“The best questions push us to the heart of things-the essence” (Understanding by Design, p: 107).
As the author tries to tell us in this chapter, the challenge in designing is to start planning from an essential question, organize our programs, courses, unit of study, lessons and everything related to teaching around the essential questions, and make the content answer those questions.
The aim of education is not just teaching and learning things for an evaluation (as most of our students do), our students need to realize how questioning everything around, could guide them to knowledge and understanding. Questions can be seen as doorways through which students can explore new concepts, theories, and unsolved problems and, through this process of questioning, is how students get involved in the process of learning and understanding.
Good questions not only promote understanding but also allow students to make connections and promote new ideas to others.
Right, and many educators I know have an incorrect understanding of how this questioning should be used, and the appropriate kind of questions to be asked. They define essential questions as “questions that are not answerable with finality in a brief sentence… Their aim is to stimulate thought, to provoke inquiry, and to spark more questions — including thoughtful student questions — not just pat answers” (106). This chapter clarifies that concept clearly.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand what you guys are talking about. The most common idea us teachers have of questioning is that serves to the only purpose of evaluating and grading students....
ReplyDeleteThat's very common...using questions that need just one expected answer and at the same time this kind of practice make our students used to those questions.
ReplyDeleteI think that questions are very important not only for assessing our students but to develop understanding and critical and creative thinking as well.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with all of you guys. It's fundamental that we all start using questions in the best possible way to get real understanding and reasoning from our students.
ReplyDeleteIf we want to start making changes, we have to be the ones who avoid teaching because of a test. Most students are only concerned about marks; this is because our educational system reinforces that practice.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter, as many of those we have read, just propose what is needed in the classroom...
ReplyDeleteCan anyone say how is the real way to achieve this???
Ideas are not enough, but the action itself...
I see English class as a practical one, a class were students practice using and understanding English rather than thinking and reflecting about it, I really do not see the point of looking for essential questions. I would prefer to ask questions about interesting topics to encourage students using the language.
ReplyDeleteTo have and to know the essential questions for you, will help you to give a direction to your class and some kind of guideline to your students. They need to know where they go and why they are doing what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteAccording to my point of view, an English class is a step by step process. Teachers always find things so easy and most of the times we just do not remember how difficult it was. In my class, I just try to make things the easier as possible instead of the interesting or "deep".
ReplyDeleteI think you are right when you consider questions as doorways which can make students active participants in their own road. In this way , learners could become more autonomous.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is important to stimulate or promote inquiry questions to students, but how? they need to enhance critical thinking, but it is not an easy job.
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