Quality Questioning or Higher Order Questioning

Quality Questioning, or Higher Order Questioning, consists of base questions that are used to engage students in their learning targets.  This is often known as Essential Questioning. These questions are open-ended, encourage discussion, and are often controversial or do not have one correct answer.  These questions should provoke thought and debate. “What caused the Great Depression?” is not an essential question because there is a straight-forward answer and it is not open-ended.  However, the question “How can we as individuals feel the weight and hardships of those that suffered through the Great Depression?” is thought provoking and still requires students to know what caused the Great Depression in order to answer it.  These higher order questions require deeper thinking from students and do a better job at keeping students engaged.

As teachers, we want our students to want to learn.  We want them to be interested in the content being taught and, more importantly, involved in their own learning.  These questions make it easier for this to happen. Essential Questions should be aligned to the state standards and relevant to the curriculum used.  While they are challenging and thought provoking, they should still be easy for students to understand. This is best accomplished through student-friendly vocabulary.  When creating these questions, it is important to ask the question to ourselves to determine if it is a higher order question. Is it truly open ended? Does it have multiple answers?  Does it spark discussion and debate? If the answer to each of these questions is “yes”, then the question is an essential question. Even if your curriculum does not include essential questions, they are really very easy to integrate into lessons.  These questions work best when asking them at the beginning of a lesson or unit, visiting it throughout, and returning to it at the end. Chances are, the students’ answers will change some each time the question is asked. Wait time is also critical when asking these questions.  The teacher should allow students time to ponder and determine what their opinion is before sharing with the class. The teacher should also utilize wait time after a student answers for another student to add to the answer. The following video exemplifies how to integrate essential questions in the classroom.

The Orton-Gillingham Method

Wow.  What a mouthful.  What even is the Orton-Gillingham Method?  When I first heard it, that was my thought!  It turns out, the Orton-Gillingham method is a multisensory learning strategy created to benefit struggling readers.  In fact, it was the first teaching approach designed specifically with struggling readers in mind. This strategy has been used in classrooms since the 1930’s still proves to be highly effective to this day.  It is often used for students with dyslexia and is one of the most effective methods for this use. The Orton-Gillingham method is phonics-based and systematic, meaning it has a certain order to it. It is best used in small group and must be differentiated to fit your students’ needs.  This method works so well because it is hands-on and uses multiple senses. By visiting www.ortonacademy.org, you can learn more about the Orton-Gillingham method and become certified in the approach. 

There are also various resources and activities on their website to assist teachers and parents. Because differentiation is so vitally important in this method, it is impossible to show you one definition or activity that exemplifies the entirety of the strategy.  Below are a few activities that fall under the Orton-Gillingham method.

1. Hopscotch Word Readings:  The teacher would begin by creating a classic hopscotch court.  Each square would contain a different age appropriate word. The student would throw a rock onto the court and hop to the square it landed on.  Once on the square, the student must say the word and stretch the word out into it’s individual sounds. If the student does this successfully, they receive a point.  This game continues until all squares have been correctly read.  
2. Word sorting with legos:  In this activity, the teacher will use a permanent marker to write letters on small legos and words on large legos.  The objective of this activity is for the students to create the word on the large lego using the letters on the small legos.  

The following video includes a variety of other activities that fall under the Orton-Gillingham Method.  

Flipped Classroom

If your teachers were anything like mine, you probably focused a lot during college on “I do, we do, you do”.  This means that the teacher first shows students what to do, does it with them, and then allows them to practice independently, often as homework.  Many times, students are not well enough versed in the topic to successfully complete the task at home. To eliminate this, the flipped classroom method has become quite common.  In a flipped classroom, the process is reversed to “you do, we do, I do”. In summary, the students will “teach” themselves through videos, articles, or textbooks at home. Then, upon entering the classroom, the students will have the opportunity to put their new learning into action.  This eliminates the need for students to do homework, other than learning new content for the next day. They are able to practice in the classroom with a teacher and peers there for support. Teachers are able to work one-on-one with their students for a longer period of time because the original time spent lecturing or reading the textbook is eliminated. 

A flipped classroom can be super beneficial, but it is important for the teacher to determine the right time and content to use this approach. Students learn so much more when they are able to customize their learning to fit their own needs, but they must first learn how to do so. Marginalizing, highlighting, or chunking sections are all excellent ways to teach students that they can customize their learning when reading lengthy articles or textbooks.  Note taking guides are also super helpful, especially when watching videos. It is important to note that this method may not be the best strategy for younger students. Lower elementary students are not proficient in reading and writing, making it nearly impossible for them to participate in this activity. While they can watch videos, they are not able to take notes and are less likely to retain the information. Overall, this strategy can be super effective and provide the atmosphere that students need to excel in class.  However, the teacher must analyze each student’s learning preferences and the content being taught to determine if a flipped classroom is appropriate for a specific lesson. The following video does a great job of explaining what a flipped classroom is and may be beneficial to show students when describing the content.  

Nearpod

Nearpod is an interactive tool for students to learn lessons through an engaging online platform.  I consider it to be a “one stop shop” where teachers can pre-assess, teach, engage, and post-assess all on one website.  This eliminates confusion and makes teaching a breeze. Nearpod is available through website or app, providing access to the majority of students in the US.  While there is a free limited access version, teachers can also purchase a subscription for their class. This platform is so incredibly useful for teachers. They are able to access lessons that other teachers have created and share lessons with their students immediately.  Teachers can assess student work through the app and provide feedback, which students can see in real time. Nearpod is easy to integrate into any curriculum and teachers can use it in addition to another online platform, such as google classroom. There are a variety of opportunities through Nearpod.  The teacher can poll students for future differentiation needs, use Nearpod for formative assessments, or assign homework through the app. Students can easily access their Nearpod accounts at home to review information or complete assignments. Students are also able to take virtual field trips through Nearpod (see previous blog posts for information on virtual field trips).  My favorite part of this platform is the plethora of information that it provides for teachers. Teachers can view students’ work and use it to alter future lessons. Teachers can create small groups according to the data teachers have gathered through the app in order to cater to each student’s specific needs.  

