Questions About Questioning

Through the readings that I/we have done in the course work so far, questioning and the purpose of questioning has recently come to the forefront. Before thinking about the method of questioning I honestly never paid it much thought other than relating to myself trying to figure out an answer as a student. Now, being on the other side of the coin as an educator, questioning for me is becoming understood within a different light. At first on reflection, I realized that some of my questioning before I started to be conscientious of it, had shallow expectations for response. I was looking for an answer. Now when thinking about questioning am I only starting to realize the importance of framing questions to allow students to do the thinking, which requires in depth thinking on my part and lots of practice in order to become proficient at it.

I have noticed in my internships it is easier to ask "better" questions when I am working one on one or in small groups with students. For instance when I was running an intervention for some students to make up work, we were going over different types of organism relationships; parasitism, commensalism, etc. The two students I was working with simultaneously did not know an example of these types of scenarios to address for their work. When we spoke about parasitism for example I felt like I asked questions to have them respond where they were framing their own understanding.

Questions I asked followed in an order like this although I cannot recall the order or where we were when I asked them.

I remember asking the students if they had ever been camping when they were unable to tell me any information about parasitism.

Both students exclaimed yes enthusiastically.

I then asked them; did you ever put on OFF when you were camping?

Again they both responded yes.

With this I asked them why did you put on OFF?

They both thought for a minute and one of them then explained that she put on OFF in order to keep the bugs away from her.

I asked What types of bugs and why would you want them away?

She thought some more than explained that OFF kept bugs away that would bite you like mosquitoes and ticks.

I asked when mosquitoes or ticks bite you, which organisms benefit if any and are organisms harmed if any?

The student then said that the mosquitoes and ticks benefit and her and other humans are harmed.

This response was the exact definition provided for parasitism on their work (one organism benefits and the other organism is harmed). The student then had an "aha" moment saying that mosquitoes/ticks were a parasite since they benefitted and the other organism did not.

I am still working on my questioning techniques but I feel like this type of call and response scenario is easier to accomplish with smaller groups (so far) and I hope to get to a point where I can have conversations like this with a whole classroom in conjunction with students participating. This I suppose is where practice makes perfect!