Professional Development: The Art of Questioning in Math

Lang Patt & Thaihoa Nguyen

May 12, 2015
Task

Goals:
Goal 1: Teachers will identify challenges in word problems.
Goal 2: Teachers will increase their understanding of questioning strategies
to facilitate student understanding in word problems.
Goal 3: Teachers will examine questions that encourage critical thinking.
Goal 4: Teacher will create questions to increase student understanding
specifically in their current math unit.

Preparation:
Copies
Welcome activity (Thinking About Questions)
Gallery Walk posters

Time

Task

8:30-9:00

Goal 1: Teachers will identify challenges in word problems.

Entry: Teachers solve an entry word problem. Use the I Notice, I Wonder
worksheet to make a list of possible difficulties for students with the problem.
What do you wonder about word problems?
https://tdev.sjcoe.org/photos/19405_ProbSolvItHastoBeginwNoticeWonder.p
df (I Notice, I Wonder article)
9:00-10:00 Review goals
10:00-11:30 Debrief: Road block to problem solving.
Goal 3: Teachers will examine questions that encourage critical thinking.
Thinking About Questions activity
The Dos and Donts of Questioning
The Art of Questioning
http://www.fcps.org/cms/lib02/MD01000577/Centricity/Domain/97/The%20art
%20of%20questioning%20in%20math%20class.pdf
11:30-12:00

Lunch Provided

12:00-1:00 Solving Roadblocks to Dialogue

Gallery Walk with Discussion Roadblocks (from The Art of Questioning)
Questioning Strategies
The Mind Tool Types of Questioning
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_88.htm
Goal 2: Teachers will increase their understanding of questioning strategies
to facilitate students understanding in word problems.
Making Math Comprehensible
Three mathematical models
Looking at SBAC questions
Provide teachers with copies of SBAC questions for their grade level.
Teachers use the math model to analyze the questions in pairs.
Resources:
http://commoncore.fcoe.org/sites/commoncore.fcoe.org/files/resources/All
%20grade%208%20SBAC_0.pdf *SBAC question examples for 8th grade
http://www.rcoe.us/educational-services/files/2013/11/asmt-sbac-math-gr3sample-items.pdf *SBAC question examples for 3rd grade
http://www.rcoe.us/educational-services/files/2013/11/asmt-sbac-math-gr6sample-items.pdf *SBAC samples for 6th grade
Look at questions to encourage mathematical dialogue
http://nrich.maths.org/2473
1:00-2:45

Goal 4: Teacher will create questions to increase students understanding

specifically in their current math unit.
Planning Time
Map out mathematical model and questions to use for word problems in a
math unit.
Wrap Up
Feedback

Closing
2:45-3:00

Additional Resources:
http://www.nctm.org/classroom-resources/lessons/There-Has-to-Be-aSystem-for-This-Sweet-Problem/
Small, M. (2012). Good questions: Great ways to differentiate mathematics
instruction. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
McCoy, A., Barnett, J., & Combs, E. (2013). High yield routines. Reston, VA:
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Entry Word Problem:

Daniel bought 1 pound of jelly beans and 2 pounds of
chocolates for $2.00. A week later, he bought 4 pounds of
caramels and 1 pound of jelly beans, paying $3.00. The
next week, he bought 3 pounds of licorice, 1 pound of jelly
beans, and 1 pound of caramels for $1.50. How much
would he have to pay on his next trip to the candy store if
he bought 1 pound of each of the 4 kinds of candy?

Thinking About Questions

Classify the following questions as questions that encourage responses or
lead to a dead end in classroom dialogue. Then, box which word(s)
provided the clue as to whether the question encourages or discourages
dialogue.
How did you decide on the response? ___________________

Who wants to tell me about ____ ? __________________

Can anyone give me an example of ___ ? _______________
Do you have any questions? ___________________
Write the next step on your paper, and justify your answer.
______________________
Do you have any questions? ____________________

Scenarios for Solving Roadblocks to Dialogue Gallery Walk

Situation
My students wont talk.
The same few students answer
questions or participate in
discussions.
What about the students who do
not raise their hands?
The first speaker gives the correct
answer.
How can I help English language

Solutions for Dialogue

learners?
The discussion is not going
according to what you planned.

Mathematical Models
Clauses

Information Provided

Mathematical
Concepts

Information from the

Problem

Mathematical
Concepts

Mathematical
Representations &
Procedures