We Have a Problem

Problem Based Learning

Student Facilitated Learning

Socratic Questioning
Socrates was one of the greatest educators who taught by asking questions and thus drawing out (as 'ex duco', meaning to 'lead out', which is the root of 'education') answers from his pupils. Sadly, he martyred himself by drinking hemlock rather than compromise his principles. Bold, but not a good survival strategy. But then he lived very frugally and was known for his eccentricity. His pupils, by the way, include Plato and Aristotle. Plato wrote up much of what we know of him. Here are the six types of questions that Socrates asked his pupils; Probably often to their initial annoyance but more often to their ultimate delight. He was a man of remarkable integrity and his story makes for marvelous reading. The overall purpose, by the way, is to challenge accuracy and completeness of thinking in a way that acts to move people towards their ultimate goal. Don't waste time by doing it for your own gratification. Get your kicks vicariously, from the movement you create. Conceptual clarification questions Get them to think more about what exactly they are asking or thinking about. Prove the concepts behind their argument. Basic 'tell me more' questions that get them to go deeper.

Why are you saying that? What exactly does this mean? How does this relate to what we have been talking about? What is the nature of ...? What do we already know about this? Can you give me an example? Are you saying ... or ... ? Can you rephrase that, please?

Probing assumptions Probing of assumptions makes them think about the presuppositions and unquestioned beliefs on which they are founding their argument. This is shaking the bedrock and should get them really going!

What else could we assume? You seem to be assuming ... ? How did you choose those assumptions? Please explain why/how ... ? How can you verify or disprove that assumption? What would happen if ... ? Do you agree or disagree with ... ?

Probing rationale, reasons and evidence When they give a rationale for their arguments, dig into that reasoning rather than assuming it is a given. People often use un-thought-through or weakly understood supports for their arguments.

Why is that happening? How do you know this? Show me ... ? Can you give me an example of that? What do you think causes ... ? What is the nature of this? Are these reasons good enough? Would it stand up in court? How might it be refuted? How can I be sure of what you are saying? Why is ... happening? Why? (keep asking it -- you'll never get past a few times) What evidence is there to support what you are saying? On what authority are you basing your argument?

Questioning viewpoints and perspectives Most arguments are given from a particular position. So attack the position. Show that there are other, equally valid, viewpoints.

Another way of looking at this is ..., does this seem reasonable? What alternative ways of looking at this are there? Why it is ... necessary? Who benefits from this? What is the difference between... and...? Why is it better than ...? What are the strengths and weaknesses of...? How are ... and ... similar? What would ... say about it? What if you compared ... and ... ? How could you look another way at this?

Probe implications and consequences The argument that they give may have logical implications that can be forecast. Do these make sense? Are they desirable?

Then what would happen? What are the consequences of that assumption? How could ... be used to ... ? What are the implications of ... ? How does ... affect ... ? How does ... fit with what we learned before? Why is ... important? What is the best ... ? Why?

Questions about the question And you can also get reflexive about the whole thing, turning the question in on itself. Use their attack against themselves. Bounce the ball back into their court. Etc.

What was the point of asking that question? Why do you think I asked this question? What does that mean?

Blooms Taxonomy
Category Knowledge: Recall data or information. Example and Key Words Examples: Recite a policy. Quote prices from memory to a customer. Knows the safety rules. Key Words: defines, describes, identifies, knows, labels, lists, matches, names, outlines, recalls, recognizes, reproduces, selects, states. Comprehension: Understand the meaning, translation, interpolation, and interpretation of instructions and problems. State a problem in one's own words. Examples: Rewrites the principles of test writing. Explain in ones own words the steps for performing a complex task. Translates an equation into a computer spreadsheet. Key Words: comprehends, converts, defends, distinguishes, estimates, explains, extends, generalizes, gives Examples, infers, interprets, paraphrases, predicts, rewrites, summarizes, translates. Application: Use a concept in a new situation or unprompted use of an abstraction. Applies what was learned in the classroom into novel situations in the work place. Examples: Use a manual to calculate an employees vacation time. Apply laws of statistics to evaluate the reliability of a written test. Key Words: applies, changes, computes, constructs, demonstrates, discovers, manipulates, modifies, operates, predicts, prepares, produces, relates, shows, solves, uses. Analysis: Separates material or concepts into component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood. Distinguishes between facts and inferences. Examples: Troubleshoot a piece of equipment by using logical deduction. Recognize logical fallacies in reasoning. Gathers information from a department and selects the required tasks for training. Key Words: analyzes, breaks down, compares, contrasts, diagrams, deconstructs, differentiates, discriminates, distinguishes, identifies, illustrates, infers, outlines, relates, selects, separates. Synthesis: Builds a structure or pattern from diverse elements. Put parts together to form a whole, with emphasis on creating a new meaning or structure. Examples: Write a company operations or process manual. Design a machine to perform a specific task. Integrates training from several sources to solve a problem. Revises and process to improve the outcome.

