Blog Post # 4

Welcome to Blog Post # 4! The purpose of this assignment is to answer the question "What do we need to know about asking questions in order to be an effective teacher?". Though this sounds confusing, it really is important to understand in order to become a more effective teacher. Teachers often use questions in order to invoke a classroom discussion. During the discussion some students will participate and others will choose not to. Choosing the right question to ask during a discussion could be key in getting those to participate that normally do not. It is also important to stay on the subject of the question and not stray from the topic. Regardless of which method is chosen, the goals of student participation and learning are always desired. The Teaching Center offers several suggestions to effective questioning. Among these suggestions are: Keep in mind your course goals, follow yes-or-no questions with additional questions, and aim for direct, clear, and specific questions. Another technique brought up by The Right Question Institute is to teach students to ask the right question. By teaching the students how to ask and answer questions properly, the learning experience is intensified. When all students participate, the learning experience is enhanced even more. Teachers should strive to ask effective questions and teach students the correct methods in order to make the learning process better for everyone involved.