Which character are you?

WARNING The following post contains incomplete thoughts that might be uncomfortable to some readers. The author is simply attempting to write his way to understanding. Readers looking for coherent thoughts about teaching are encouraged to seek elsewhere. Possible Side Effects: head shaking, eye rolling, and muttering.

Some stories are meant to be told, not just read. Fred Stella reminded me of this as he recited the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. The translation by Edwin Arnold helped, but it was Fred who brought the text to life. His inflection and gestures helped to give the sense that we were a part of the scene being described.

And according to Fred, that was the point of the Bhagavad Gita. He explained, "In myths, like dreams, we ought to be able to see ourselves in all of the characters." Consequently we are able to identify with everyone in the story, regardless of whether the character is good or bad.

Maybe that's why those Which Character Are You? tests bother me so much. In good storytelling, I can see myself as being anyone in the story - not just Aberforth Dumbledore.

What does this have to do with teaching? I'm not sure. However, I am convinced that good teaching is related to good storytelling. Therefore, I wonder how the "story" we are telling in our lessons is inviting learners to relate to all the "characters." The open questions described by Marian Small come to mind, but I think there's more to it than that.

I'm still thinking about this, but I wanted to get this out there in case anyone else had some wisdom about it. I'll get back to you if anything more comes to me. And don't blame me if this post left you wanting more - you were warned.

Will this be on the test?

Sure, I can be smug when it comes to assessment. In my defense, I have been considering different ways to assess learning for over twenty years. Much of this work has involved using alternative assessments, but I am not above using more traditional approaches, like tests, especially when they involve some twist. 

Because of the negative associations many students have with math tests, I try to make it clear that my tests are used to support learning. Each test is merely a benchmark that monitors our progress toward established learning goals. We use the results to determine what we can do and what needs more practice. Yes, at some point a grade gets put in the books, but there is no need to worry until that time comes.

That is what I tell them, but often this is what they hear:

In case you are unfamiliar with Game of Thrones, some context.

So, it's no surprise when I start hearing this (of course I add the last bit in my head):

I understand that this is a conditioned response. At some point it worked; it made it easier to decide what to memorize in order to get a good grade. However, I want learners to decide for themselves what's worth remembering and to consider ways to make that learning last beyond the test.

So here's how I want to respond from now on (turns out I'm smug and snarky - who knew?)

Does it make you more curious about the material?

Are you likely to try to learn more about the topic on your own?

Would you consider putting the ideas in a concept map in order to make connections?

Can you see yourself discussing the subject with others in order to talk your way to understanding?

Might you examine your thinking in light of the information and consider refining it?

In all seriousness, I recognize test-anxiety as a real issue among many of my students - an unintended consequence of high-stakes testing in the past. I hope my efforts at humor do not come across as flippant. My goal is to reframe "Will this be on the test?" as an opportunity to examine alternatives to the binge-and-purge approach to studying. Because if I am satisfied with learning that leaves instead of learning that lasts, then why even bother?

Which floor, please?

We were scheduled to present at the MACUL Conference early in the day, so I set my alarm to go off before sunrise. Once I was completely ready to go, I took some time to look out the hotel window across the Detroit River toward Windsor, Canada. I notice a few lights were already illuminating some offices in the tower to the right. Clearly, some people were getting an early start on their day. And then one of the lights moved, and I realized that it was one of the tower's exterior elevators. As I watched the lights move up and down, several questions came to mind. So I took some video to share the experience with you. (I apologize for the quality.)

Going Down

• On average, how fast is the elevator going as it descends?
• Is the rate of speed, as the elevator descends, fairly constant?

Going Up

• Does the elevator travel slower going up?
• How long would a trip to the top of the tower take?

Waiting

At one point, there was a break in the action, and I noticed that the elevator cars stayed at their last location instead of going back to the ground floor. When they were called, it wasn't evident to me what determined which car answered which call.

• If I was on the ground floor, what would be the average amount of time I would have to wait for a car to respond to my call?
• What are the chances that a car would be waiting for me if I was on the ground floor? On some other floor?

Some of the questions above could be explored using the videos, but most would require further investigation. It has me wondering about the elevators in Mackinac Hall. Maybe some weekend or night I will conduct a my own experiment. 

How's it going?

When learners enter my class the first day of the semester, they typically see the following projected on the front board:

Sooner or later, the cups draw a learner's attention and the question is asked: "What are these for?" Which is closely followed by, "Is it some sort of stop light?"

Indeed, three cups are stacked in the midst of each table group - a green, a yellow, and a red cup. And they do represent a sort of stop light but it is for me, not for them. I explain that when a group is showing green I interpret that to mean that the group is making good progress. If yellow is showing, I know that they have a question but that it isn't stopping them from moving forward. I try to get to these groups when I can, and sometimes they work out the issue themselves. Red means that a group is stuck and needs help in order to get moving again. Connecting with them becomes a priority for me. Some teachers use index cards instead of cups, but I like the cups because I can hear them being re-stacked when a question arises - even when my back is turned.

Early in the semester, learners will often raise their hands without changing the cups. I always try to ask, "What kind of question is it: red or yellow?" This helps them to be metacognitive and not let every little question sidetrack their efforts. A student teacher told me how using the cups in his class significantly reduced the number of needless questions being asked. The kids told the student teacher that when they took the time to consider their questions often they realized they could answer the questions themselves.

I even have my learners use "red cup" or "yellow cup" in the subject lines of their email questions to me so I know what kind of priority I ought to assign each emails. But I was a bit mystified when I got an email from a recent graduate who had written "Green Cup" as the subject.  It read:

Hi Dave! 

