Thought-Provoking Questions: The Key to Student Interest and Engagement

2831 

Session 

Non-language specific 

English 

Laura Terrill  
Independent Consultant

Laura Terrill  
Independent Consultant

Donna Clementi  
Lawrence University

Socrates said that "wonder is the beginning of wisdom". This session focuses on the critical role that "wonder" plays in the See-Think-Wonder strategy. It explores how educators can expand the ways learners think by asking good questions and more importantly by giving learners time to ask their own questions. The presenters share a process for connecting images to curriculum topics in ways that allow students to 1) pause to observe the world around them, 2) ask and answer questions to get to know more about something that captures their interest, and 3) explain why a detail captured their interest and what they have learned. Questioning is key to building Intercultural Communicative Competence. Learners use questions to investigate products and practices and build an understanding of the perspectives associated with those products and practices. They then apply their knowledge and their ability to ask questions to interact in cultural contexts other than their own.

*Explain the critical role that curiosity and a focus on wonder plays in promoting learner engagement


*Explain strategies for effective questioning at different thinking levels



*Describe how effective questioning contributes to the development of intercultural communication skills

Throughout the session, participants work with visuals that connect with a variety of curriculum topics. They use thinking routines designed to spark curiosity and focus on how different questioning strategies enhance learner engagement. They begin by focusing on a detail selected by the teacher and answer teacher generated questions at different thinking levels. They reflect on their level of engagement when told to answer the questions. They then step into the role of the learner who has been asked to generate their own questions at different thinking levels about an aspect of an image of particular interest to them. They use their questions to engage with other participants and discuss the shift in engagement when given choice to focus on what they are most curious about. Participants then consider how the choice of images and the questions they have answered and asked support the development of Intercultural communicative competence.

A compelling visual of people, places, or customs from the target culture sparks curiosity. Encouraging learners to ask rather than simply respond to questions fosters critical thinking, creativity, and open-mindedness. In addition to improving the ability to ask effective questions, learners also build their intercultural communication skills.

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Curriculum and Instruction