The best and most effective type of question is the open question.  This type of query requires and more complex, thought out answer.  Instead of just one word, the student is challenged to formulate a well-rounded, critically thoughtful answer.  Open questions can also be multi-layered, meaning that a series of questions is asked, with the first being fairly simple and the remaining taking more and more time and thought to answer.  This is especially effective in the science classroom, where the building of knowledge from simple to complex seems to be a successful teaching method.  A teacher should practice asking “good” questions, that is, ones that focus on real world issues and resolutions that the students can connect with.  

The good (or great) questions should occur at each step in the learning process, throughout the lesson.  There is no one time that questions should be entertained or allowed in the classroom, rather, it should be an organic, natural process.  At the beginning of class, questions can be used to reintroduce and cement previous lessons into students’ minds; during the lecture, to stimulate and cultivate a critical thinking response; and at the end of each lecture, so as to flush out any misunderstandings or loss of subject matter.  

In conclusion, questions are one of the most important aspects of teaching in the classroom.  They can inspire, facilitate, continue a thought or stop one.  In order to successfully teach, great question asking must be practiced, and like any skill, with practice, comes mastery.  

Thanks to Ben Johnson's blog 

The Teaching Center

and Faculty Focus

for references and quotes

Leslie's website

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Project #3 Presentation

C4K summary for February

For this assignment, we have to read and post on multiple student's blogs, ranging from kindergarten to high school.  

The first week, I was assigned to a student named Brad in Ms. Toal's class.  His post was on a photography project that represented the alphabet.  For every letter, there was a picture representation that the students had to create and turn in.

Reply:

Hi Brad,

I love photography too!  My favorite things to photograph are my cat, dog and little girl.  It sounds like you had fun doing this project with your friends.  Keep up the good work!

The second week, the blog readings increased to three students, and I was assigned Boden, Rhy and Kaitlin.  

Boden's post was about his friend Eric's birthday party and playing at an arcade and eating pizza.

Reply:

Hi Boden,

My name is Leslie and I am a student at the University of South Alabama.  We have been assigned certain blogs to reply to, and my teacher gave me yours!  It sounds like your friend’s birthday was great!  It was nice of you to give Sam your tickets, I’m sure he was excited about that.  The nerf gun war sound like the best ever, but I’m sure the doughnuts were tasty too!  I’m glad you had fun at the party!

Rhy posted about people that he knew in Dubai, and how hard the move to America was for him.  

Reply:

Hi Rhy, 

My name is Leslie and I am a student at the University of South Alabama.  We have been assigned certain blogs to reply to, and my teacher gave me yours! It sounds like your school had a lot of international students!  Many times, people move from country to country for anything from job opportunities to reconnecting with family members.  It’s hard to say goodbye to good friends, but if you can keep in contact with them, it makes it easier and gives you a pen pal to write to!  Hope you are enjoying your new friends at your new school in America :)

Kaitlin's post was about her Amethyst birthstone and birthday.  She had an image that she called a Tellagami (not sure what that it, an avatar?) but it was very pretty.

Reply:

Hi Kaitlin I,

My name is Leslie and I am a student at the University of South Alabama.  We have been assigned certain blogs to reply to, and my teacher gave me yours! Purple is my favorite color, so I have a lot of Amethyst jewelry!  My birthday is in April 1977, so my birthstone is the Diamond, which is the most expensive, but I prefer something with more color.  I love your Tellagami, it’s pretty cool!  

The last week we had three more students to post to:  Aye Cee (high school English), Max (10th grade), and Tayler (7th grade).  

Aye Cee posted a short story about bullying in the classrooms and a great way to prevent it.  

Reply:  

Hi Aye Cee,

My name is Leslie and I am a student at the University of South Alabama.  I am taking a class where I read different blogs and leave comments for the authors.  I love your short story on bullying!  If more people were like Andrea and Rashaun, we wouldn’t have as many problems in schools today.  What a great way to make someone feel welcome and comfortable.  Hope you keep up the great writing!

Max posted an introductory blog about motocross.

Reply: 

Hi Max,

My name is Leslie and I am a student at the University of South Alabama.  I am taking a class where I read different blogs and leave comments for the authors.  I don’t know anything at all about motocross or dirtbikes, but I am interested in learning about both.  I know it is a very physically taxing sport, but can also be such a great time!  Do you just mudbike, or do you use ramps and try tricks too?

