One of the resources that lives in the Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting (AER) section of the EduGains website is a collection of videos on questioning. Following the work of several teachers Primary to Secondary, this video series offers an insight into developing, asking and assessing responses to a variety of different types of questions. The importance of planning questions in advance and anticipating possible student misconceptions are highlighted, as is the importance of wait time.
Unlike some of the other "big picture", jargon-sprinkled videos on the site, the section on questioning is actually quite practical, offering very specific tools for developing effective questions at different grade levels and in different subject areas. An example of a what an open-ended teacher-class discussion, based on a student response, might look like is also included, as is a viewing guide featuring self assessment and teacher question development templates.
I loved how these videos began with teachers using questioning ineffectively, and then walked viewers through their growth, disseminated with "behind the scenes" commentary.
Each video is 10 or fewer minutes in length, providing just enough of a snippet for a viewing session to discuss with colleagues, and each video snippet builds on the preceding one, although they can certainly be used in isolation as well.
The later videos incorporate the more subtle "layering" of instructional strategies. For example, one of my favourite structures to integrate into questioning is "think-pair-share", i.e. "Think about this for a moment... now turn and talk to someone nearby..." before sharing out loud with the class. This is modeled with considerable effectiveness in the 5th video in the series, "Engaging Students in the Conversation".
Another organizer that works well on top of wait time with questioning is randomly calling on students, rather than asking them to raise their hands (pulling popsicle sticks with students' names on them out of a can is a great way to increase accountability: you never know when your name will come up!) The "no hands" strategy is also modeled in the 5th video.
What I really appreciated is the diversity and authenticity of this video series. Questions/concerns are openly addressed, and the classrooms represented reflect the classrooms I teach in every day in Ontario.
The Questioning video series is a good one, I think, offering useful professional learning for those with access to the internet who may want to pursue their own PD, and providing sound samples for staff developers looking for real-life examples to use in workshop facilitation.
Unlike some of the other "big picture", jargon-sprinkled videos on the site, the section on questioning is actually quite practical, offering very specific tools for developing effective questions at different grade levels and in different subject areas. An example of a what an open-ended teacher-class discussion, based on a student response, might look like is also included, as is a viewing guide featuring self assessment and teacher question development templates.
I loved how these videos began with teachers using questioning ineffectively, and then walked viewers through their growth, disseminated with "behind the scenes" commentary.
Each video is 10 or fewer minutes in length, providing just enough of a snippet for a viewing session to discuss with colleagues, and each video snippet builds on the preceding one, although they can certainly be used in isolation as well.
The later videos incorporate the more subtle "layering" of instructional strategies. For example, one of my favourite structures to integrate into questioning is "think-pair-share", i.e. "Think about this for a moment... now turn and talk to someone nearby..." before sharing out loud with the class. This is modeled with considerable effectiveness in the 5th video in the series, "Engaging Students in the Conversation".
Another organizer that works well on top of wait time with questioning is randomly calling on students, rather than asking them to raise their hands (pulling popsicle sticks with students' names on them out of a can is a great way to increase accountability: you never know when your name will come up!) The "no hands" strategy is also modeled in the 5th video.
What I really appreciated is the diversity and authenticity of this video series. Questions/concerns are openly addressed, and the classrooms represented reflect the classrooms I teach in every day in Ontario.
The Questioning video series is a good one, I think, offering useful professional learning for those with access to the internet who may want to pursue their own PD, and providing sound samples for staff developers looking for real-life examples to use in workshop facilitation.
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