October 8, 1999
From
Questioning Techniques for Gifted Students
By
Jo Painter
Richard
Paul emphasizes the importance of what he calls Socratic questions.
These
are questions which probe the underlying logic or structure of our
thinking
and enable us to make reasonable judgements.
He discusses six types
of
questions:
1. Questions
of clarification:
What do you mean by that?
Can you give me an example?
2. Questions
that probe assumptions:
What
is being assumed?
Why
would somebody say that?
3. Questions
that probe reason and evidence:
What
are your reasons for saying that?
What
criteria do you base that argument on?
4. Questions
that probe implications and consequences:
What
might be the consequences of behaving like that?
Do
you think you might be jumping to conclusions?
5. Questions
about viewpoints or perspectives:
What
would be another way of saying that?
How
do Maria's ideas differ from Peter's?
6. Questions
about the question:
How
is that question going to help us?
Can
you think of any other questions that might help us?
As
can be seen by these examples, Socratic questions are open and if used
appropriately can stimulate inquiry and exploration.
By
Pat Huddy, Art Teacher, York High School, George, South Africa
Pat Huddy says the trees give him tremendous clarity and focus. Pat's classes are frequently 30 - 40 students strong and he teaches 5 classes of 50 minutes a day. With these odds, he certainly needs an effective tool !
Action:
- The learners are to mix three favourite
colours in palettes.
- This palette is then to be swopped with
that of a classmate.
- Pupils are to
paint what they see in the framing of the window, using the three colours and
white.
- Only one period allowed, so work must be
free and painterly.
Reason:
Trying
different colour alternatives will enrich the learner's work.
New Situation:
Learners have been
encouraged to work with colours that they don't normally use.
Obstacle:
Learners
have not had the opportunity to experiment with the possibilities of
alternative
colour.
Need:
Learners
need to experiment with a range of colour alternatives.
Action:
- Learners must bring a piece of hardboard
to school with them.
- This hardboard
will be coated with primer and on top of that a composition, based on a
favourite song, will be incised.
- Ink will be
rolled on the hardboard and then wiped off so that it remains in the grooves.
- A number of prints will be made from the
woodcut.
- Using flat washes of colour, a number of
different colour alternatives will
be
explored.
Reason:
Learners
will be more inclined to think of alternative colour choices if they
are
encouraged to experiment.
New Situation:
The
learners are better equipped to consider colour alternatives.
Kathy Suerken, our TOC for Education President, was spotted in the Detroit, Michigan area last week, visiting schools and educators who are using TOC. It was easy to see why educators were anxious to share how they were using the tools. Look forward to a complete report in TACTics soon.
Rami QUIZ NO. 5:
(Repeated to allow more
TOCFE folks to contribute their thoughts.)
If
[The student doesn’t know the material for the test.] and (in a banana) if [The
student doesn’t learn in class or at home.] then [There is a high chance that
the student
fails the test.]
Send
all answers to: baughca @aol.com and/or
bucknek@resa.net
Or
to: Cheryl A. Baugh
27731 Lathrup Blvd.
Lathrup Village,MI 48076 USA
"Quote"
"The
important thing is not to stop questioning." — Albert Einstein