Probing Questions

Teacher: Chris Hungerford

Interview

Overview

Principles of Learning

Information Processing

Content Standards

Tenets of Democracy

Questions

Interview: Previewing Questions

1.      What might be some characteristics of students who have a difficult time succeeding in the traditional method of education?  What are your ideas as to how to help students who haven’t succeeded in the traditional method of learning and education?

2.      How might a class web site be used as a method of assessment?  Brainstorm various ideas as to how this could be done.  How would your ideas improve student learning?

3.      What are the advantages and disadvantages of having students being responsible for their own learning in class?

Interview: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Hungerford states that the “hands on approach” to learning works better for his students.  What is different about the students he teaches?  Why do you think the hands on approach works better for these students?

2.      Summarize Hungerford’s teaching strategy, as he explains it in the video. How does the lesson utilize a “constructivist” way of learning?  For information on Constructivist teaching, refer to the article "Characteristics of Constructivist Learning and Teaching". How does the lesson allow the students to have more control over their learning?

3.      Hungerford states that students in his class are accountable for their own learning. How does this affect the atmosphere of the class? How does it impact student learning?

Overview: Previewing Questions

1.      If you were teaching a high school social studies class, what would you teach your students about business?  Do you think teaching about business is important at the high school level?  Why or why not?

2.      Regarding students and student characteristics, what must a teacher be aware of when working in an alternative high school?  Why is it important to be aware of each of these?

3.      Brainstorm technological tools and/or resources that might be used in a secondary education business class.  How could each of these resources be used?

Overview: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Summarize Hungerford’s lesson. What do you think are its strengths?  What are its weaknesses?

2.      Read Hungerford’s lesson plan. What could he have added to the lesson to expand on student knowledge of business?  What aspects of the lesson might have been excluded? Why?

3.      Hungerford has the students clarify long-term and short-term goals for their businesses.  How does this add to the lesson?  How might goal setting improve student learning?

Principles of  Learning: Previewing Questions

1.      Brainstorm ideas on how to turn a high school business class into a Compelling Situation.  Do you think this would improve student learning?  Why or why not?

2.      Read the definition for Reflection in the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model. In your own words, describe metacognition, transfer of knowledge, and analogical reasoning.  Why is each important for student learning?

3.      Give a specific example of how Frequent Feedback could improve student learning. What are your experiences, either as a student or a teacher, with feedback?

Principles of  Learning: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Hungerford provides a Compelling Situation in the classroom through making the students in charge of their own businesses.  What specific actions do you see Hungerford doing in the classroom to facilitate this principle of learning?  What else might he have done to emphasize the compelling situation?

2.      How does the software Capitalism Plus help the students make Patterns and Connections in their learning?

3.      How does the software used in this lesson allow the students to engage in a backward-reaching transfer?  This is described in the checklist of observable behaviors for Patterns and Connections in the model.  How does transfer improve student learning?

Information Processing: Previewing Questions

1.      Keeping in mind that it is important for students to gain an appreciation for an academic activity, what student characteristics would a teacher at an alternative high school need to keep in mind when trying to engage students in the Appreciation stage of Information Processing? Why?

2.      Do you think that practicing the Evaluation stage of Information Processing in class could help the students in their other classes and in their daily lives?  Why or why not?

3.      Read the definition for the Presearch stage of Information Processing, and summarize it in your own words.  What is your preferred way to presearch?  What do you like about it?  How could you engage students in this method of presearch?

Information Processing: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Which observable behaviors for the Appreciation stage of Information Processing does this lesson include?  What other behaviors could have been utilized in this lesson?

2.      How does Hungerford’s lesson incorporate the Presearch stage of Information Processing?  How might this improve student learning?

3.      In what ways does the activity emphasize the Evaluation stage of Information Processing?  How does evaluation help the students to improve their businesses?

Content  Standards: Previewing Questions

1.      Read through the 20 Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics.  Which of these do you feel are most important for high school students to learn? Which do you feel are least important?  Why?

2.      Read the Curriculum Standard for Social Studies Number 8.  What are your reactions to this?  How could you integrate this standard into a high school business class?

3.      Do you think the use of Content Standards improves student learning? Explain.

Content  Standards: Post-viewing Questions

1.      How does the Capitalism Plus software help the teacher integrate Social Studies Standard VII for high school?  How could Hungerford have integrated this standard if he did not have the use of the software?

