This questioning article makes good points. Most teachers ask the easy questions, because they are the easiest to ask and answer. Before a teacher can ask divergent questions the teacher needs to introduce this style of questioning to the class. This should happen at the beginning of the year. Explain the style of questioning the students will be answering during the year. Then explain the think time. Knowing that they have time to answer the question will help relieve the pressure and prevent other students from frantically waving there hands in the air to answer the question.
I think one reason the convergent questions are most asked it because teachers are afraid of their students not being able to answer the question. They do not want them to fail. So they set them up with an easy one therefore, setting them up for failure. Students need to be challenged. If they do not know the answer or how to answer it they will learn. Students need to learn that if they do not know the answer it is okay, now they know what to work on. If students are set up to succeed falsely they are going to have it rough for the rest of their life.
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Your right we don't want them to fail, so it reflects better on the teachers. Not to say teachers are all about getting the best test scores but because of the politics and standards.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we are doing kids a disservice to not allow them opportunities to fail. I ran across a quote in something I was reading recently that stood out with me "Failure is how we learn!". It seems we are so concerned with hurting a child's self esteem sometimes that we reward them too quickly and shortchange them in the process. We've attached a stigma to failing when it should be rewarded as effort.
ReplyDeleteYou're right higher order questions are harder to ask and answer.
ReplyDeleteNovel idea - provide teachers with leveled question stems...