Key Words: categorizes, combines, compiles, composes, creates, devises, designs, explains, generates, modifies, organizes, plans, rearranges, reconstructs, relates, reorganizes, revises, rewrites, summarizes, tells, writes. Evaluation: Make judgments about the value of ideas or materials. Examples: Select the most effective solution. Hire the most qualified candidate. Explain and justify a new budget. Key Words: appraises, compares, concludes, contrasts, criticizes, critiques, defends, describes, discriminates, evaluates, explains, interprets, justifies, relates, summarizes, supports.

Key SEL Competencies

Core SEL Skills Description Identifying and recognizing emotions Accurate self-perception Recognizing strengths, needs and values Self-efficacy Spirituality Perspective taking Empathy Appreciating diversity Respect for others Impulse control and stress management Self-motivation and discipline Goal setting and organizational skills Communication, social engagement and building relationships Working cooperatively Negotiation, refusal and conflict management Seeking and providing help Problem identification and situation analysis Problem solving Evaluation and reflection Personal, moral and ethical responsibility

Self Awareness

Social Awareness

Self Management

Relationship Management

Responsible Decision Making

3-2-1- RIQ
Rationale: An important element of movie analysis is the ability to summarize what was viewed. Summarizing requires viewers to focus on the major elements of a movie and to decide what is important. When watching movies, this strategy helps viewers by allowing them to review what they watched. Steps: The idea is to summarize some key ideas, rethink them in order to focus on those that one is most intrigued by, and then pose a question that can reveal where understanding is still uncertain. Students fill out a 3-2-1 chart with something like this:

3 Things You Found Out 2 Interesting Things 1 Question You Still Have

Now, that's just the suggested version. Depending upon what a teachers focus is, the strategy can be modified anyway that deems necessary. For instance, if a class has just been studying the transition from feudalism to the rise of nation-states, you might have students write down the following:

3 differences between feudalism and nation-states 2 effects of feudalism on economy 1 question they still have about the topic

In an elementary classroom this strategy would work well with a variety of content topics found within science and social studies standards. When studying animals and their habitats, a primary teacher can use the 3-2-1 Strategy to have students dive into the text and relate to their new knowledge.

3 ways in which animals have adapted to living in the Arctic 2 characteristics of the climate of the Arctic 1 question about animals living in the Arctic

Below is an example using Spiderman 3 for upper elementary teachers.

Describe 3 ways Peter Parkers behavior changes in the moviewhy and how? Describe 2 characters and their relationship to each other Provide 1 question about something you, at first, found confusing in the movie, then explain how and where it was resolved

How to Use the Strategy: This strategy can be used as a post-movie watching activity (as described above) after the students finish watching a movie. It could be a strategy that teachers and students build together as they learn more of the related content. The choice is up to the instructor on when he/she best feels it

would be appropriate. Make sure you first model how to use the strategy to your students and explain how and why you chose the 3-2-1 points. Ideas for Assessment: One of our goals is to maximize students interaction with movies - the more students get involved with the movie, the higher the probability of comprehending themes or morals contained within the movie. Student responses form the basis for class discussion of the movie and will help the teacher informally assess students understanding of key concepts. The students are motivated because the discussion is based on the ideas that they found, that they addressed, and that they brought to class. While evaluating the students written work, its important to keep in mind the following responses:

Concepts/ideas relevant or key to the content/topic at hand Look for critical thinking questions Group like questions together Eliminate responses that definitely do not fit Discuss the responses with the class - focus on how responses show understanding of the content/topic at hand

Mind Mapping

So, what does it look like from a process perspective? In general, students and teachers will follow a problem solving sequence, whether consciously or subconsciously. The basic steps in this problem-solving process are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Teacher presents the problem up front before any content is introduced. Explore the issues involved. Define the problem(s). Investigate potential solutions. Research the knowledge required for solutions. Document problem solution. Review team performance.**

After the problem is introduced, the remaining steps are the responsibility of the students. The teacher's role is to guide them through these steps on their way to a solution.

Define Integrated Curriculum

Integrated Approach to

and

Meaningful and Holistic

Experiential Component

Notes