Probing Questions

Teacher: Jacquelyn Krueger

Interview

Overview

Principles of Learning

Information Processing

Content Standards

Tenets of Democracy

Questions

Interview: Previewing Questions

1. What are your opinions about having students evaluate themselves as well as having the teacher assess them? How could these two different methods of assessment enhance learning?
2. How can technology play an important role in a keyboarding/computer applications class?
3. What are some methods that students can use to outline?  How does outlining an activity before starting it impact student learning?

Interview: Post-viewing Questions

1. How did Krueger’s students prepare to do the Career Exploration project before starting it? What were the first steps they took and why were they important in the development of the lesson?
2. What are the objectives of this project? What is the difference between a learning tool and an assessment tool?
3. How are Krueger’s students assessed in this project?  Devise another method she could have used to assess them.

Overview: Previewing Questions

1. If you were a high school teacher, and wished to carry out a career exploration project with your students, describe how you would implement the lesson.  How would you use technology?
2. Do you feel it is necessary for teachers to organize their lessons based on the time of year or other things going on in the school?  Explain.
3. Brainstorm various ways that PowerPoint can be used in a high school classroom.

Overview: Post-viewing Questions

1. The students in this video do a PowerPoint presentation about a career of their choice. To what extent do you think having students in grades 9-12 involved in projects of this type could impact their future career?
2. Besides helping her students use the different technological tools, in what other ways does Krueger help her students succeed?
3. Review Krueger’s lesson plan. Describe the lesson in detail. If you were teaching the lesson, how would you make it different? Why?

Principles of  Learning: Previewing Questions

1. How can a teacher use the Principles of Learning to guide students in career exploration?
2. How does providing students with Direct Experience enhance learning? Why?
3. Reflect back on your high school experiences.  Did your teachers involve you in a Compelling Situation?  How did this impact your learning?

Principles of  Learning: Post-viewing Questions

1. How does Krueger create opportunities for her students to take ownership of the project?
2. In what ways do Krueger’s students engage in the process of Reflection through this project? Give examples.
3. What Principles of Learning, other than Compelling Situation and Reflection, could be included in this lesson? Select two and give a specific example as to how they could be implemented.

Information Processing: Previewing Questions

1.      Describe the positive impact that Communication has on the learning process.

2.      Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of student self-evaluation.

3.      If you were to teach a Career Exploration project, how would you lead your students in the Search stage of Information Processing? What technological tools or on-line search engines would you use in your class?

Information Processing: Post-viewing Questions

1. How do Krueger’s students engage in the Communication stage of Information Processing? What ideas do they communicate?  How do they do this?
2. Describe how Krueger encourages her students to engage in the Appreciation stage of Information Processing.
3. Review the checklist of observable behaviors for the Search stage of Information Processing.  Choose five that are most frequently used by Krueger’s students, and describe the benefits of each.

Content  Standards: Previewing Questions

1. Review the Nine Information Literacy Standards for student Learning. Which ones do you think are most important? Explain your reasoning.
2. Do you think that content standards need to be implemented for every class in high school?  For example, do you feel that content standards for a keyboarding class are necessary?  Why or why not?
3. Review the Performance Indicators for Technology-Literate Students, Grades 9-12.  How could the implementation of these into the classroom enhance student learning?

Content  Standards: Post-viewing Questions

1. One of the standards implemented in Krueger’s lesson is Business Education Information Systems Standard. What does this standard require the students to do?
2. This project addresses both Information Literacy Standard Number 2, which refers to the evaluation of information, both critically and competently, and Information Literacy Standard Number 3, which refers to using information accurately and creatively. How are both of these standards accomplished through the lesson?
3. Discuss the importance of Information Literacy Standard Number 8 in Krueger’s lesson. In what way is ethics related to information technology?

Tenets of Democracy: Previewing Questions

1. Review the checklist of observable behaviors for Thinking Together and Making Meaning. To what extent does dialogue impact both of them?  Give an example.
2. What are some common problems that could occur in Critical Thinking? As a reference, see Callahan, W.P. (1998). Critical Thinking and Decision Making.
3. In what ways are Empowerment and Individual Responsibility related?

Tenets of Democracy: Post-viewing Questions

1.      This project gives the students opportunities for Empowerment, as the teacher allows her students to choose the career they will research. How would the lesson have been different if the teacher had assigned a career to each student?

2.      How does Krueger build a sense of Individual Responsibility in her class? How does this enhance student learning?

3.      What aspects of Krueger’s lesson demonstrate student’s Critical Thinking and Decision Making?

Technology: Previewing Questions

1.      Review Teacher Technology Competency Number 1. Why do you think it is important for teachers to be aware of these concepts?

2.      What were some common problems that occurred when you were learning to operate a computer? Who helped you with them?

3.      Have you ever experienced instances where technology negatively impacted student learning?  If so, how?  If you have not, describe some instances where technology positively impacted learning.

Technology: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Krueger’s activity was designed to assess students’ skills in using a computer and peripherals as well as word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software. Devise another technological tool she could have used in the lesson to accomplish this goal.

2.      How does Krueger demonstrate Technology Competency Number 1?  How does her knowledge of this enhance student learning?

3.      If you were teaching this project in 1960, how would it be different?  What would need to be changed?  How would student learning be affected?

Teacher Knowledge : Previewing Questions

1.      Review the checklist of the six stages of Teacher’s In-Depth Content Knowledge. How are these indications of an effective teacher?

2.      Read the summary of Knowledge of Student Characteristics and review the five main factors that affect student learning according to Dunn and Griggs. Which one do you think impacts student learning the most and why?

3.      Refer to your high school experience. How did your teachers demonstrate knowledge of student characteristics? How would it have affected your learning if they were not familiar with the content or student characteristics?

Teacher Knowledge : Post-viewing Questions

1.      Krueger demonstrates strong In-Depth Content Knowledge. Give specific examples of how she incorporates her knowledge into the lesson. How does this impact student learning?

2.      How does Krueger demonstrate Knowledge of Student Characteristics?

3.      What multiple intelligences does Krueger address throughout the lesson? Refer to the summary of Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. 

Teacher Behavior: Previewing Questions

1.      Do you think that allowing students to pursue their own interests and giving them the opportunity to take credit for their efforts could be beneficial both for them and for the teacher?  Explain.

2.      When you were in school, how did your teachers encourage you to take credit for your efforts while taking part in an activity?

3.      To what extent do you think that allowing students to be independent learners enhances learning?

Teacher Behavior: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Krueger implements an element of effective Pedagogy by discussing with the students what personal data they will need for their PowerPoint presentations. How does this impact student learning?

2.      In what ways does Krueger’s behavior create a classroom environment conducive to meaningful learning?

3.      How does Krueger display Classroom Management? What else could she have done to effectively manage her classroom?