Asking questions that maximize the amount of students that participate. This could include asking other students if they agree or disagree with a classmate who answered another question.
I recently wrote a quiz using the fill in the blank word format. Giving the students all of the correct answers as well as answers that where almost correct.I provided the extended list from which to choose the most correct answer. This created a great deal of side discussions after the review process started. I was surprised to find some of the usually quiet students were now engaged by the debates.
Hi Karen, Great example of having students synthesize what they have learned. They put it together like a puzzle and the relevancy of what was learned previously becomes apparent. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I love to ask questions and use silence as a tool to get them back when students are not paying attention. Nothing like grabbing their attention back like an awkward pause! Deep down they don't want to disappoint by not paying attention.,
When demonstrating a culinary method and I'm at a critical point in which I want to emphasize, I will make the point and ask why it is so based on previous learning points. It is the have the students problem solve.
Hi Lynn, Thanks for your post to the forum. Linking questions to students' experiences is an excellent practice - students can see the relevance of the questions. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I like to relate questions to something in everyday life that the students would be more familiar with. This makes them more comfortable and confident in answering a question. I then take their answer and relate it back to the topic of discussion.
Hi Kathryn, Students do really like to relate the concepts that they are learning to their personal experiences. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Jose, Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, students really do enjoy playing games as part of their learning. I know that as an instructor, I have fun as well!
Susan Polick
The techniques that I try to use is to target questions even when the lesson gets difficult, because I know that my students are within the range of the ability of the class , so my technique is to challenge my student.
I don’t teach but I suggested to some professor that a good way to ask questions to students is the open ended questions because open ended questions allow respondents to include more information.
I encourage my students to discuss their personal experiences and interests when we are discussing ideas and concepts, it seems to get them to loosen up and more apt to join the discussion. I also like to have students ask follow up questions to other students' answers.
The BP Executive story about his comments related to the "small people" can be found at this link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/16/national/main6589819.shtml
Youtube video is available, although I've noticed since the incident, the videos that are provided are of lesser quality and sometimes come with comments from the uploader I'd rather not let students view as it could get the discussion off on the wrong foot.
Hope that helps :)
I use questioning games like trivia this makes it fun to want to participate and learn.
Hi Dennis, As you mention, building confidence through questioning is the first step to learning! Best wishes- Susan
Susan Polick
turning a boring activity into a fun motivate activity
Hi William, Exactly! if our students understand the relevancy of what they are learning they definitely have more interest and motivation. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Happy Thanksgiving! Susan
Susan Polick
I see using questions as learning chains as important. Beginning with with the simplest concept and building toward principles. This allows students to start slowly, find their footing and build confidence. This can lead to a healthy, empathetic learning environment.
I found that students will have a hard time making a connection between the subject matter they're currently learning and the type field they're trying to get into. Bridging that gap for them and explaining how this applies to their future jobs will create more intrest and curiosity and the questions tend to just flow from there.
I use the at the end of class and beginning of the next and that is have the students ask each other test questions. At the end of the lecture the can use their notes but at the beginning of the next class it has to be questions from memory.