I couldn't view Tayler's post which was supposed to be a poem about colors, so I left this reply:

Hi Tayler,
My name is Leslie and I am a student at the University of South Alabama.  I am taking a class where I read different blogs and leave comments for the authors.  I can’t seem to access your poem or image...did something go wrong?  

I like posting to student's blogs, I am still a little on-the-fence about correcting any grammar or spelling that I see, because I feel that might be their teacher's responsibility.  Also, I don't want to come across as too brusk or judgmental.  

C4T semester assigned summary for February

For the assigned semester blog, I received Angela Maiers' blog.

For the first assigned post, she discussed empowering students to take charge of their education by collaborating and discussion solutions to social/education problems.  

Of course, I didn't copy my reply and I cannot view it at this time (I think it is still awaiting moderation), but my reply was enthusiastic and communicated that I too feel that students will put more effort into something that the "own".  In allowing some freedom to critically think a problem through and offer up a real solution gives them a sense of responsibility that ensures their willingness to participate when their opinion is taken into account.

For the second post, she provided a self-awareness inventory checklist and asked what we though we could add to the list.

Reply:

Hi Angela,

I would say that my best trait is my love of learning, and that I struggle most with multi-tasking and organization.  My favorite learning environment is sitting in front of a lecturer, it helps me to retain information when someone explains it.  I help myself most by staying on a time schedule for studying and turning in assignments, and I would say procrastination is the thing that most impedes my learning.  I learn best by taking extensive notes and going over them frequently. I am interested in the biological world and transferring that knowledge to a younger generation.  My goals are to become a successful educator at the high school level and eventually in college as well.  

I would add the question, “What inspires you?” to the questionnaire, and I believe that self-reflection in any way would help with self awareness.

For the third week's assignment, the blog was about a list of activities for her students because the school was canceled due to snow days.  She is very enthusiastic about having assignments even though they could not meet face to face.

Reply:

I think these are great ideas for snow days!  We don’t really have many of those here in Alabama, but sometimes we have “freeze days”.  I can only imagine being out of school for an extended period of time, and it seems that twitter is a great tool for communication and forums when stuck inside with very little to do.

Fourth week's assignment:  Habitude of Perseverance.  Very inspiring, it talked about how Dr. Suess lived in his car for a very long time seeking publication for one of his early books, but never gave up. He persevered through the toughest of situations and ended up becoming very successful.

Reply:

Habitude of Perseverance.  Such strong words, and very inspiring considering the context.  If more educators (and people in general) practiced this, we wouldn’t have much to worry about, would we?  I think perseverance goes hand in hand with self esteem and belief in one’s life and path.  So many times we give up because the challenges seem to be overwhelming.  Students, no matter the age, all have something they are dealing with:  peer pressure, abuse, stress over grades, winning the big game, boyfriend/girlfriend dynamics and many other things impact these children.  Instilling perseverance no matter what challenges you may face will help these students to overcome and achieve things they thought were impossible.

I enjoy Angela's posts and look forward to what she has to offer throughout the semester.  She is enthusiastic and informative.  

C4T semester chosen summary for February

The blog that I have chosen to follow for the semester is called The Nerdy Teacher.  He seems to post regularly about certain aspects of technology and usually has first hand experience with it in the classroom.  I appreciate this "real time" analysis of things that I could possible utilize in my own classroom, and find that his approach with the blog is effortless and flowing.  

For the first week, he discussed Evernote, and the ways it can be used for the classroom setting.  

Reply:

Hi, my name is Leslie and I am a graduate student at the University of South Alabama.  I have chosen to follow your blog for a tech class that I am enrolled in, because you have a great outlook on technology in the classroom, and it seems that you have a trial and error philosophy which I like.  This is an interesting concept, and I can’t help but wonder what the school administration feels about using Evernote.  I find this app handy in everyday life, and can imagine how much easier it makes assignments for the classroom!  I know that sometimes teachers and administrators are afraid of technology in the classroom, especially social media and other things that can’t be readily controlled.  I am definitely downloading Evernote for the Mac and play around with it to see how to better organize lesson plans and assignments for the classroom.  

The second week's topic was on trial and error with technology in the classroom, and striving to not become too overwhelmed with all of the tech options available to educators.

Reply:

Hi,
I am a graduate student in science education and I have recently begun to explore technology in the classroom.  It is overwhelming!  Starting so late in the game, there are so many options and different ways in which to engage students with technology.  At this point, I feel that the students might actually have more experience with some of this tech than I do!  As I learn about social networking and technology in general, it inspires me to become more involved so that I can incorporate these things in my classroom.