2.      What is the Technology Performance Indicator Number 8 for grades 9-12, as explained in the video?  How does Hungerford implement this in the lesson?

3.      The students in this class make a web site to display what they have learned.  Which content standard does this activity fulfill, as described in the video?   Do you think this standard is important for student learning? Why or why not?

Tenets of Democracy: Previewing Questions

1.      Read the description and checklist of observable behaviors for Critical Thinking and Decision Making.  How often do you engage in these activities in daily life?  Does critical thinking help you in daily life?  Would you want to use it more often? Explain.

2.      What can teachers say to verbally prompt students to engage in critical thinking?  How can teachers help students to begin to engage in critical thinking on their own, without prompting from the teacher?

3.      What are the advantages and disadvantages of engaging high school students in individual projects rather than working in groups?

Tenets of Democracy: Post-viewing Questions

1.      What do the students do in “Virtual CEO” that allows them to engage in Critical Thinking and Decision Making?  How might this improve their learning of the various aspects of business?

2.      How does Hungerford prompt his students to engage in critical thinking?  Do you think this was effective?  Why or why not?

3.      What could Hungerford have added and/or changed about this activity that might emphasize Power Sharing and Empowerment? 

Technology: Previewing Questions

1.      Choose one Preservice Teacher Technology Competency and describe how a teacher’s knowledge in this area could facilitate high school students through each stage of Information Processing.

2.      Switzer et al (1999) states that “databases, simulations, and access to the Internet can provide rich experiences and information as students acquire the skills and knowledge represented by the content standards.”  Give a specific example of how these forms of technology can facilitate student learning of one or two Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. 

3.      Search the Internet for software that could be used in a high school classroom to facilitate student learning.  Describe the software you found, how it could be used in the classroom, and its benefits and disadvantages for student use.

Technology: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Search the Virtual CEO web site.  What did you learn?  Would this be something you would use in class?  Why?

2.      In the video, Hungerford demonstrates Preservice Teacher Technology Competency Number 20, the use of instructional software.  What other Technology Competencies, listed in the model, does Hungerford demonstrate in class? 

3.      How does the use of instructional software in this classroom facilitate student and teacher use of Critical Thinking and Decision Making?  Why is this important for student learning?

Teacher Knowledge : Previewing Questions

1.      Shulman’s Model of Pedagogical Reasoning comprises a cycle of several activities that a teacher should complete for good teaching.  These are described in the summary of Teachers In-Depth Content Knowledge.  Summarize each activity and explain why each is important for teaching. Do you agree?

2.      What specific things can a teacher do to address students’ logical/mathematical intelligences (described in Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences)?

3.      Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences states that people have eight independent intelligences.  How can teachers deal with the fact that different students will be weak and strong in different intelligences?

Teacher Knowledge : Post-viewing Questions

1.      Describe how Hungerford illustrates the five steps of Transformation, as described in the summary of Teachers In-Depth Content Knowledge.  Do you feel he has fully gone through the process of Transformation?  Why or why not?

2.      What does Hungerford do to address his students’ intrapersonal intelligences and logical/mathematical intelligences, as described in Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences?  What else could he have done to address these intelligences?

3.      Why does Hungerford use “comprehension checks” in his classroom?  How does this demonstrate Teachers In-Depth Content Knowledge?

Teacher Behavior: Previewing Questions

1.      In your own words, what is Pedagogy?  How would a teacher’s pedagogy affect their communication with students?  Give specific examples.

2.      At alternative high schools, student attendance is irregular.  What specific things would a teacher have to do to adapt to this characteristic?  How can a teacher at an alternative high school facilitate student learning?

3.      How can teachers emphasize meaningful learning in the classroom?  Do you think this improves student learning?  Explain.

Teacher Behavior: Post-viewing Questions

1.      What does the teacher do to demonstrate Content Management in the classroom?  Do you think this was effective?  Why or why not?

2.      How does Hungerford use Capitalism Plus to demonstrate a component of Pedagogy? What other technological tools could he have used to demonstrate pedagogy?

3.      How does Hungerford’s selection of instructional resources make students interested and give them control over their learning?  How might this facilitate improved student learning?