Weekly Writing 5: The Power of Questions

Have you ever analyzed the questions you ask to others? Consider if they are questions that provoke a quick, couple word response or do they stimulate thought and individual ideas. There are two types of questions: lower level order thinking questions and higher level order thinking question. As a teacher, we will be expected to utilize both types of questioning.

Lower level questions are used to check the "temperature" of the room. No need to bust out the thermometer, a question is all you need. These questions gauge where the students are at as far as understanding the content. They also can pin point the strength and weaknesses of the class or could be used as a review or summary of the information. These questions are very important when ensuring the students are getting the basic facts and content you are teaching them.

Higher level questions are used to get students to think deeper into a subject. This is really where we start to expand the mind of the students. After students begin grasping the subject we want them to think critically and begin to solve problems with their knowledge. We want them to think outside of "What are the 4 components of a ruminant stomach?" to "How are different feeds absorbed by the ruminant stomach?" and finally to "What feeds will yield the best results of milk for my dairy cattle?" We began with a question that had a basic answer, then moved to a question that build on the first question and finally the last question was solving a problem with the information from the first two questions.

The power of a question is really amazing and by making a conscientious effort to ask higher level questions in the classroom we will create higher level thinkers in society.

"Our life is a faint tracing on the surface of mystery, like the idle, curved tunnels of leaf miners on the surface of a leaf. We must somehow take a wider view, look at the whole landscape, really see it, and describe what's going on here. Then we can at least wail the right question into the swaddling band of darkness, or, if it comes to that, choir the proper praise." - Annie Dillard