For the last read post, he talked about Google Glass and whether it should be allowed in a classroom setting.

Reply:

Hi,
I’m not sure if I am familiar enough with Google Glass to comment, but it sounds like a good tool, especially when speaking directly with a student and having the ability to access information and grades at that moment.  Very nice video, it seems hard to video with Glass, because you have to keep your head so still.  

Leslie

I really enjoy following this blog, and will probably continue to do so when EDM510 is finished.  He has some great ideas on technology and has tested many things, so I feel comfortable utilizing his suggestions.

C4T weekly summary for February

For the first week, I was assigned a blog that spoke about people's right to privacy and copyright laws, my response was this:

Hi, my name is Leslie and I am a student that has been assigned to comment on your blog.  Recently we learned about certain copyright laws and what is “fair use”.  This post really makes an impression, because as technology has developed (at a more than exponential rate), I believe that we as educators are becoming increasingly aware of what we can/cannot use.  I remember creating things and adding pictures to projects and never thinking to ask permission for images that would not be considered copyright.  Pictures of family and friends are so readily available, especially now with social media.  It always helps to have a good reminder (like this post) that we always need to ask permission, as the things we produce can indeed linger for years.

For the second week, the blog was about neuroplasticity and the ability for students to actually alter their physiology by the way they learn.  I posted:

It is interesting that we teach students everyday, but neglect to teach them how they change through learning.  The fact that years of remembering can actually physiologically change a brain is amazing!  I especially like the fact that when dealing with students that have been labeled “special needs”, we can emphasize that fact that they are in charge of their learning and brain development and no one can influence them as much as they can.

The third week's assignment was a blog discussing the protocol of permission to share photos and copyright laws pertaining to blog posts and presentations.  I replied:

Hi, my name is Leslie and I am a student that has been assigned to comment on your blog.  Recently we learned about certain copyright laws and what is “fair use”.  This post really makes an impression, because as technology has developed (at a more than exponential rate), I believe that we as educators are becoming increasingly aware of what we can/cannot use.  I remember creating things and adding pictures to projects and never thinking to ask permission for images that would not be considered copyright.  Pictures of family and friends are so readily available, especially now with social media.  It always helps to have a good reminder (like this post) that we always need to ask permission, as the things we produce can indeed linger for years.

For the fourth week, I read a blog about "cold calling", which is the process of abruptly asking students what the next step in a discussion is, or what the answer to a question is.  I said:  

Hi, my name is Leslie Cazeaux and I am a student at the University of South Alabama.  I am taking a graduate level course focused on technology in the classroom, and we have been assigned certain blogs to read and comment on.  I had never heard the term “cold calling” before, but understand your point of view with underutilizing it in the classroom, especially to prove a point or put a student on the spot.  I like the idea of garnering different responses from the students, which could open up discussion not previously though of.  Also, students are bright individuals and can bring a different tone and view to the subject matter.  

The Kahn Institute

Sal Khan and His Academy

In 2004, Salman Khan began tutoring his cousins via the internet so that they could better understand their math homework.  His  platform veered away from the traditional whiteboard lecture that most students are familiar with, and instead focused on a “pen in hand” type instruction, similar to what would be seen when studying with a tutor side by side.  This approach was so popular and successful within his family, that Sal decided to post most of his videos to YouTube for public access.  As popularity increased, Sal began uploading even more instructional videos, which garnered the attention of Bill Gates, Google and the Lemann Foundation.  With grants from these and other interested investors, the Kahn Institute was born in 2006.  This is a non-profit organization that provides perpetually free instruction on subjects varying from Math and Science, to Economics and Art History.  

In this digital age, students have increased access to online “tutors” and “learning supplements”, and parents are utilizing these tools to assist their children with homework.  It is a quick way to get help, although parents don’t always know which sites provide the most reliable and comprehensive information on the subject matter.  When I googled “math instructional videos”, the Khan Academy was the fifth site listed among the results, which puts it in the top tier of parental choices (no one likes to have to click through multiple sources, busy parents want something quick and easy).  One of my biology professors signed his son up for it, stating that it was “very handy to have for supplemental instruction.”  Also, when “reviews of the Khan Academy” the majority of reviews are stellar, ranging from parents, to media spots highlighting what Mr. Kahn has done for “free online education”.  It is seemingly a reliable source for academic instruction.  

So, let’s examine this “Academy” a little further.  We will start with criticism and acclaim.  After receiving funding from Bill Gates, the Academy was positively highlighted on shows such as 60 minutes  and Charlie Rose, and as referenced above, most of the Google results for reviews gives glowing recommendations.  

