A Deep Dive with the Question Formulation Technique

A Deep Dive with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) Sarah Westbrook Katy Connolly Director of Professional Learning Education Program Associate The Right Question Institute, Cambridge, MA rightquestion. org

To Access Today’s Materials: https: //rightquestion. org/events/ Join our Educator Network for: § § Templates you can use tomorrow in class Classroom Examples Instructional Videos Forums and Discussions with other Educators

We’re Tweeting… @Right. Question @Sarah. RQI #QFT

Since August 28 th… What went well: • 3 people said their students were more engaged than usual • What people still want to know: 2 people said students were pleasantly surprised they could answer their • own questions 4 people want to know how to pick a quality QFocus 4 people want to know what to do when student questions go off topic • • 2 people said it led to a great discussion 3 people want to know how to follow up with students’ questions • • 2 people said students collaborated well and listened to each other 3 want to know how to best conclude the QFT lesson • • People said the questions helped students “set the stage for learning”, • “formulate a solving strategy”, and one person said, “it allowed them to 2 people want to know how to encourage less vocal students to participate more experience a similar process that led astronomers to making these discoveries as well. ”

Building a Shared Online Resource http: //bit. ly/FBStem. QFT

Today’s Agenda 1) Welcome 2) Debrief Classroom Experiences 3) The “Art & Science of the QFT”: Tailoring, Tweaking, and Troubleshooting the QFT Reflection & Planning your Next Steps 4)

Tuning Protocol § Presentation (4 minutes) § Presenter describes the context and shares materials related to the lesson, participants remain quiet and take notes § Presenter poses 1 -2 key questions about what they’ve presented § Clarifying Questions (2 minutes) § Participants ask any nonevaluative clarifying questions they have, presenter responds § Discussion (6 minutes) § Participants discuss issues raised during the presentation, what they see in student work among themselves, other questions they have, etc. striving to deepen their understanding of the situation § Presenter is silent, taking notes § Reflection & Debrief (3 minutes) § Presenter reflects aloud about the discussion and any future plans or actions they might take

Share out from the Tuning Protocol

+ The Art & Science of the QFT: Design, Facilitation, and Troubleshooting

QFT: An Art and a Science The Science: The QFT is a rigorous protocol, with specific steps and sequence, that produces consistent results The QFT 1. Present a Question Focus 2. Produce questions following the 4 rules 3. Improve questions 4. Prioritize questions 5. Discuss next steps 6. Reflect

QFT: An Art and a Science Tailor the QFT through: The Art: You should tailor the QFT process to the specific content and people you are working with. • Planning how to use student questions • Question Focus design • Prioritization instructions • Reflection questions • Facilitation

Five Areas Related to the Art of the QFT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Facilitation Starting at the End QFocus Design Prioritization Instructions Reflection Questions

Four Principles of Facilitation 1. Monitor student adherence to the process 2. Do not give examples 3. Do not get pulled into group discussion 4. Acknowledge all contributions equally ➢Discuss: What could be challenging about each principle? What might be important about each?

Timing

The QFT, on one slide… 1) 2) • 1. Ask as many questions as Question Focus you can 2. Do not stop to discuss, Produce Your Questions judge or answer üFollow the rules 3. Record exactly as stated Where could you save time, once 4. Change statements into üNumber your questions students know the full process? questions 3) Improve Your Questions üCategorize questions as Closed or Open-ended • What steps could you cut or condense üChange questions from one type to another either to save time or keep it fresh for 4) students? Prioritize Your Questions 5) Share & Discuss Next Steps 6) Reflect Closed-Ended: Answered with “yes, ” “no” or one word Open-Ended: Require longer explanation

Five Areas Related to the Art of the QFT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Facilitation Starting at the End QFocus Design Prioritization Instructions Reflection Questions

The QFT, Not a Detour but a Shortcut

Various Teaching Purposes • Engagement • Knowledge acquisition • Formative assessment • Summative assessment • Peer review • Skill development

Next Steps? Pop Quiz or Reading Check Debate Prep Lab work & Experiments Hang on walls, Check Off as Answered Exit ticket or ”Do Now” Projects Research Test Prep Homework Presentations Paper topic And sometimes… Class discussion prompts Student Choice Projects Socratic Seminar Prompts Journal Prompt Blogging or Tweeting Nothing! Make Your Own Final Test Close Reading Protocol Tailoring Instruction Service Action Projects Interview an Expert Guest speakers Year-long or Unit-long Essential Questions

Using the QFT for Skill Development (Students were assigned a complex molecular biology article) QFocus: Ask as many questions as you can about the reading

Next Steps with Student Questions: § Students lead themselves through the QFT as homework and bring in their questions § In class, students discuss key attributes of a good biological research question and compare to other types of questions § Students improve their questions § Lists of questions are discarded or kept in notebooks (up to the student) § Students apply this skill to designing their own research project later in the semester

Classroom Example: 7 th Grade Science Teacher: Nicole Bolduc, Ellington, CT Topic: “The Universe and Its Stars” Unit Purpose: To engage students in setting the learning agenda for the unit

Question Focus Students watched videos of dramatic tide change in Cape Cod, Alaska, and Canada https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=m. AYXZz. KUAX 4 https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=53 EEDislo. ME

Next Steps with Student Questions § The Driving Questions Board and the “Parking Lot” § Students draw initial models, give feedback, and make predictions. § Students experience a series of scientific investigations. § At the end of the unit, the Driving Question board is “published” in poster format.

