Blog Post #4

The question being asked is "What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher?" Growing up I was one of those students that hated to ask questions or have to answer questions out loud during class because I was afraid of saying the wrong thing. I think that is a major reason most students do not ask questions when they have them or want to answer questions during class. Many teachers prepare lesson plans, tests, projects, and each thing that will be done through out the day but not very often do they prepare questions to ask the students during certain lessons that will be taught. After reading a few sources, I have found that the questions being asked to the students during the lesson can majorly enhance the lesson being taught and also help the students think more about the topic besides the facts that are being given to them.

One of the sources I read was called The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom. The part of this source I liked was near the end that talked about how to approach a question and the strategy behind it. The strategy is to ask a question and allow a few seconds for all of the students to think of an answer. Then randomly call on a student to answer the question. If the student answered correctly but maybe did not give enough information, ask another question to only that child that will help them elaborate or clarify their initial response. It will make the student use his/her higher-level thinking but it will also help the other students by making them think of an initial response before a name is called. I also think open-ended questions are much more effective than close-ended questions because it makes the students create their own personal response and not choose an answer from a pre-made list (yes, no, etc).

Another source I found helpful was the YouTube video called Questioning Styles and Strategies. This video shows a teacher asking questions in his classroom about a book the students have been reading. He asks a question and then tells them to write down their answer in their learning logs. He gives them a few seconds to get their answers written and then calls randomly on a student to read their answer to the question. He also asks his students to elaborate on their answer if they are on the right track but have not said enough information. He asked one child to stand up and show what one of the animals might look like in that world they were talking about. This technique is called physical representation and it allows the student to not only tell his/her answer but to show the class as well.

The way questions are asked in the classroom is a major part of the learning process for students. It allows them to use higher-level thinking and lets them sometimes even express themselves through their answer. Some teachers take the easy way out and ask close-ended questions or questions such as "Does everybody understand?" and neither of these help motivate or help the students to learn. The students want to be involved but they sometimes do not know how to get involved. By having questions already prepared and allowing each student to answer the question before the answer is said out loud helps make the student feel a bit more knowledgable and involved in their learning process.