Probing Questions

Teacher: John Gambs

Interview

Overview

Principles of Learning

Information Processing

Content Standards

Tenets of Democracy

Questions

Interview: Previewing Questions

1.      Civics/Government is a required class in order for students to graduate.  Do you agree with this requirement?  Why or why not?

2.      What are the pros/cons of grading students based on their participation in class?  Explain each.

3.      Would you, as a teacher, feel comfortable letting your students do most of the work and be independent while you sit on the “sidelines”?  Do you feel that level of supervision should change based on the student’s age?

Interview: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Review the goals that Gambs has for this lesson.  Briefly explain each of them.  Which of them do you feel are most important?

2.      Explain how Gambs assesses the student’s work. Would you add or delete any assessment tools? Explain.

3.      Gambs states that the students learn through this lesson the importance of being knowledgeable about what they are talking about when they bring ideas before their peers.  Students learn to “think on their feet”.  How does Gambs encourage this?  How will this benefit them outside of the classroom setting?

Overview: Previewing Questions

1.      Gambs states that it is important for a teacher to have a good understanding of the issue the students will be studying.  Do you agree?  Why or why not?  How does teacher understanding affect student learning?

2.      In preparing for this activity, Gambs advises that teachers should search and prepare a list of websites for class.  How would you begin to do this?  What knowledge would you have to have?  What technology would you use?

3.      Reflect on your high school experiences.  How did your Civics/Government teachers get you involved in understanding the United States government?  How did this affect your learning? 

Overview: Post-viewing Questions

1.      In the video, Gambs allows the students to choose what “role”—Senator, media reporter, pollster, etc.—they want to portray.  Why does he do this? 

2.      Review Gambs’ lesson plan.  Would you add or delete anything from the lesson?  Explain.

3.      Assume the role of the teacher.  What would be the most difficult aspect of this lesson to teach?  Then, assume the role of the students.  What would be the most beneficial aspect(s) of this lesson? 

Principles of  Learning: Previewing Questions

1.      Reflect on your high school experience.  Explain an experience in which a teacher used Direct Experience to facilitate your learning.

2.      Review the component for a Compelling Situation.  How does this benefit student learning?

3.      How do the Principles of Learning and Information Processing relate to each other?  

Principles of  Learning: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Refer to the Checklist of Observable Behaviors for Active Involvement. Explain how Gambs encourages the students to become actively involved in the lesson.

2.      Read the definition for Reflection.  Explain the process, and how Gambs facilitated this in the video.

3.      In his lesson plan, Gambs states that if Active Involvement, Direct Experience, Enjoyable Setting, and Compelling Situation would not have all been included in the lesson, the experience would have “declined in quality”.  Explain what he means, and give concrete examples from the video.

Information Processing: Previewing Questions

1.      Read Rankin, V. (1992).  Rx:  Task analysis or relief for the major discomforts of research assignments.  School Library Journal, 38 (11), 29-32.  Explain how the model discussed in this lesson is similar and/or differs from the stages of Information Processing.

2.      Some educators believe that the skills the students develop through Information Processing are “life long skills”.  Explain what this means. Do you agree?

3.      When you were in high school, did your teachers encourage you to use different aspects of Information Processing to develop life long skills?  If they did, explain some methods that they used to facilitate this.  If not, explain ways in which they could have.

Information Processing: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Explain the Communication Stage of Information Processing and give examples of how this stage is incorporated into the lesson.

2.      Describe the Search Stage of Information Processing.  Does Gambs incorporate this into the lesson? If so, how? What other things could he have done to guide students through the search stage?

3.      Refer to the Checklist of Observable Behaviors for the Evaluation Stage of Information Processing.  Explain how the students use this stage in their lesson’s activities.

Content  Standards: Previewing Questions

1.      Review the National Standards for Civics and Government for grades 9-12.  Which ones do you feel are most important?  Why?

2.      Devise your own Civics lesson using the National Standards for Civics and Government (9-12). Make sure to include at least 3 Standards in your lesson.

3.      Do you feel that the National Standards for Civics and Government should be modified often to reflect the changing society?  Reflect back on your high school government experience.  Do the National Standards address topics in which you never learned about?  

Content  Standards: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Review the National Standards for Civics and Government for grades 9-12.  How does Gambs incorporate Standard III-B into the lesson?