Two new classroom examples… rightquestion. org

Classroom Example: High School Physics Teacher: Rachel Riemer, Cambridge, MA Topic: Relationship between angle of incline and acceleration Purpose: For students to develop their own question to investigate in a lab

Question Focus Motion on an incline

Next Steps with Student Questions § Students categorized their questions into topics using color-coding § Within those categories, students’ identified a “lead question” and the questions they’d have to answer first to get at the lead question § Students then prioritized with the instructions, “If you were to design a lab, which question would you design a lab around, and why? ” § Students wrote a “purpose statement” based on the lead question they chose. This became their hypothesis to test in the lab.

Teacher Reflections “At first, they weren’t buying in. They would say, ‘Just tell us what you want us to do. ’ It took them awhile to trust each other too. Now, most of the students will say they really like the flexibility in the labs, that because not everyone is doing the same thing they learn more, and being in the lab is their favorite part. ” For quiet groups: § “Give them time to sit quietly, come up with their own questions individually, then go around in a group and record, and give some time to keep adding questions as a group after their initial questions. ” § “One group sat there with 5 questions, other groups went a lot further, so we did a quick gallery walk so they could look at the other groups, and then gave them another 2 -3 min to add a few more questions. ”

Classroom Example: High School Algebra I Teacher: Claire Yablong, Phoenix, AZ Topic: Methods for solving quadratic functions Purpose: § To reveal what students did not know or understand about the topic after students overall performed poorly on a quiz, and to prepare them for the upcoming test § For students to think critically about the best approach to solving different quadratic functions

Before the Question Focus Part 1: § Students tried solving an equation, individually: 3 x 2 -5 x=12 Part 2: § Students solved the same equation with a partner, using a method not used by them or their partner on part 1.

Question Focus: (Now in groups of 4) 2 Solving 3 x -5 x=12

Through Asking Questions, Students… Identified gaps in their prior knowledge § How do you factor with two X’s? § What is completing the square? Made connections to prior knowledge § What does rate of change have to do with this lesson? § Which way has the smallest margin of error? Used mathematical reasoning § Would it change the answer if you converted to a decimal in the middle of solving? Thought metacognitively about approach and tools for solving § § § How would one know what is the best method to use on a question by question basis? How do you know if the equations is solvable? Do certain formulas work better for certain problems? Is it safe to use mental math? Is using the calculator smart for this problem? Sought a conceptual understanding § Why do we set the equation to zero? § Why are there two answers? § Why don’t you have to find the square root for factoring? Sought to extend their knowledge § What if there is no y intercept? What if it’s just 3 x^2 for example? § What are the types of equations in which it will cross the y axis? Had a place to begin § What step do you start with?

Next Steps with Student Questions § Students copied their 3 priority questions into Padlet, and made a comment to questions they could answer as a team § Before the test, they reviewed as a class the answers to the questions no one could answer § Students made a noticeable improvement in their scores from when they took the quiz § The teacher noted: “I think our QFT day forced some of them to stop saying ‘I don't get this’ and instead get specific about what they didn't understand. ”

Five Areas Related to the Art of the QFT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Facilitation Starting at the End QFocus Design Prioritization Instructions Reflection Questions

Designing a Question Focus An effective QFocus is: 1. Directly tied to lesson’s main idea 2. Simple…but not too simple 3. Interesting or provocative to students…but not biased or leading

Initial Question Focus: High School Spanish Objective: To assess students’ vocabulary for food and party words

Initial Question Focus: Middle School ELA

Student Questions 1. Why does it look so old? 2. Why does the school have a Fallout Zone? 3. Why is there a flag hanging upside down? 4. How old is the building? 5. Why are the classrooms numbered? 6. How many acres does it take up? 7. Why are there so many windows? 8. Why is there 4 big pillars at the front? 9. What is the big tower at the top? 10. Why are we being fit into one building? 11. When was the school made? 12. How much money did it cost to build it? 13. Why does it look like so many parts put together? 14. What is that white thing on top? 15. Why does it have 2 chimneys? 16. What is the point of lockers? 17. Who was the first principal? 18. Who is the boss of the superintendents?

