You don't want to miss out on our first session on Creating a Culture of inquiry and Why to use essential questions in the classroom tonight on twitter @ 6 pm CST Make sure to use #MMPD so that we can all see your contribution!
If you've not read Essential Questions by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, in the first question I'm referring to the three types of goals I discussed in this post.
If nothing else, take Chris Anderson's advice and use essential questions to "stay curious!"
Today we're going to discuss chapter two of Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Understanding. Wiggins and McTighe give us 7 different reasons to use essential questions and today we're going to delve into those reasons.
In this day and age, we are living in the culture of instant knowledge. Information is literally at our fingertips. With this thought, I realized as an educator it is not my job to impart knowledge but to spark curiosity; encourage our next generation to ask those questions, and give them opportunities to practice this inquiry. Wiggins and McTighe state that to signal this is a key goal in education, we need to use and encourage our students to use, essential questions.
Let's talk student engagement. What does engagement look like for you? Engagement goes far beyond compliance. Engagement is a sparked curiosity. A love of learning is engagement. How do you make engagement happen in our room? Do we use essential questions? How can we use essential questions to spark curiosity?
Standards!? This might just be a curse word for teachers. But wait, Wiggins and McTighe (2013) are on to something when they say,
Nearly every teacher we know faces a common challenge: there is simply too much content and not enough time to teach it all optimally. Yet there is a paradoxical quality to planning and teaching once all the content has been specified: it seems to the teacher as if everything is important, and that it is all connected- that's why it was chosen! But if everything is important and connected, then nothing is self-evidently important from the learner's perspective.
...one of our criteria for an essential question is that it points to the larger, transferable ideas and processes in standards. Indeed, essential questions offer a practical vehicle for prioritizing the content in standards and enabling teachers to focus subject matter in a way that makes the key ideas more overt. (pg. 20)
A good way to think about this idea is to think about the Common Core (this is not a reference in support of or disagreement with The Common Core State Standards.) Our district adopted Build Your Own Curriculum (again not an endorsement or an opinion) this year which is also helping me also put this into perspective.
So I'm going to tell you how this curriculum works. It is set up from the top down. The top being the course, or in this instance ELA (English Language Arts). The next level of focus is the unit - a.k.a. over arching essential questions (or if you will, ELA Common Core Anchor Standards) Which narrows down to topics -a.k.a topical essential questions (or if you will, ELA Common Core Standards). Which can also be known as "learning targets" or the tip of the triangle.
Some may argue that providing transparency for students is more harmful then helpful. Isn't that just giving the students the answers or taking opportunities from them to figure things out on their own? No, what transparency does for students is give them a focus and a purpose. Their job is to take this knowledge to the next level. Apply it to a real life scenario. Determine how it could be used in the context of what's important to them. It will model for them that the act of transparency is a life skill that will serve them in situations that need problem solving and basic human interaction.
The use of essential questions is a great way to model meta-cognition. To be successful in any field, understanding how to ask and use essential questions is vital. By teaching students how to ask and use essential questions, we're modeling a life skill that they will be able to transfer into strategies for future use. That's not to say that students shouldn't come up with questions on their own because they should. It's the finding of balance between teaching and learning that will make this process successful for all.
Essential questions, when used authentically, can solidify connections within and amongst a variety of subjects. Due to all the new brain studies on learning it is widely known that connections solidify deep and significant learning. This meets our overarching goals of transfer and application of knowledge.
And last but certainly not least, a subject that is near and dear to my heart...differentiation. Essential questions can support meaningful differentiation. Yes, I said meaningful. Unfortunately, I've seen and have been known to set a different set of standards for struggling readers. Using essential questions will encourage this exact action not to happen. Essential questions signal to everyone that everyone is capable of learning. With the focus on the question and not the content, everyone will find some success, which may not be what they typically experience.
I'm going to wrap it up now. Don't forget to join us tomorrow, July 10th for the twitter chat. It will begin at 6 pm CST.
Also don't forget I will post question in the forum. Feel free to use them or your own questions to start up a discussion.
I look forward to sharing chapt. 1 with you next Tuesday, July 14th.
I choose to start this study with chapter six because this is at the heart of my professional development plan. For several years I've been searching for the best way to execute the "ideal" intervention program that meets the goals of my district. I'm very fortunate to be in a district that encourages growth and change, strong collaborative teamwork, and inquiry. So this has been, and I'm sure will continue to be, an ongoing learning process.
You might be thinking McTighe & Wiggins put this chapter at the end for a reason. And I'm sure they did have their reasons. For me, understanding the 8 elements that support a culture of inquiry is the first step in understanding why and how essential questions are so important. Wiggins & Grant mention and at the beginning of this chapter that the longer students are in school the lower their levels of curiosity regarding academics becomes. This breaks my heart. I do however, love that they focus on what we can do to change this.
