asking questions
it is good to ask the students direct questions about the topic
Great suggestion. I can work that in to mix it up even more.
Thanks.
Ben,
I would also encourage you to have them pair up & discuss what questions they may have. This is another safe way of uncovering questions.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I really like this post!
I teach a cirriculum that most programs teach over 2 years in an accelerated program that is 1 year. I teach a topic that is conceptually complex and involved so there is a lot of explanation via lecture and I KNOW they can't absorb it all at once, but when I ask "Any Questions?," all I hear are crickets.
I am going to use the contradictory head shake on my class as well as make everyone write down a question they have from lecture each day and then (recognizing the hand-writing of the more shy students) highlight those questions asked in the next lecture, answer them and praise the question to try to get those students more comfortable in participating.
I would think that occasionally the best questions may not be immediately apparent, so I would probably mix it up by having them come prepared with questions to the next class.
Great stuff!, Thanks
Michael,
I think this is a great strategy to get them talking. Often I'll have a list of questions that students have asked in the past or that I would have if I were studying this & I'll "prime the pump" with these questions & often this helps them open up.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I ask the whole class for questions on a given topic. They will often nod in agreement even if they're not quite understanding what is being discussed. The fear of someone thinking they are stupid often prevents them from asking questions.
I will shake my head no while saying I perfectly understand everything being discussed and then I will say I don't know anything about the topic while nodding my head yes.
Then I will say to the class that nodding yes while saying no to themselves isn't going to fly. I will usually get some chuckles and those students who were affraid to ask questions begin to open up and get the discussion going. I let them know it's okay not to take it all in the first time they hear it. Sometimes it takes hearing it again maybe a different way for things to make sense.
I agree, yet some time an opened question will make the students think harder and go deeper in to understand the topic. even if it may take them a day to go and look up more information or even go back to their notes.
Always repeat the question so everyone understands the question
Hi Allen!
Great! As you know, this is an excellent way to get students involved in learning and building self-esteen. It becomes positive reenforcement for a student.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
I always ask a question when asked a question. The student almost always knows the answer they just needed encouragement to check themselves.
Bryan,
I would like to second your advice of making sure that you know your students. Not only will you put some of your students on the defense, your students who are more vocal will feel neglected.
Deborah Balentine
I fgind that asking questions brings the class together in comunicating about the topics while allowing myself to analyze who is understanding the information and who is not. This can allow me to direct my efforts accordingly.
Dave
Asking questions is my favorite thing to do as an instructor. Students often feel that they are there to absorb information like sponges, which renders them quite passive. However, when I ask questions, I actively insist that they be active in their own learning. I also stress that I am a co-learner with them in the classroom environment. Sometimes this goes exceptionally well and students take great pleasure in teaching me something I "didn't know," such as the latest slang. Since I teach Cultural Diversity and slang often speaks volumes about cultural perceptions of minorities, this isn't so random or off-topic of a discussion as one might think!
The only caution I have about asking direct questions is that you must know your students. Some students see being "singled out" to answer a question as quite hostile; others virtually require such prompting if they are to pay any attention at all. Sometimes we as instructors will make mistakes here, but by watching how students interact with others and how they act during lectures, you can learn a lot about what they need.
Hi Richard!
Good, open-ended questions which challenges the mind of not only one student but all the students in the classroom.
Good job!
Jane Davis
Ed107 Facilitator