2.      Refer to the National Standards for Civics and Government for grades 9-12.  How could Gambs have incorporated Section II?

3.      How does Gambs’ lesson utilize technology in the classroom to enable the students to fulfill the National Standards for Civics and Government?

Tenets of Democracy: Previewing Questions

1.      Review the Checklist of Observable Behaviors for Individual Responsibility and Civil Involvement with Others.  Then, assume the role of a teacher.  You have a student who is refusing to take the lesson seriously.  The students are working in groups, and the entire lesson is becoming less effective because of one student’s negative participation.  How would you handle this student?  What would you do to ensure that the project would be a good learning experience for the students?

2.      Refer to the Checklist of Observable Behaviors for Tolerance as found in the model.  What are other ways in which teachers can help students develop tolerance?

3.      Reflect back on your school experience.  Did your teachers encourage you to express yourself?  If so, how?  If not, why?  How did this affect your learning experience?

Tenets of Democracy: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Refer to the definition for Power Sharing and Empowerment as found in the model.  How does Gambs encourage the use of this component in the lesson?

2.      Refer to Gambs’ lesson plan.  Explain another way in which he could have encouraged the students to use Critical Thinking and Decision Making in the lesson.

3.       How do the students demonstrate Tolerance in this lesson?  How does this affect student learning?  How will knowledge of tolerance help them function outside of the classroom?

Technology: Previewing Questions

1.      Gambs explains in his lesson that “all curricular areas must take responsibility for teaching (computer) skills”.  Do you agree?  Why or why not?

2.      Gambs states in his lesson that most students enjoy using technology.  Assume the role of a teacher.  How would you deal with a student who did not see the benefit in using technology?  How would you help him/her begin to appreciate it?

3.      Reflect on your high school experience.  Did your teachers emphasize technology?  How have times changed since you were a high school student? 

Technology: Post-viewing Questions

1.      In the lesson, Gambs explains that many of the seniors in his class lack appropriate computer skills.  How would this lesson enable them to develop their abilities?

2.      Gambs states in the lesson that not all of the technological resources he used in the activity were necessary, but that they enhanced it.  Describe how the lesson would be different if technology was not utilized.  What are the benefits/disadvantages of this?

3.       Locate Technology Competency Number 8.  Identify how Gambs incorporated this into his lesson.

Teacher Knowledge : Previewing Questions

1.      Shulman (1986, 1987, 1992) created a Model of Pedagogical Reasoning, which comprises a cycle of several activities that a teacher should complete for good teaching.  One of these was comprehension.  Explain why comprehension of purpose is important for educational purposes.  How does this affect student learning?

2.      Construct a lesson in which you address students’ Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, and Verbal-Linguistic intelligences.  Be sure to incorporate the use of technology in your lesson, as well.

3.      Gardner’s theory (1993) stressed the importance of not viewing intelligence as a “uni-dimensional construct”, but rather a number of different types of intelligences.  Do you agree?  How does a teacher’s knowledge of the Multiple Intelligences affect student learning?

Teacher Knowledge : Post-viewing Questions

1.      In the video, how does Gambs demonstrate comprehension of the content area and of the tools available for research?  How does a teacher gain comprehension?

2.      What do you think was Gambs’ purpose in allowing the students to choose different “roles” in this lesson?  How did this affect their learning?  How would the lesson have been different if the students were assigned their roles?

3.      Gambs addresses his students’ multiple intelligences in this lesson.  Choose two that he addresses and explain them.  How did the students demonstrate the use of these intelligences?

Teacher Behavior: Previewing Questions

1.      One of the Five Propositions of Accomplished Teaching states that teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.  Explain this concept.  How can you as a teacher effectively direct and monitor student learning?

2.      How can teachers engage students in the process of reflection?  How does this demonstrate effective classroom pedagogy?

3.      In one aspect of Content Management, a teacher may effectively manage the student’s homework.  Do you feel a teacher should always state the purpose of an assignment and relate it to real life?  Why or why not?  How does this affect student learning?

Teacher Behavior: Post-viewing Questions

1.      In the video, Gambs demonstrates effective pedagogy.  Explain how he does this, giving specific examples from the lesson.

2.      Review the checklist of observable behaviors for Content Management.  How does Gambs utilize these instructional management skills to enhance student learning?

3.      Gambs designs an activity that advances student disciplinary knowledge and understanding of the issues.  Describe how he does this, and how it affects student learning.