After viewing the Segment 1 video from week 7’s asynchronous component, what surprised you? Why?

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After viewing the first video module, I was most surprised to see how few open ended questions were posed in classrooms. In a place where a lot of assessment has to be done through questioning and having students show their learning, questions need to allow students to share opinions and think critically. While it is still important to have children give facts through closed ended questions, open ended questions are where children can actually apply their learning rather than memorize. I was also surprised about how many questions teachers asked on an average per day. Questioning is obviously a very important part of the profession so it should be done well if used so frequently.

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After viewing the Segment 2 video from Week 7’s asynchronous component, what do YOU need to consider as you are planning questions for instruction? Why?

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There are three steps mentioned in the video to keep in mind when planning questions. First it is important to identify the learning goals. As a teacher it will be important to create questions that can gauge understanding as well as misconceptions connected to the learning goals. Knowing the learning goals can also help me think about open and closed ended questions that will be beneficial to ask students and that will help develop their learning. The second step mentioned is to develop a balance of open and closed questions relating to the learning goals. Close ended questions can help me to gauge students understanding as well as help students recall previous knowledge. Close ended questions are also helpful in that the build student’s confidence which can then lead to students being more willing to participate during deeper, open ended questions. Open ended questions are great for developing a deeper understanding and getting students to reflect on their own learning. The final step mentioned is to anticipate student responses. If I can confront student’s misconceptions through questioning, then I can help guide students learning. Knowing how students will answer can also help direct my lesson and we can work together to correct classroom misconceptions.

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After viewing the Segment 3 video from Week 7’s asynchronous component, what are some potential challenges that you think you may face in attempting to explore students’ thinking via questioning? How might you address these challenges?

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One of the big potential challenges that stands out for me when attempting to explore students’ thinking via questioning is students fear of risk taking. Open ended questions are thought provoking and reflective, but they also have the potential to force students out of their comfort zone. I think that the best way I can address this challenge would be to try and create a classroom environment that encourages risk taking, has a healthy classroom community and is a safe space for students to answer questions freely. Another challenge with questioning would be to try and avoid sticking to close ended questions. As a teacher it is sometimes much easier to ask quick close ended questions than to think of a reflective and deep open ended question. I need to address this by making sure that I prepare my lesson plans with good open ended questions related to the learning goals ahead of time.

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After completing the Growing Success eModule, explain how you will use the achievement charts in your practicum. We will revisit the achievement charts in greater detail in Foundations II, but this serves as an introduction for you.

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I want to use achievement charts as a guide for students learning. I think that they can be used to develop success criteria as well as rubrics so that students know what they need to do to be successful. Achievement charts are also useful for me since I can use them in my assessment of the students to see if they have fulfilled the success criteria that is laid out. Overall, I think it is important for students to be able to see what specific steps that they need to take to reach a particular level of success. It can help students set goals and gauge what they need to do to further their own learning.