Instructional Friday Focus: Questioning strategies

Dear Bison Colleagues,

Happy Friday!   As we close out another week at Buffalo Grove HS, I am focused on the topic of questioning strategies, skills and techniques.

​Teach and Learn with Passion!

Teaching and Learning Quotes: 

“No one can teach, if by teaching we mean the transmission of knowledge, in any mechanical fashion, from one person to another. The most that can be done is that one person who is more knowledgeable than another can, by asking a series of questions, stimulate the other to think, and so cause him to learn for himself.” – Socrates

Danielson Framework for Teaching reminder:

There are 4 domains, 22 components and 76 elements that are considered aspects of a teacher's responsibility as documented through empirical studies.  The 4 domains are:

1. Planning and Preparation

2. The Classroom Environment

3.  Instruction

4.  Professional Responsibilities

Looking at Domain 3: Instruction

3b: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques

Here's a peek at what "distinguished" looks like for 3b:

Students formulate many of the high-level questions and assume responsibility for the participation of all students in the discussion.

Strategy/Tool to Try: (thanks to ITF Jeff Vlk)

Glogster is a Web 2.0 tool that allows users to create virtual posters combining text, audio, video, images, and hyperlinks and to share them with others electronically. Using Glogster’s educational site, Glogster EDU, teachers can establish class lists and monitor student activity while protecting privacy and anonymity.

Instructional Focus: Questioning techniques

New Classroom Questioning Techniques for the Best Year Ever:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/new-classroom-questioning-techniques-todd-finley

Socratic Seminar:

https://www.nwabr.org/sites/default/files/SocSem.pdf

Questioning Techniques for High Cognitive Rigor:

http://cognitiverigor.blogspot.com/2014/04/questioning-for-higher-cognitive-rigor.html

5 techniques for questioning in your classroom:

http://ictevangelist.com/5-techniques-questioning-classroom/

5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-powerful-questions-teachers-ask-students-rebecca-alber

Bison Learning Leaders:

• Beautiful Orchestra Concert last night
• Badminton and Gymnastics teams heading to State!
• Our staff for working diligently in Infinite Campus to create next year's schedule
• The Math/Science Division for  honoring students at the Academic Competitions Awards Night
• ELL and SPED div for welcoming & supporting our 8th grade visitors today

Keep up the great work, Bison!  Happy Friday!

Friday Focus: Teacher Appreciation Week!

Dear Bison Colleagues,

Happy Friday!   As we close out another week at Buffalo Grove HS, I am focused on the topic of Teacher Appreciation!

​

Teach and Learn with Passion!

Teaching and Learning Quotes: 

“In teaching, you can’t take care of the Bloom stuff until you take care of the Maslow stuff.”—Alan Beck

Danielson Framework for Teaching reminder:

There are 4 domains, 22 components and 76 elements that are considered aspects of a teacher's responsibility as documented through empirical studies.  The 4 domains are:

1. Planning and Preparation

2. The Classroom Environment

3.  Instruction

4.  Professional Responsibilities

Looking at Domain 1: Planning and Preparation

1b: Demonstrating Knowledge of Students

Here's a peek at what "distinguished" looks like for 3b:

Teacher demonstrates thorough knowledge of students’ backgrounds, skills, and interests, and uses this knowledge to plan for individual student learning.

Strategy/Tool to Try: (thanks to ITF Jeff Vlk)

This was recommended from Caili Chu. 

 https://www.goosechase.com/ to set up the game and missions. When you play the "game", you use the app. 

It's really fun and educational.  Highly recommend to use it during field trip.

Each GooseChase game has a list of photo-based missions/tasks for participants to complete. You can create your mission list using our bank of 100+ tested missions or by designing your own from scratch.

Each mission has a name, description and point value, with the option of including a link or a photo to provide information.

Instructional Focus: Teacher Appreciation

http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/2015_TAW_Infographic_v6.pdf

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teacher-appreciation-day-going-beyond-elena-aguilar

http://daisydyerduerr.com/21-quote-salute-teachers/

http://www.quotegarden.com/teacher-apprec.html

Bison Learning Leaders:

• AMAZING Expressions Big Show 40th Anniversary this weekend!
• The Badminton and Fishing teams heading to State to compete - Best of Luck!
• All of our teachers and staff for everything you do for our students every single day! Thank YOU!

Keep up the great work, Bison!  Happy Friday!

Instructional Friday Focus! Topic: PLC's

Dear Bison Colleagues,

Happy Friday!   As we close out another week at Buffalo Grove HS, I am focused on the topic of PLC's

Teach and Learn with Passion!

Teaching and Learning Quotes: 

“I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious.”
– Albert Einstein

Danielson Framework for Teaching reminder:

There are 4 domains, 22 components and 76 elements that are considered aspects of a teacher's responsibility as documented through empirical studies.  The 4 domains are:

1. Planning and Preparation

2. The Classroom Environment

3.  Instruction

4.  Professional Responsibilities

Looking at Domain 3: Instruction

3b:Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques

Here's a peek at what "distinguished" looks like for 3b:

Students formulate many of the high-level questions and assume responsibility for the participation of all students in the discussion.

Strategy/Tool to Try: (thanks to ITF Jeff Vlk)

TED-Ed is a free educational website for teachers and learners. We are a global and interdisciplinary initiative with a commitment to creating lessons worth sharing. Our approach to education is an extension of TED’s mission of spreading great ideas.

Within the growing TED-Ed video library, you will find carefully curated educational videos, many of which represent collaborations between talented educators and animators nominated through the TED-Ed platform.

http://ed.ted.com/

Instructional Focus: PLC's

Here's a great blog post about a teacher who transformed into a PLC leader at his school.

http://www.allthingsplc.info/blog/view/289/one-teacher-leaders-plc-journey

Recent Twitter chat about Innovation in PLC's

https://storify.com/solutiontree/a-culture-of-innovation

Stiggins' Assessment for Learning:

http://www.electronicportfolios.org/afl/Stiggins-AssessmentCrisis.pdf

DuFour: Building a Professional Learning Community:

http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=9190

Four Essential Questions of a PLC:

http://www.allthingsplc.info/files/uploads/everett_ryan_plc_article.pdf

Bison Learning Leaders:

• Our Assessment team for getting ready for AP exams and PARCC EOY
• Our IFT, DTC's and Tech team for leading to conversation about iPad rollouts for next year
• Our iTeam for planning great ongoing PD for all, including mini classes and Classroom Showcase
• Our staff members honored at Wednesday's Salute to Staff event

Keep up the great work, Bison!  Happy Friday!