Today in 450 we talked about the art of asking questions. My professor started it out by telling the class that our lives would be forever changed after the end of class. He was extremely passionate and modeled to us the concept of a "hook"... and it worked. So, if you are reading this as a future educator, get ready because you will never look the same at asking a question.
Here it is, in one simple formula: ASK THE QUESTION---ALLOW FOR WAIT TIME---USE STUDENTS NAME=EFFECTIVE INQUIRY---that's it! A simple formula for effective question asking right? Well, it turns out that this skill takes some practice. Here are the benefits: lets say that I am teaching a class on World Geography. I ask a simple question like "why did the United States force Japan to open its ports". If I start the question by saying a students name, then the rest of class knows that they don't have to think about the question because I won't put them on the spot because I have already asked one student. If I pose the question to the whole class, then they all have to think because they don't know who I am going to call on. This simple art has the ability to keep the whole class engaged in the discussion. WOW, it blew my mind, simply asking the question first and then calling on a student keeps the class thinking! As my professor put it "inquiry is the difference between a good teacher and great teaching". Sounds cliche at first, but it really makes sense when it is applied in the classroom.
Here is a link for more information on Inquiry http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html
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