Avoiding the Bulldozer or Raking Approach

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Avoiding the Bulldozer (or Raking) Approach

• The Questioning Process for Success
• Gerry Solomon
• NC DPI

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Objectives

• Be able to articulate the relevance of
  questioning to essential learning skills
• Be able to collaborate with teachers in designing
  questions
• Be able to help students create their own
  questions

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Learning and Innovation Skills Creativity and
Innovation Skills Critical Thinking and Problem
Solving Skills Communication and Collaboration
Skills Information, Media and Technology
Skills Information Literacy Media Literacy ICT
Literacy
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Life and Career Skills Flexibility
Adaptability Initiative Self-Direction Social
Cross-Cultural Skills Productivity
Accountability Leadership Responsibility
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Framework for 21st Century Learning
www.21stcenturyskills.org
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State Board of Education

• The guiding mission of the North Carolina State
  Board of Education is that every public school
  student will graduate from high school, globally
  competitive for work and postsecondary education
  and prepared for life in the 21st century.

http//www.ncpublicschools.org/state_board/AboutSB
E.html
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• Why do students get frustrated with research?

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Where do I start?
What am I looking for?
Is this what I need?
Why, Why am I doing this?
What do I do with ALL this information?
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Ending Topical Research!

• If we keep assigning topics, students will
  drive their earth moving equipment through the
  information landfill, pleased by the height and
  depth of the piles.

McKenzie, Jamie. "Putting an End to Topical
Research." From Now On. Vol 16 No 3. February
2007. Date Accessed 2 20 2007 lthttp//www.fno.org
/feb07/topic.htmlgt.
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The Global Challenge
To be competitive now, U.S. students must
develop sophisticated critical thinking and
analytical skills to manage the conceptual nature
of the work they will do. They will need to be
able to recognize patterns, create narrative, and
imagine solutions to problems we have yet to
discover. They will have to see the big picture
and ask the big questions.
House, Gerry. "Closing the 'Reality Gap'."
American School Board Journal Special Report,
April 2006. lthttp//www.asbj.com/MainMenuCategory/
Resources.aspx.
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Indicator 1.1.3 Develop and refine a range of
questions to frame the search for new
understanding.

• At Grade 5
• Formulate questions about the topic with
  guidance.
• Predict answers to inquiry questions
• Assess questions to determine which can be
  answered by simple facts and which would lead to
  an interesting inquiry.

Standards for the 21st Century Learner in Action,
Draft 2, AASl, http//www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/a
asl/aaslproftools/standardsinaction/Draft2/All_sec
tions_Draft2.doc
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The Essential Question

• Big idea
• Constructed from information gathered
• How, Why, What If?

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FAT Questions

• Look for connections between information
• Trigger forming an opinion about the information
  found
• Use comparisons and looking for patterns
• Require THOUGHTFUL answers

IN 2 EDU Information Literacy http//www.in2edu.c
om/downloads/infolit/index.htm
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FAT vs. Skinny

• Genetic manipulation
• Immigration
• A Book Character
• Erosion

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Variations

• Why Does It Matter that
• Why Is It Important that

Debra C. Rollins, Assistant Librarian James C.
Bolton Library, Alexandria VA
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Measure the Questions

• Inch Y or N
• Foot One or Two words
• Yard Read and put in your own words
• Mile Think deeply and synthesize

Baltimore Co Public Schools/Office of Library
Information Services
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Supporting Questions

• Help answer the Essential Question
• Fact based
• Who, What, Where, When

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How could advances in the Human Genome project
affect us in the years to come?

• What is the Genome Project?
• What information has been gathered?
• What are scientists doing with the information?
• ?
• ?

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Erosion

• What is erosion?

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Helping Students Ask Meaningful Questions

• Teachers modeling their own questions helps
  students to get into the I wonder mode.

Kuhlthau, Carol, L. K. Maniotes, A. K. Caspari
(2007). Guided Inquiry Learning in the 21st
Century. Westport, CT Libraries Unlimited.
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Helping Students Ask Meaningful Questions

• Brainstorming
• Deep Thinking how/why
• Prompts McKenzie Questioning Toolkit
• Linkages use of evidence

Lamb, Annette and Larry Johnson. Turning Fiascos
into Fiestas Building Successful Inquiry
Experiences. http//spotlight1.data3m2.com/?t19
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Interactive Student Guide to Using the
Information Process Model

• Baltimore County Public Schools
• Office of Library Information Services

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Kaleidoscope

• The Question
• Conjure-Upper

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Biography Maker
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Thought Starters

• Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)

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The Thesis Generator

• Joyce Valenza
• Springfield Township (PA) Virtual HS Library

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Create Categories

• Group their questions into categories
• Align the categories to your supporting questions
• Model how you categorized
• Circle keywords

D.J. Midgett
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Careers Information
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Thanks to D.J. Midgett
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Fourth Grade Communication Invention
D.J. Midgett
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Gina Webster, Media Coordinator Walkertown Middle
School, Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools
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Jerry King http//www.jerryking.com/ and From Now
On http//fno.org.
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No More Bulldozing(or Raking)!
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Gerry Solomon, NCDPIgsolomon_at_dpi.state.nc.us
In compliance with federal law, including the
provisions of Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972, N C Public Schools
administers all state-operated educational
programs, employment activities and admissions
without discrimination because of race, religion,
national or ethnic origin, color, age, military
service, disability, or gender, except where
exemption is appropriate and allowed by law.