The first element of supporting a culture of inquiry is to reflect & analyze whether or not our teaching practices align with our goals. We all want our kiddos to be self-regulated critical thinkers. But do we show them that in our traditional teaching methods?
I like how they break learning goals into 3 types and explain the teacher's role in each. If you've not read Wiggins & McTighe's Understanding by Design, you should. Reading this will help you better understand that each learning goal has it place in our lessons and we must learn to balance them all. (such is life)
The next element is an important one. It includes understanding the role of the question, the teacher and the student. The role of the question is to establish that it is the question that matters, not the answer. This is a tough one. If there is no right or wrong answer how do we measure their learning? Right? I could tell you my thinking on this but I want you to have your own ideas. We can share in the comments below & in the forum.
The role of the teacher- what is our role? Are we "the almighty" givers of information or are we facilitators of student thinking? Is there a time for both?
The role of the student - It is very important that they understand how to have a conversation; that there is a time for them to speak and a time for them to listen. They need to understand that just because someone has a different response then theirs doesn't make their response right and the others wrong. They need to know how to continuously ask questions and probe for deeper understanding.
Another equally important element is establishing "norms" or explicit protocols for discussions. We're human. We require social interaction to stay emotionally and mentally healthy. Kids are no different. When we begin handing over our class to our students there needs to be clear guidelines and expectations that remain the same. How do you establish norms? Is it a discussion that you have with your students? Or are they in place before your students enter the classroom?
Let's not forget one of the most important elements of supporting an inquisitive culture - establishing a safe and supportive environment. We are afraid of failure. We don't want to look dumb or say the wrong thing so sometimes we don't say anything at all. I imagine this is what our students feel like when our discussions are led by questions that require a "correct" answer. Or when they do speak up and others don't agree and they get shamed.
It is vital that a culture of respect be established right away. No answers are wrong - some just need a little more discussion and/or explanation. Our kids need to know that, respect that and practice that. It will make them more productive members of society when they do find them selves out in the "real world."
Walking into any learning space will immediately clue you into how things work. When I walk into a traditional classroom with desks all facing forward in straight rows I see compliance. I see teachers as lecturers and students as vessels having a hard time filling up. When I walk into a room that has desks in "pods" facing a team of classmates collaborating I see engagement. I see teachers moving around the space and facilitating thinking with individuals and small groups. These are things to keep in mind when creating a culture of inquiry in your classroom.
How we use our time inside & outside the classroom is vital in creating an inquiry culture. Being able to hand over your "teaching" time and utilizing technology to give us opportunities to do some of our teaching outside of class, lends more in class time for inquiry and collaboration. This should be when you step in as the "facilitator" to guide deeper thinking about the topics at hand.
We have several tools at our disposal that may be being used inappropriately. Textbooks and technology are tools not curriculum. How we use these tools will determine what we think education is. If we utilize these tools in such a manner that shows these are the skills that need to be mastered before they take this "test," then we are showing that we think education is about passing some test. If we utilize these tools in a manner that shows these can be used to support creative, innovative, and collaborative work then we are showing that we think education is about being inquisitive, using creativity to problem solve and the ability to work collaboratively with a team. What is your definition? Do you portray that to your students? their parents?
Last but certainly not least, element 8: How we use assessments. Wiggins and McTighe quote the old truism,"We measure what we value." So if we're measuring content recall and basic knowledge with our assessments then that's what they will see that we value. If we want them to know that we value inquiry, and in depth thinking we need to show that by using assessments & rubrics that require inquisitive & thoughtful responses to inquisitive and thought provoking questions. How can we use this information in our classroom? How do we change thought processes of others to see the need for a change in how we assess?
Don't miss chapter 2's discussion Thursday, July 9th. Join in on the forum discussion, as well, by checking out the forum!
I'm getting super excited to launch this site and this year's book study in just five days! If you haven't heard yet, we'll be studying Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe's Essential Questions. Some of you may have already studied this book, it is a couple of years old. I choose this book to study because it applies to my Professional Development Plan of creating a culture of inquiry in my classroom. So, if you have studied and are using these strategies in your class I'd love to hear from you! If you haven't studied this book and want to learn more about essential questions and the role they play in creating a culture of inquiry in your classroom then join in and learn with me!
So I'm going to tell you a little about the book. It is a guide to everyone involved in the learning process on how to use essential questions to build engaging curriculum, guide instruction and create critical thinkers. In the intervention setting, it's become habitual for me to teach to the skill and guide learners on a very literal level. And I've been racking my brain as to why my students were having such a hard time thinking. Well, duh...