There are countless lesson and activity ideas through Nearpod that are engaging and easy to create.  The poll option is a fantastic way to get to know students during the first days of school. That would also be a great way to introduce the application to students in a stress-free setting.  Students can also answer quizzes or open-ended questions on Nearpod, meaning the teacher can assess students with ease on this interactive website. The following website gives a great tutorial on how Nearpod works and the variety of features that it contains.  

Student Led Conferences

Parent-student communication is a vital part of educational success for students as young as pre-k.  Most conferences we hear of are parent-teacher conferences or even student-teacher meetings. However, student-parent conferences are becoming more common in today’s society.  Student led conferences allow students to discuss their academic goals, struggles, progress, and accomplishments with their parents, with teachers facilitating. Digital portfolios allow students to prepare for these conferences and display their work and progress for their parents.  Digital Portfolios are actually quite simple to create and do an excellent job of displaying student work.

There are multiple websites that make the process a breeze. One great app is called Sesame. On this app, students can snap a photo of their work and upload it to their portfolio.  Parents and teachers are able to view the portfolio anytime they wish. Teachers can assess students directly on the app, making it easy for students to view their feedback. However, this app is not available for android and does not have a corresponding website, which could hinder parents from being able to view their child’s work.  Another popular website for student portfolios is Seesaw. I have heard nothing but great things about this app. Students are able to post photos of their work and videos explaining their assignments, reviewing books, etc… Up to ten family members and the teacher are able to view the students work, making it easy for family to stay informed on the student’s progress.  This website is free for teachers and has a corresponding app for apple and android. While these tools are extremely helpful, they are not the only option! Students could easily create a Nearpod (see next blog), Google Slides, or Emaze to display their student work. These presentation tools make it easy for students to communicate exactly what they want their parents to know.  When preparing for student led conferences, it is important to prepare the students. They can present their portfolios to their classmates or the teacher. It is also important that the teacher explains to the students how the conference will work so the students can prepare themselves and their parents. The video below is from Edutopia, my favorite educational website. It shows an example of a student-led conference and discusses the benefits of it.

Math Apps and Digital Games

Mathematics is a difficult subject that requires practice and repetition in order to master it.  In lower elementary classrooms, working multiple math problems on paper is either not an option due to lack of writing skills, or not ideal due to low engagement levels.  Math games are a great way to keep student engagement high while practicing necessary skills. It is super easy to integrate technology into math content through apps and digital games.  Aside from giving students practice in this content area, these apps and games allow students to practice multisensory learning, provide immediate feedback to students, and allow students to work at their own pace.  There are countless free math apps available for students, such as PBS Kids Measure Up!, Park Math, and Moose Math, just to name a few. PBS Kids Measure Up! is an app for children ages 3-5. It uses popular tv characters to teach the concepts of measurements and weight.  Park Math is also designed for younger users, and teaches students addition, subtraction, sorting, and other basic math skills for lower elementary students. It aligns with Common Core Standards, allowing teachers in the majority of states to use this app in correlation to their curriculum.  Similar to Park Math, Moose Math promotes addition, subtraction, geometry, and other lower elementary math skills. The purpose of the game is to build a city and decorate it. Students receive supplies through answering math problems correctly, keeping students engaged and able to set goals for themselves. 

If iPads aren’t an option for students, they can still participate in online games through a variety of websites. Some websites align with a math curriculum, such as Matific, which aligns with Go! Math. This allows students to easily obtain extra practice on the topics they’re learning. Other websites that can support most math curriculums include Stride Academy or iXL.  Each of these websites can be monitored by teachers and allow students to work at their own pace. They are all aligned with Common Core Standards and give the option to be customized to specific states’ standards, as well. The video below explains the benefits of these websites and gives more examples of resources. One of my personal favorite math apps is Splash Math. This website allows students to pick their grade, meaning they can use it from 1st - 5th grade.  There is also a corresponding app for it. The link below is a video explaining this app.

Virtual Field Trips

We all wish we could take our students on field trips for every new topic, unit, or concept learned.  Unfortunately, field trips aren’t free and we are limited on what we can spend on field trips. Lucky for us, virtual field trips are a low cost alternative that can still be interactive and engaging for students.  Virtual field trips allow students to explore new places anywhere in the world from right there in the classroom! There is quite a bit of preparation that will need to be done before a virtual field trip can take place. 

There are multiple different options for creating a virtual field trip experience for students. One option is Google goggles, a free image recognition app. When the user takes a photo, the app will generate information of the place or object in the photo.  For example, if students were to use a photo of the White House, the app would give information about the White House. Another option for virtual field trips is Field Trip Zoom. This is a website that live streams different field trip locations. They have a live event schedule on their website that gives a variety of options on different days.  This website has a one month free trial, but has a monthly fee afterwards. Another virtual experience website is Discovery Education. In correlation with the Discovery Channel, this website provides a variety of virtual tours and live streams based on different content areas. Prices vary depending on what the user is interested in purchasing. A full subscription is typically $50 per student.  For those with no budget to purchase subscriptions, there are many free virtual tour videos online. It is recommended that the teacher watches each video in full prior to streaming for the class, to ensure the content is student friendly and on task with the learning target. As with any lesson, it is important to pick a standard first and find a virtual experience that will align with that standard.  Then, you must consider student learning objectives, assessments, and accommodations. The following video is a virtual field trip to the Amazon Rainforest.