Question Discussion
Session 10
Date: Tue Nov 2, 2004 8:29
pm
Author: Barnett, Latonya
<[email protected]>
Subject: Rethinking Research
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Summary: What do I want to
remember from this chapter .... “We can't expect students to produce
outstanding research papers unless we teach them strategies for gathering information,
analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating that information through critical
thinking.”
Ms. Simmons also uses a
research-based activity the "Unanswerable Question" to help her
students “to use inferential and deductive thinking skills” to generate answers
to discussion questions. “After the students have finished reading and
discussing a literary selection, she ask each of them to write three
still-unanswered questions on 3 x 5 cards.” She and the students answer the
literal questions together, then she “distributes the critical thinking
questions to groups, with instructions to generate all answers. The answer must
be based on three pieces of textual evidence, although they can use other
sources in addition to the text....
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Current Forum: Session 10:
Journal Articles Discussion/prep for Digital Portfolio
Date: Tue Nov 2, 2004 10:58
pm
Author: Gentry, Pamela
<[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Rethinking
Research
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Latonya- I like how this
author involved her students in generating questions about their reading. This
was a great activity for developing critical thinking and for evaluating where
her students are in their development of critical thinking. She encouraged
everyone's participation by answering the literal questions together as a
class. She also helped the students to see that there are different levels of
questioning and encouraged deeper thinking by engaging the students in finding
all possible answers to the less literal questions through collaboration. The
ability to engage in this kind of questioning in response to reading is linked
pretty closely with comprehension. By practicing the asking of questions as a
class, she is facilitating further development.
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Date: Wed Nov 3, 2004 10:29 pm
Author: Barney, Katherine
<[email protected]>
Subject: article 2
Rethinking Research
Simmons, E. (1999)
Rethinking Research, English Journal 89:1
Summary:
Simmons points out that the
most important skill to be learned in research is the ability to think.
Students are used to having the answers laid out right before them... “Research
is a process, not a product, and the most important skill is thinking.” The author
provided several activities that he has used to teach research skills and
encourage thinking... “Unanswerable Question.” After students have finished
reading and discussing a literary selection they are directed to write three
questions down that have not been answered. The class answers the literal
questions together. The critical thinking questions are distributed to groups
to generate an answer. They must use three pieces of textual evidence to
support their response. An example question was “Why is the devil always
portrayed in black?”
Discussion:
I try to encourage my
students to find their own answer, but sometimes there is so much material to
cover that I use the resources that have the answers and questions all on one
page. I think I will slow down and give my students the opportunity to find
their own answers more often. I like both of the activities I mentioned above
to use in my classroom. Does this make anyone think of an activity that
addresses encouraging students to think?
Date: Thu Nov 4, 2004 8:06
pm
Author: Gentry, Pamela
<[email protected]>
Subject: Re: article 2
Rethinking Research
I REALLY like this
Unanswerable Question activity. I think that what is so dynamic about the
Unanswerable Question activity is that it encourages students to evaluate and
reflect on their own questions! It came up in another reading someone else did
above. Asking good questions as a teacher is a step toward generating more
critical thinking in our students ... but getting THEM to form good questions
is even better ... and perhaps harder.
Kids do naturally ask
questions every day - especially at the lower grades before they learn their
role is fill-in-the-blanks. A simple thing to do is to affirm and focus on the
questions that they do ask ... and then follow up.
Like the day that a little
boy asked me, "where does all the water go when you pour it in the
sand?"..."ahh. Good question. You are thinking like a scientist! How
could we find out?" We took time to work the problem and eventually even
poured water into different medium in a clear plast container and watched ...
and asked more questions ...and measured how much each medium would hold.