"The more you ask questions, the more thoughts come to your head and it helps expand your learning."
After completing Student Step 1 - Know the Four Rules, it is now time to unleash the divergent thinking!
Process
1. Using the same groups the students discussed the rules, one person from the group needs to agree to be the scribe to write down the questions.
2. Teacher - Introduce the Driving Question. Repeat the Driving as needed but do not explain it.
3. Teacher - Instruct the students to produce questions. Remind the students to make sure to follow the rules and to number each question they produce. Let students know the amount of time to produce questions, about 5 minutes will be sufficient to produce enough questions for the next step in the process. Ideally, teacher, this is where you can step to the side, wander around the room, and listen in as the students are generating their own questions.
4. Students produce questions.
5. Teacher - Monitor students as they work in their small groups. When you see/hear a problem - for example, one group is stopping to discuss a question - your job is to simply bring them back to the rules and their task.
TROUBLESHOOTING PRODUCING QUESTIONS
Rule 1: Ask As Many Questions as You Can (Gives License to Ask). There are a number of potential stumbling blocks related to this rule, including:
• Students struggle trying to produce the questions: Give them time to think. Repeat the Driving Question and the rules but do not give examples of questions.
• Students ask for examples:
Do not give examples. Repeat: Do not give examples. When you give examples you are setting direction for the questions. Students need to struggle with this a bit. If they are completely stuck, you can use question starters. For example: “You can start a question with words like what, when, or how. Use one of these words to produce a question about [our Driving Question].” Questions starters will be a good strategy for when students are stuck or when they have produced very few questions.
• Groups are working at different pace: While some of your small groups will have lots of questions, others will not. This is fine. The work during this exercise should not be judged by the number of questions students produced. If some of your groups are slow in producing questions, just make sure they stay on task by reminding them of the rules.
• Some students are not participating or one student is producing all the questions: Remind students about the task and the rules. All group members should contribute questions including the scribe. Remind students of this first rule. All questions are welcomed and valued which will allow the reluctant student to participate.
Rule 2: Do Not Stop to Discuss, Judge, or Answer Any Question (Creates Safe Space and Protection).
Students want to answer a question as it comes up. This rule says it all: do not stop to answer, judge, or discuss. Let students know that there will be opportunities for discussion and addressing the questions in other steps of the process.
Rule 3: Write Down Every Question Exactly as It Is Stated (Levels the Playing Field So All Questions and Voices Are Respected).
Sometimes it will be difficult for the scribe to keep track of the questions and all the words. The challenge is to make sure each question is captured, especially if there’s a flurry of questions. Remind students that the whole group is responsible for each question to be written exactly as it was asked. Group members can help the scribe in remembering and recording all the questions. Change Any Statement into a Question (Insists on the Discipline of Phrasing, Asking, and Thinking in Questions, Not Statement). Potential challenges that may arise with rule 4 include:
• Students get off task and start talking: Make sure students stay focused on asking questions. Sometimes you will see students getting off task—talking or discussing. Other times they might think they have asked a question when they have not, using statements or even phrases rather than questions. If you see any of these happening, just ask them to change what they were talking about or ask them to change the statement they wrote into a question.
• Students are confused about the instructions: Confusion could be a result of requesting students to work differently. Repeat the QFocus and the rules to clarify but do not overexplain.
• The Driving Question is not working: It is important to have a backup plan if the Driving Question doesn’t work. Plan
After completing Student Step 1 - Know the Four Rules, it is now time to unleash the divergent thinking!
Process
1. Using the same groups the students discussed the rules, one person from the group needs to agree to be the scribe to write down the questions.
2. Teacher - Introduce the Driving Question. Repeat the Driving as needed but do not explain it.
3. Teacher - Instruct the students to produce questions. Remind the students to make sure to follow the rules and to number each question they produce. Let students know the amount of time to produce questions, about 5 minutes will be sufficient to produce enough questions for the next step in the process. Ideally, teacher, this is where you can step to the side, wander around the room, and listen in as the students are generating their own questions.
4. Students produce questions.
5. Teacher - Monitor students as they work in their small groups. When you see/hear a problem - for example, one group is stopping to discuss a question - your job is to simply bring them back to the rules and their task.
TROUBLESHOOTING PRODUCING QUESTIONS
Rule 1: Ask As Many Questions as You Can (Gives License to Ask). There are a number of potential stumbling blocks related to this rule, including:
• Students struggle trying to produce the questions: Give them time to think. Repeat the Driving Question and the rules but do not give examples of questions.
• Students ask for examples:
Do not give examples. Repeat: Do not give examples. When you give examples you are setting direction for the questions. Students need to struggle with this a bit. If they are completely stuck, you can use question starters. For example: “You can start a question with words like what, when, or how. Use one of these words to produce a question about [our Driving Question].” Questions starters will be a good strategy for when students are stuck or when they have produced very few questions.
• Groups are working at different pace: While some of your small groups will have lots of questions, others will not. This is fine. The work during this exercise should not be judged by the number of questions students produced. If some of your groups are slow in producing questions, just make sure they stay on task by reminding them of the rules.
• Some students are not participating or one student is producing all the questions: Remind students about the task and the rules. All group members should contribute questions including the scribe. Remind students of this first rule. All questions are welcomed and valued which will allow the reluctant student to participate.
Rule 2: Do Not Stop to Discuss, Judge, or Answer Any Question (Creates Safe Space and Protection).
Students want to answer a question as it comes up. This rule says it all: do not stop to answer, judge, or discuss. Let students know that there will be opportunities for discussion and addressing the questions in other steps of the process.
Rule 3: Write Down Every Question Exactly as It Is Stated (Levels the Playing Field So All Questions and Voices Are Respected).
Sometimes it will be difficult for the scribe to keep track of the questions and all the words. The challenge is to make sure each question is captured, especially if there’s a flurry of questions. Remind students that the whole group is responsible for each question to be written exactly as it was asked. Group members can help the scribe in remembering and recording all the questions. Change Any Statement into a Question (Insists on the Discipline of Phrasing, Asking, and Thinking in Questions, Not Statement). Potential challenges that may arise with rule 4 include:
• Students get off task and start talking: Make sure students stay focused on asking questions. Sometimes you will see students getting off task—talking or discussing. Other times they might think they have asked a question when they have not, using statements or even phrases rather than questions. If you see any of these happening, just ask them to change what they were talking about or ask them to change the statement they wrote into a question.
• Students are confused about the instructions: Confusion could be a result of requesting students to work differently. Repeat the QFocus and the rules to clarify but do not overexplain.
• The Driving Question is not working: It is important to have a backup plan if the Driving Question doesn’t work. Plan