Chapter 5 Posting

Teachers need to harness the ability to integrate student questioning in the classroom.  Learning and knowledge is solely based off of someone simply asking "why?".  Students need to be encouraged to harness their questions and to feel free to express them openly in the classroom setting. Learning comes from questioning.  Students need to be taught how to ask "why?" and how to answer the question themselves.  

I think my favorite example questioning strategies was Questioning the Author.  You can learn soo much about a book, poem, or article simply based on knowing a little background history about the author.  Instead of simply reading something, students should be motivated to explore why someone wrote what they did, or how they did.  Just like in the Edgar Allen Poe example on page 87, a lot can be gleaned if you simply know more about the author.  

Questioning strategies are a wonderful tool for understanding content through all of the subject areas.  Making connections through questioning is beneficial for students and teachers.  The ultimate goal is when a teacher can simply be a mediator throughout the students questioning.  This allows students to facilitate their own learning and learn to teach themselves by questioning themselves and others until the answer shows through.

• "By maintaining a balance between asking and answering questions, the teacher returns responsibility for critical thinking to the students." (pg 100)
• What is a good motivational strategy to get students interested in asking their own higher-thinking questions? 

Chapter 7 - Note Taking

The notes in chapter 7 on note-taking were very interesting.  I like how it suggests that "educators also have a responsibility to organize their lectures in ways that make it possible to create notes." (pg 123)  I always find it easier to take notes if an instructor's class/lecture is organized.  I am a very linear thinker and tend to take notes in a more outline manner.  It is helpful when teachers use power points, handouts, and oral cues so I can figure out what needs to be written down and where.  If a teacher starts on one subject, then jumps to the next and then comes back to the original subject, my notes get jumbled and I usually end up re-writing them after class.  I liked the example given in the chapter about "taking notes in mathematics".  Throughout high school, I always struggled in math.  While reading this section, I was actually able to see in my mind's eye how Mr. William's students created their note pages. I wish I had known about this strategy back then!  Graphing is also another good way to write down lots of information about one particular subject area.  If you have one main subject with many branches, you can use concept maps, graphic organizers, charts, and many other visual aids to present your notes.     

Teachers need to be using more note-taking strategies in the classroom.  It's sad that most students enter high school with no idea how to take good notes - they are just expected to take them.  Elementary teachers need to be incorporating note taking skills into their classrooms on a daily basis.