I was in the middle of grading quizes during my planning period and thinking about my todo list for the end of this first grading period and I was struck by this thought. I feel confident, calm, and content with how this semester is going. Granted, there are many things I already decided to change for next year. However, I do not feel a great deal of stress or anxeity. The COE and student teaching was an intense program and very stressful but it wasn't until just now that I realized how much I learned and how well it prepared me to have a classroom of my own. There are still things (like classroom management) that I am continuing to work on, but for the most part everything is going very well. I just wanted to say thank you for the support you provided though out my time in the COE. 

Hope all is going well.

Green cup! 

What do you want to know?

Grand Valley started this week. And, as usual, I began my Introduction to Learning and Assessment course with a workshop called "A Piece of Me" (handout). This involves an activity that was introduced to me over 14 years ago during an Integrated Thematic Instruction class. I wish I could remember the presenters so I could give them credit but that information has long since vanished from my memory and my files. If anyone knows the origin of this activity, please let me know so that I can give credit where it is due. Anyway, here is how I implement the activity.

***
Goal: The learner will ask questions in order to get to know the instructor/course.

Schema Activation: Whole Class Discussion
When you meet someone, What do you want to know about him or her?

Focus: Expectations - Small Group

• Develop one personal and one professional question to ask the instructor.
• During the activity, keep a record of each question that is asked.

Activity: Asking and Recording Questions

I begin this portion by saying something like, "I reserve the right to decline answering any question. I have been doing this for many years, in K12 and college classrooms, and I have never had to refuse answering a question. Now this is not a challenge for you to be the first group to come up with the unanswerable question. It is intended to demonstrate that this can be used at any level - even with middle schoolers who are known for their inappropriate questions."

We then move on to the groups asking their questions. I respond providing answers and other related information that I think they'd like or need to know. After all the groups have asked their questions, if time permits, I ask if there's anything else anyone would like to know about me or the course.

Reflection: Looking Back - Small Group Analysis

• From your list of questions, pick one that you think was an effective question. What made it effective?
• If you finish early, pick another effective question and describe what the two question have in common or consider an ineffective question and rewrite it or ... (What comes next for you?).
• How engaged were you during this activity?

I end the workshop by getting some feedback from the participants. The consensus seems to be that this activity is much more engaging than what they imagine it would be like for me to talk at them for forty minutes about what I think they need to know. They appreciate that they control the activity with their questions. They acknowledge that they are much more interested in my points because I am responding to their questions.

Because they are teachers in training, I let them in on a few secrets behind the activity: 1) I am still in control of what I share and usually get to say what I think is important regardless of what they ask; 2) I use the questions they ask as a formative assessment that provides data on what they find interesting; and 3) The activity is much more engaging for me as well because I do not know what I will be asked. (One time it was what my favorite sandwich was.)

I follow this workshop up with a home workshop where they apply the same strategy of asking questions to reading the course syllabus (handout). This is another activity that I have decided I won't waste time doing in class. They post their questions on our course Blackboard site and I address them directly on the discussion board or during subsequent class meetings.

***

Now it is your turn. Any questions?

Why all the questions?

“The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

Albert Einstein

By now you may have noticed that each Delta Scape blog post title is in the form of a question. Why is that? I am glad you asked. Like most of what I do as an educator, it is intentional and built around ideas gleaned from multiple sources.

In the reading comprehension literature, asking questions is identified as one of the core strategies effective readers use. The questions readers ask serve two purposes: (1) Questions help readers to monitor if what they are reading makes sense; and (2) Questions propel readers deeper into the text. A person who reads a passage and asks, “What just happened?” or “What happens next?” is likely to be more highly engaged than someone who is just reading the words.

Questions are also an essential part of the Understanding by Design approach to unit planning. These essential questions take three forms: (1) big-idea questions; (2) key-content questions; and (3) making-sense questions. The goal is to design the unit by determining the essential questions that will frame an authentic and engaging learning experience.

In How to Solve It, Polya uses questions as a means to support problem solving in mathematics. Examples of questions a mathematician might consider during each phase of the problem solving process are provided in the book’s introduction. If you get a chance to watch Polya’s video, Let Us Teach Guessing, you will see him modeling the use of questions to work through a problem and make sense of it.

Asking Better Questions by Morgan and Saxton is another good resource. On page 27, they write: “Learning springs from curiosity, from the need to know.” The questions learners ask contribute to this need and their level of engagement. In order to support teachers and learners in increased involvement in any learning experience, the authors introduce the Taxonomy of Personal Engagement. I use a version of this taxonomy in the courses that I teach as a means of supporting my learners in monitoring their engagement and considering questions they could ask that would improve their involvement in the task at hand.

I hope this answers the question why all my posts have a question in the title. If not, feel free to ask your questions in the comments. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

What's the question?

Recently, Dan Meyer issued the #anyqs challenge on his blog. Essentially, he is asking people to consider one photo or one minute of video that tells a compelling mathematical story that results in everyone wondering about the same question. If you find an interesting picture/video, then Tweet it using the "any questions" hashtag (#anyqs) and, to quote Dan, "I can promise you'll get a question from me, at the very least."


That same evening, I was at Michigan State University's Advance Degrees Graduation to watch my step-daughter's boyfriend receive his Ph.D. in Physics. He walked across the stage pretty early, which left me wondering what to do with the rest of my time. I remembered Dan's challenge and began looking through my pictures to see if any were appropriate. None elicited any compelling questions, so I put my phone away and looked down at the scene below me. That is when the question struck me. This is the picture that I sent out:

True to his word, Dan responded with his question:

And then, to my surprise, he threw it open to the Twitterverse:

Needless to say, the rest of my time was preoccupied responding to the many questions that my picture suggested:

Clearly, the picture needs work since so many different questions were asked. And no one came up with the original question I asked myself as I looked down on the throng, "Where's Waldo?" (Just kidding, but I couldn't resist.)