During this course, educators will learn how to make one simple change- teach their students to ask their own questions.The skill of question formulation can make learning possible for all types of learners. Research shows that learning to ask questions leads to improved learning outcomes, greater student engagement, positive relationships between student and teacher, new avenues for dialogue and inquiry, and more ownership of the learning process. We will explore not only why this should be done, but how to effectively incorporate the Question Formulation Technique developed at the Right Question Institute. The QFT is also a powerful tool that addresses the urgent need to improve education for students in struggling schools as well as improving education for those who already excel at answering questions, but not necessarily asking them. Utilizing these strategies will give us hope and strength for moving forward in the hard work of making education work best for all students.

Students enrolled in this course will

Know

• the steps of the Question Formulation Technique (QFT).
• what student and teacher will do in each step of the QFT.
• the three thinking abilities (divergent thinking, convergent thinking, metacognition).
• the similarities and differences between a traditional prompt and a Question Focus (Qfocus).
• the four rules for producing questions.

Understand

• how to help students refine, prioritize, and reflect on their questions.
• how the three thinking abilities are brought together in the QFT.
• the importance of closed- and open-ended questions and how students learn to change their questions fromone category to the other as needed.
• how the ability to ask questions leads to new ideas, new inventions, better solutions, and a more fulfillinglearning environment for students and teacher.
• that promoting questioning can be a building block for creating productive relationships that benefit ourentire society and our democracy.

and Be Able To

• Improve student learning, including those who already excel at answering questions, by designing lessons that:
• help students learn how to generate their own questions that guide their own learning.
• promote greater student engagement.
• give students more ownership of the learning process.
• increase student achievement, build new relationships between learner and teacher, and open avenues for dialogue and inquiry.

Visit www.nyctd.org to learn more and to register!