I too, really liked this article. This questioning topic was discussed often in undergrad and during my teaching career. I like the quote - to question well is to teach well. After hearing about questioning as a teacher I gave it more serious consideration, since I had accrued some teaching experience. I made a strained effort to determine the number of questions I asked per day and calculate the wait/think time I allowed to improve as a teacher. The article stated most teachers average 300-400 per day. After several days of lesson planning and instruction, I determined my average rate, over 6 days, was 200-220. About 36 of the same questions for 6 classes.
I appreciated the taxonomy of question types, the 4 quadrants discussion of questions. It was great to see many educational psychology ideas synthesized together. As I read, I drew out the four quadrants as a matrix to fill in bits with information about questioning - High and low, divergent and convergent.
I also liked the Techniques to ask better questions section of the article. Some of the methods I have used in class are on the list. Stating the question a second time or rephrasing the question, makes wait/think time less obvious and daunting to students (silence is scary). Probing or clarifying questions are good tools if students do not understand the initial question. I also involve students in the question making process, with some direction. For a few units I had students create questions, of differing levels, with their group. The groups trade questions for feedback. I used some of their questions on assessments. They liked that, some tried to make easy questions, some tried to make hard questions.
Lower order questions, less wait time. Higher order questions, more wait time. Higher order questions are harder to answer. They are also harder to come up with. Maybe that's why many teachers focus on low order questions. I had a fun little "Bloom's Levels questioning” set for many units we covered. We did these alone, as groups, for homework and for bellwork. I like to discuss learning theories with my class, it helps them understand their learning and why I repeat myself so often - repetition!
I appreciated the taxonomy of question types, the 4 quadrants discussion of questions. It was great to see many educational psychology ideas synthesized together. As I read, I drew out the four quadrants as a matrix to fill in bits with information about questioning - High and low, divergent and convergent.
I also liked the Techniques to ask better questions section of the article. Some of the methods I have used in class are on the list. Stating the question a second time or rephrasing the question, makes wait/think time less obvious and daunting to students (silence is scary). Probing or clarifying questions are good tools if students do not understand the initial question. I also involve students in the question making process, with some direction. For a few units I had students create questions, of differing levels, with their group. The groups trade questions for feedback. I used some of their questions on assessments. They liked that, some tried to make easy questions, some tried to make hard questions.
Lower order questions, less wait time. Higher order questions, more wait time. Higher order questions are harder to answer. They are also harder to come up with. Maybe that's why many teachers focus on low order questions. I had a fun little "Bloom's Levels questioning” set for many units we covered. We did these alone, as groups, for homework and for bellwork. I like to discuss learning theories with my class, it helps them understand their learning and why I repeat myself so often - repetition!
It is great to have a person with teaching experience in our class. That must have been difficult to track how many questions you asked for several days, but it sounds like it was a useful exercise. It also makes sense that for the lower order questions allowing less wait time is alright, but I wonder how difficult it might be to be consistent. If you explain to the students about asking questions, are they more comfortable with quiet. If you rephrase the question, does that distract them from being able to think about the question?
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