The reviews on Yelp were positive, with the majority carrying a 5 star rating.  

Common sense media gives the institute an overall score of 12 out of 17, lauding Khan on how well the procedural information is presented, but cautioning parents that the conceptual ideas are less attended to.  

In contrast, a Washington Post blog states “They’re (teachers) concerned that he’s a bad teacher who people think is great; that the guy who’s delivered over 170 million lessons to students around the world openly brags about being unprepared and considers the precise explanation of mathematical concepts to be mere “nitpicking.” Experienced educators are concerned that when bad teaching happens in the classroom, it’s a crisis; but that when it happens on YouTube, it’s a “revolution.”" The Huffington Post states, “No, what bothered me was the program's unspoken implication that the many thousands of American mathematics teachers did not know what they were doing, and that they, or perhaps the kids in our schools, needed "saving." (Some probably do, but some is not the whole system.) It was not Sal Khan himself who gave that impression -- what he said, very clearly, as he has on many occasions, was quite the opposite. Rather it was the way the program (60 minutes) was structured and narrated.”  

 The blog on education week says “procedures are still important, and Khan Academy provides one venue where students can learn them. In the end, I think every young person should have an account there. Even if only one in a thousand or ten thousand benefit, that would be a terrific outcome.”  they posted this satirical video, criticizing his misuse of mathematical terms and teaching techniques: 

         

So what does this Academy offer to the parent/student that signs up for free instruction?  I visited the site and signed up as a parent in order to view and access the quality of the instruction myself.  I have a degree in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology and Genetics, so I focused on the Biology portion of the videos, so as to properly assess them.  

The first video I watched was on Evolution:  Natural Selection:  within three minutes, he made the statement that Great Apes have tails, which is inaccurate.   The mistake was corrected by a small text box in the lower right hand corner, which in my opinion, is hardly noticeable for a busy student/parent.  He did go on to explain natural selection using the peppered moths of the industrial revolution, viruses, and antibiotic resistance.  These concepts were explained in nice lay-person terminology...”dudes” and “willy-nilly”, which would be more entertaining and approachable to a high school/middle school student.  

The next lesson I accessed, was on Photosynthesis:  When explaining the thylakoid membrane, Sal said grana, instead of granum...again, corrected by a text box.  I missed this mistake, and it is really more of a grammatical mistake than a technical one.  He also mistakenly referred to Photosystem I when he meant to reference Photosystem II, which can be confusing for kids to learn for the first time (Photosystem II receives light photons first, it is referred to as II because it was second to be discovered; it is confusing because students want to think that Photosystem I receives the photons first, because it is named I).  I did like the diagrams and he showed PSII as a computer generated protein in order to show the complexity, but also drew it in circles and boxes in order to generally understand what is occurring and where.  Then he got complicated...how many times do you have to say:  from a high energy state to a low energy state?  I believe that the “general overview” could be more simplified.  He said that a future lecture would go into more detail later, but really, he would have lost a high school student at this point.  “Sal”  regularly mis-spells technical words, which is a problem when kids don’t quite know how to spell them.  His “easy” diagrams get cramped and complicated very quickly.  He said “photons” when he means “electrons”, this is also technically wrong and can confuse a student.  

In my opinion, the approach of the Kahn Academy is very open and casual, creating an inviting overall feel for students and parents.  I especially like the format of the presentations, simulating a “person-to-person” feel as opposed to a “lecture hall environment”.  This program has become very successful, due to the popularity of his YouTube videos and the media attention that he has recently been awarded.  Many parents and students highly recommend the videos, and say they have been more successful in their studies because of them.  There are many problems that, if corrected, can push the Academy to the next level.  Networking with current educators would be handy and effective in dealing with the conceptualization issue, having a lecture with both conceptual and instructional components would provide a better experience for the student.  Also, the fact that the videos are not accurately reviewed for mistakes before posting to the academy is disappointing.  I think that Sal could at least hire an intern that can proof the videos enough to make sure those mistakes get corrected.  The small “goofs” that occur in the videos can make lasting negative impressions that are hard for a teacher to alter once the “goofs” are committed to memory.  I think that Mr. Kahn’s idea of a free education is an excellent one.  The only problem I have is that he has no one but himself to provide the lectures.  In the future, I would like to see more collaboration with teachers/professors/institutions, that can provide the type of 360 degree education that all students deserve.  The idea that a businessman can teach in a more effective way without ever encountering a student or a classroom seems a big narcissistic to me.