How the right questions can help students learn

Teaching Secrets: Asking the Right Questions

I LOVE THIS PART OF THE ARTICLE!
We have to engage our students in order to keep them in the classroom
through graduation!

"First, a few tips for setting the stage:

Cooperative learning is a must. Shake things up a bit sometimes. Break
free from traditional row seating to allow students to collaborate.
Setting aside time for socialization around your topic will increase
active learning, and generally works best when students are free to
engage in dialogue. Divide the class into two groups, small groups, or
pairs.

Encourage students to ask their own meaningful questions. Prepare
lessons that make your job as facilitator painless. Remember the idea
is to have your students in charge of their learning. You want them to
ask meaningful questions, seek relevant answers, and explore the
thinking of peers with an open mind. You can guide their ability to
investigate and vary their thinking around topics by providing a
visual scaffold (such as Bloom's taxonomy) that guides them to think
critically. Plan to "listen-in" during each group's discussion. Jump
in as necessary—adding questions, giving compliments, or making
comments that will help students dig deeper.

Observing can be part of learning. Think about how much you learn as
you observe students. Students can also learn by observing one
another. Give those quiet ones a purpose for listening and new ways to
share their thinking through oral or written expression. Encourage
students to take turns being active listeners and speakers. You'll be
surprised by how much it will help the quiet students assume a more
active role in learning. It can also work wonders in strengthening the
listening skills of those students who tend to "steal the show."

Give yourself time to roam. Take advantage of opportunities for
assessment, which are plentiful during student discussions and
inquiry. To make the most of this time, prepare a grid or have a
notebook handy with a list of all students' names. During class, you
can jot down your observations and snippets of what you hear them say.
This provides valuable insights about students' learning in the moment
and can help inform future lessons.

Some effective question types to deepen learning and keep discussions going:

Open-ended questions leave room for students to say what's on their
minds without worrying that there is only one right answer. These
questions also give students a chance to justify their thinking by
explaining their responses. What's your opinion of…?

Diagnostic questions require students to explain information and
formulate some kind of understanding of what could be going on behind
the scenes. What would happen if…?

Challenge questions ask students to analyze, apply, and evaluate. Do
you agree or disagree…why?

Elaboration questions nurture students' listening and speaking skills
as well as comprehension skills. Can you add your thinking to…?

Extension questions inspire students to think beyond the text. Can you
think of an original way to…? How would you adapt this to make it
different?"