Probing Questions

Teacher: Barb Anderson 

Interview

Overview

Principles of Learning

Information Processing

Content Standards

Tenets of Democracy

Questions

Interview: Previewing Questions

1. How can teachers make sure that each student participates actively in group work activities?

2. What are some techniques teachers can use to introduce technology to students who have little prior knowledge and technological skills?

3. Is it important for students to learn about countries and cultures other than their own? Why or why not? How is knowledge of different cultures related to the Tenets of Democracy? 

Interview: Post-viewing Questions

1. How are Anderson's goals for the project facilitated through the use of technology?

2. How does Anderson ensure that each individual does his or her part in the group activity? How does this impact student learning?

3. What are Anderson's goals and purposes for this activity? How would they have to be modified if the technological tools were not available? How would this affect student learning?

Overview: Previewing Questions

1. What is your definition of an effective teacher? Explain.

2. Besides instructing students in how to speak the language, what are some other instructional methods a teacher could incorporate into a foreign language class? Why are they important for student learning?

3. Brainstorm various methods that teachers can use to teach high school students about foreign countries. Why would each method be effective and/or ineffective?

Overview: Post-viewing Questions

1. How does Anderson evaluate students in this activity? What are the strengths and weaknesses of her method?

2. How does Anderson motivate her students? Is this an effective method? Why or why not?

3. What could be added to and/or deleted from this activity to improve student learning?

Principles of  Learning: Previewing Questions

1. The definition for Active Involvement states that the "learner…creates his or her learning actively and uniquely." How can a teacher encourage this type of learning with reluctant high school students?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of students learning through Informal Learning? 

3. How is a Compelling Situation related to student motivation? How does this relationship affect student learning?

Principles of  Learning: Post-viewing Questions

1. Look at the checklist of observable behaviors for Active Involvement. Which of these do the students display in the video? What else could Anderson have done to encourage Active Involvement among her students?

2. How does Anderson allow her students to engage in Informal Learning? Is this effective? Why or why not?

3. How do the students engage in Reflection in the video? How might Reflection improve student learning?

Information Processing: Previewing Questions

1. How might a student's progression through the Appreciation stage of Information Processing affect the students in the other stages of Information Processing? 

2. Describe how a student's progression through the Interpretation stage of Information Processing is affected by and related to a student's Active Involvement. 

3. How can a teacher use technology to facilitate students in the Appreciation and Presearch stages of Information Processing? 

Information Processing: Post-viewing Questions

1. How could Anderson have encouraged the students to demonstrate the Appreciation stage of Information Processing? 

2. In this classroom, how do the Tenets of Democracy affect the Search stage of Information Processing? 

3. How does technology facilitate the Interpretation stage of Information Processing in this classroom? The Communication stage? How could it have been used to facilitate the Evaluation stage of Information Processing?

Content  Standards: Previewing Questions

1. Prepare an activity for a high school Spanish language class that integrates Foreign Language Education Standards 1.2, 2.2, and 4.2. 

2. Read the Foreign Language Education Standards. Do you think that students should learn about the culture, geography, and people that are native to the language? Why or why not?

3. Are technology content standards important? Why or why not? Do you think that teachers are aware of and/or implement technology content standards?

Content  Standards: Post-viewing Questions

1. How does this activity integrate Foreign Language Education Standards 5.1, 1.2, and 3.1? How does the integration of these standards improve student learning?

2. Describe how Technology Performance Indicators are fulfilled through this lesson. 

3. How could Anderson have integrated Foreign Language Education Standards 2.1 and 2.2 into this lesson?

Tenets of Democracy: Previewing Questions

1. Describe various methods that teachers can use to integrate lessons about Individual Responsibility into regular education.

2. Do you think that providing opportunities for Power Sharing and Empowerment in the classroom improves student learning? Why or why not?

3. How does Teacher Behavior affect the extent to which students engage in Critical Thinking? 

Tenets of Democracy: Post-viewing Questions

1. How does this activity address Individual Responsibility? How does this impact student learning?

2. How does this activity provide opportunities for students to engage in Power Sharing and Empowerment? What else could Anderson have done to empower her students?

3. Do you see any evidence in the video of Anderson leading her students in the process of Critical Thinking? If so, describe what she does. How do these activities improve student learning?

Technology: Previewing Questions

1. How can the use of technology in a classroom facilitate student learning?

2. How might a teacher's use and/or misuse of technological tools affect his or her students' attitudes toward technology and abilities to use technology? 

3. How can teachers use technology to develop information-processing skills among their students?

Technology: Post-viewing Questions

1. How do you think that Anderson's levels of proficiencies with the Teacher Technology Competencies affect her students' uses of technological resources? How does this ultimately impact student learning?

2. Look at Anderson's Le Tour de France WebQuest and evaluate it. Is this form of technology something you would use as a teacher? Why or why not?

3. Describe how Anderson integrates National Education Technology Standards into the lesson. Do you think that technology should be taught in a separate class before using it in the classroom? Why or why not?

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: comprehension, transformation, instruction, evaluation, reflection, and new comprehension. Explain the process of instruction. As a teacher, what are some steps you can take to strengthen your skills in this area of teaching?

2. How is a Teacher's In-Depth Content Knowledge related to the Principles of Learning, especially Active Involvement?

3. As a teacher, what are some techniques and methods you can use to enable students to take control of their own learning? How does giving a student control of his/her learning affect the student's experience?

Teacher Knowledge : Post-viewing Questions

1. How is the students' verbal/linguistic intelligence addressed in the video? Which of the other intelligences are addressed through the lesson? Review Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

2. The video states that Anderson's use of group work displays her In-Depth Content Knowledge. What are some methods she uses to assist in the group work process? Explain how a teacher's lack of In-Depth Content Knowledge in the area of Instruction could hinder group work in the classroom setting.

3. Explain how Anderson's In-Depth Content Knowledge is evident in her use of Instruction. How does this impact student learning?

Teacher Behavior: Previewing Questions

1. What is the purpose of a teacher holding a daily preview session at the beginning of a lesson or class period? How does this demonstrate Content Management? Explain.

2. What knowledge should a teacher have about the group work process before the lesson begins? How is a teacher's Pedagogy (beliefs about and methods of education) demonstrated in her planning for and management of group work activities?

3. Reflect on your school experience. As a student, were your group work projects beneficial to your learning process? What did you learn through these experiences? If group work was not always a positive experience for you, what could your teachers have done to make the experience more valuable?

Teacher Behavior: Post-viewing Questions

1. How is Anderson's use of a variety of assessment strategies evident in her Pedagogy (beliefs about and methods of education)? How does this impact student learning? As a teacher, do you plan on using a variety of assessment strategies? What are some techniques and methods you will use to do this?

2. Explain how Anderson demonstrates strong Content Management in this project. How would the students' learning have been affected if she had not displayed good Content Management?

3. Explain some techniques and methods Anderson uses to monitor in-class group work. How is her Pedagogy (beliefs about and methods of teaching) evidenced in her Classroom Management?