Five Areas Related to the Art of the QFT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Facilitation Starting at the End QFocus Design Prioritization Instructions Reflection Questions

Tailoring the Prioritization Instructions Choose three questions… • General Instructions: • that you consider most important • that you are most curious about • Specific Purposes: • that you need to research further • to help you solve the problem • that you need to answer first • that a scientist studying the earth might ask • that will help you understand the text • that require analyzing data • that are not “Googleable” and may • • be difficult to answer that you think will best open up dialogue that you consider “outside the box” that would best help us learn about (topic or QFocus) that best align with today’s objective

QFocus: High School “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again. ” – Maya Angelou Troubleshooting Tips: • “Spend the next 2 minutes asking about just this word/phrase” • Change the prioritization instructions on the fly

Five Areas Related to the Art of the QFT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Facilitation Starting at the End QFocus Design Prioritization Instructions Reflection Questions

Tailoring Reflection Questions QFT Process • What did you learn about asking questions? • How did you learn it? • What did you notice about the order/sequence of questions? • How can you use what you learned about asking questions? • How do you feel about asking questions? • How has your thinking changed since last time we did the QFT? Content Specific • What did you learn about the (content)? • How did your questions help you think about… • key concept • specific assignment • overarching topic • theme in the unit • your teaching practice • a challenge in our school

One Last Thought about Reflection “Reflection is the piece that keeps me coming back the next day… The most profound reflections are almost always from the students who perhaps seemed disengaged in class. Quiet students often do a great deal of their thinking in the written reflection. ” -Ling-Se Chesnakas, Boston Public Schools

The Science of the QFT: a protocol The Art of the QFT: You

The one quality all excellent QFT designers share? Thick Skin.

Today’s Agenda 1) Welcome 2) Debrief Classroom Experiences 3) The “Art & Science of the QFT”: Tailoring, Tweaking, and Troubleshooting the QFT Reflection & Planning your Next Steps 4)

Pair and Share 1. One new takeaway you have after today’s session 2. A question that you have 3. Plans or ideas for your next steps with the QFT in math and science

Building a Shared Online Resource http: //bit. ly/FBStem. QFT

To Access Today’s Materials: http: //rightquestion. org/events/ Join our Educator Network for: § § Templates you can use tomorrow in class Classroom Examples Instructional Videos Forums and Discussions with other Educators

Additional Resources for your Questions What if students ask irrelevant questions? “What if My Students’ Questions Go Off the Rails? ” by Connie Williams How do I incorporate questions into assessment? Video: The QFT and Summative Assessment How do I use student questions as warm up/exit ticket? (And, what do I DO with students’ questions? !) “Circles + Squares” by Rick Barlow …And a whole lot more at: https: //rightquestion. org/resources/field/education/

Additional Math Resources Look through more math classroom examples: (available to download at http: //rightquestion. org/events/ and select “Math Classroom Examples PPT”) http: //kindlingfires. blogspot. com/2018/01/immigration-projectlaunch. html A fantastic blog written by a high school math teacher in Freemont, CA. If you search the blog, you’ll find several of Rick Barlow’s QFT lessons with all levels of students—from ELL immersion classes to AP classes. This particular link takes you to an incredible project Rick did with ELL students, using statistics to challenge immigration claims. Question > Answer Math Educator blog, available to download at https: //rightquestion. org/blog/the-question-the-answer- a-discussion-of-the-qft-in-math-from-the-right-questioninstitute-archives/Two math educators debate back and forth about whether, and how, the QFT can be used to actually learn math.

Additional Science Resources Look through more science classroom examples: (available to download at http: //rightquestion. org/events/ and select “Science Classroom Examples Power. Point”) https: //www. ebsco. com/blog/article/build-stem-skills-with-the-questionformulation-technique A short article that details several different science applications, pre-k through higher education and builds a larger argument about why curiosity is so critical to science and innovation. https: //goo. gl/Wx 6 VNF Fabulous curated resources from former Science Department Chair, now assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Alison Gest from Maine Township, IL. She lists 8 of her own QFT lessons (linking out to worksheets, student work, examples of final projects, etc. ) and then offers many additional QFocus ideas.

Classroom Example: High School Statistics Teacher: Rick Barlow, San Jose, CA Topic: Immigration Statistics PBL Purpose: To produce questions for statistical research

Question Focus 3 claims about immigration pulled from a campaign speech video

Next Steps with Student Questions § Students categorized questions as groups shared: DACA, the wall, security, drugs/crime § Students’ preferences of the 4 big topics were used to create groups § Groups crafted a “claim” about the topic counter to the president’s claim § Students supported their claim using statistical research

For more information on Rick Barlow’s lesson ELL Students Use Statistics to Challenge Immigration Claims http: //kindlingfires. blogspot. com/2018/01/immigration-projectlaunch. html If you search the blog, you’ll find several of Rick’s QFT lessons with all levels of students—from ELL immersion classes to AP classes.