Blog Post #4

What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher?

    Questions should provoke critical thinking and self exploration, not recitation of memorized information. Of all of the links provided to help answer the above stated question, none struck me as effectively as Ben Johnson's The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom. He pointed out that s yes or no questions, especially when directed at the entire class instead of an individual, is really more of a teacher's way of eschewing responsibility for making sure the entire class understands the material. Instead of asking questions like "Does that make sense?" to an entire classroom where anyone can say yes even if the subject makes no sense to them, teachers should be asking specific questions and then pause before calling on a student, that way all students are thinking of an answer in case they are called upon. This method ,however, only addresses verbal questions. Andi Stix's Open Ended Questions video addresses how a teacher could ask on a written test questions that would better engage the student's critical thinking skills. For example, Stix suggests beginning questions with phrases such as "For what reasons", "In what ways", or instead of a question and instruction such as "Describe in detail".
   As teachers we will need to be aware that not all students are eager to learn or answer questions correctly. The most important function of a question is to cause thought, not necessarily to be correct.