Folks:
My wife subscribes to various newsletters. And although she is a 4th grade teacher, many of the techniques she uses (and reads about) can be applied to other grade levels. The article linked below is about open-ended questions. As I read through it I thought of the parallels with the idea of “essential questions” that we included as part of mapping. I personally have found this variation on the Socratic method very useful. This week, for example, I felt as though I finally connected modern art, music, changes in philosophy and science and culture to the First and Second World Wars, along with anti-colonial movements (such as Gandhi’s); I did so with one overarching question: What led to the collapse of the European world order? With such a question to anchor what can seem like a whirlwind of material, I feel like I conducted my best classes (Monday and Tuesday of this week) in my decade and half of teaching. I felt good and the students seemed engaged, curious, and focused. There was excitement as we compared and contrast the opening scenes of the ballets Swan Lake and Firebird Suite and then leapt into Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Always tying back to the big question, the essential question, student were able to see where the various pieces fit. I cannot wait to pick up the discussion in class on Wednesday. Anyway, I thought others might find this useful.
http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/newsletter/19_1nl_1.asp
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The Worcester Academy History and Social Sciences Department 
Essential Questions and Teaching
Posted in Departmental Commentary on February 28, 2007| 3 Comments »
Folks:
My wife subscribes to various newsletters. And although she is a 4th grade teacher, many of the techniques she uses (and reads about) can be applied to other grade levels. The article linked below is about open-ended questions. As I read through it I thought of the parallels with the idea of “essential questions” that we included as part of mapping. I personally have found this variation on the Socratic method very useful. This week, for example, I felt as though I finally connected modern art, music, changes in philosophy and science and culture to the First and Second World Wars, along with anti-colonial movements (such as Gandhi’s); I did so with one overarching question: What led to the collapse of the European world order? With such a question to anchor what can seem like a whirlwind of material, I feel like I conducted my best classes (Monday and Tuesday of this week) in my decade and half of teaching. I felt good and the students seemed engaged, curious, and focused. There was excitement as we compared and contrast the opening scenes of the ballets Swan Lake and Firebird Suite and then leapt into Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Always tying back to the big question, the essential question, student were able to see where the various pieces fit. I cannot wait to pick up the discussion in class on Wednesday. Anyway, I thought others might find this useful.
http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/newsletter/19_1nl_1.asp
Read Full Post »