This book claims to explain why essential questions are so important, explores defining characteristics of EQs, distinguishes between topical and over-arching questions, gives rational for using EQs in units of study, and shows us how to create EQs working from standards or desired outcomes.
I have no idea what this is going to look like yet but I hope to transform my classroom into a culture of inquiry. I look forward to sharing the journey with you!
I will officially start blogging chapter 6 on July 7th. Click the graphic for a copy of the first study guide. It includes the weekly schedule and assigned chapters, a study guide for you to print out if you prefer writing notes as you read, questions to discuss in twitter chats and forum discussions, and extra resources. At the end of each post I will include the next study guide. (these are just tools you can use if you choose to, there are no rules stating you have to use or following the study guide)
For those of you unfamiliar with the way I've set up similar book studies, I created a document on how you can participate in the study. Click the image below to download the file.
I'm so excited to be hosting Wiggins and McTighe's Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Understanding this summer! I'm on a journey to transform my intervention program to a more student-centered experience in hopes that I'll see more growth in my struggling readers. My thinking is if I can get them to have a purpose and understanding that learning is a process that they have to create and follow through that they will be successful no matter what they do! I've always believed in my students. I've tried to share that passion with them but not all of them would buy in. I was still leaving students behind. I'M. NOT. GOING. TO. DO. THAT. ANYMORE!
Join me on my journey starting July 6th to transforming my intervention program! Amazon's description:
What are essential questions, and how do they differ from other kinds of questions? What's so great about them? Why should you design and use essential questions in your classroom? Essential questions (EQs) help target standards as you organize curriculum content into coherent units that yield focused and thoughtful learning. In the classroom, EQs are used to stimulate students discussions and promote a deeper understanding of the content. Whether you are an Understanding by Design (UbD) devotee or are searching for ways to address standards local or Common Core State Standards in an engaging way, Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins provide practical guidance on how to design, initiate, and embed inquiry-based teaching and learning in your classroom. Offering dozens of examples, the authors explore the usefulness of EQs in all K-12 content areas, including skill-based areas such as math, PE, language instruction, and arts education. As an important element of their backward design approach to designing curriculum, instruction, and assessment, the authors *Give a comprehensive explanation of why EQs are so important; *Explore seven defining characteristics of EQs; *Distinguish between topical and overarching questions and their uses; *Outline the rationale for using EQs as the focal point in creating units of study; and *Show how to create effective EQs, working from sources including standards, desired understandings, and student misconceptions. Using essential questions can be challenging for both teachers and students and this book provides guidance through practical and proven processes, as well as suggested response strategies to encourage student engagement. Finally, you will learn how to create a culture of inquiry so that all members of the educational community students, teachers, and administrators benefit from the increased rigor and deepened understanding that emerge when essential questions become a guiding force for learners of all ages.
You can sign up using the sign up form in the sidebar! I look forward to learning with you all!
I created this space hoping to create a space for educators to come together and share their learning and experiences as educators. My intention is to make this a safe collaborative space that supports all educators.
At this point the site is bare bones. I intend for it to change and grow as others join and become administrators. This site does not belong to any one person but to educators as a collective. I hope you take the time to really check things out! Offer ideas and become a part of the team!
Site Mission: This site will provide an open community of like-minded educators who only want to be the best teacher they can be. It will offer forums that host book studies, collaborative teams, and research teams. It will offer opportunities to share individual teacher findings in and outside the classroom logging the journey of what an educator truly does.
The next element is an important one. It includes understanding the role of the question, the teacher and the student. The role of the question is to establish that it is the question that matters, not the answer. This is a tough one. If there is no right or wrong answer how do we measure their learning? Right? I could tell you my thinking on this but I want you to have your own ideas. We can share in the comments below & in the forum.
Let's not forget one of the most important elements of supporting an inquisitive culture - establishing a safe and supportive environment. We are afraid of failure. We don't want to look dumb or say the wrong thing so sometimes we don't say anything at all. I imagine this is what our students feel like when our discussions are led by questions that require a "correct" answer. Or when they do speak up and others don't agree and they get shamed.
How we use our time inside & outside the classroom is vital in creating an inquiry culture. Being able to hand over your "teaching" time and utilizing technology to give us opportunities to do some of our teaching outside of class, lends more in class time for inquiry and collaboration. This should be when you step in as the "facilitator" to guide deeper thinking about the topics at hand. 
Last but certainly not least, element 8: How we use assessments. Wiggins and McTighe quote the old truism,"We measure what we value." So if we're measuring content recall and basic knowledge with our assessments then that's what they will see that we value. If we want them to know that we value inquiry, and in depth thinking we need to show that by using assessments & rubrics that require inquisitive & thoughtful responses to inquisitive and thought provoking questions. How can we use this information in our classroom? How do we change thought processes of others to see the need for a change in how we assess?
