Probing Questions

Teacher: Christine I. Gleason

Interview

Overview

Principles of Learning

Information Processing

Content Standards

Tenets of Democracy

Questions

Interview: Previewing Questions

1. How often do you use prompts in order to help your students accomplish learning tasks in middle school Earth Science class? Give specific examples.
   

2. How important are hands-on activities in your middle school Earth Science class? 
   

3. Give examples of essential questions that drive the activity (questions you have used or seen used) in a middle school Earth Science class.
   

Interview: Post-viewing Questions

1. How does the teacher in this video encourage students to give each other feedback?
   

2. How does the teacher use the skills students acquired outside of class to promote formal learning?
   

3. What is this teacher’s opinion about lecturing? Read the relevant passages in the lesson plan.
   

Overview: Previewing Questions

1. Brainstorm some of the advantages and disadvantages of paired work on experiments in middle school science class.
   

2. How do you encourage your middle school students to take risks in their Earth Science class?
   

3. Consult the lesson plan. What is the role of the teacher in this unit? List the teacher’s responsibilities.
   

Overview: Post-viewing Questions

1. How does this activity fit into the middle school science curriculum? Look at the lesson plan.
   

2. How do students in this video show their understanding of new concepts?
   

3. The teacher in this video considers the use of Model-It a good way of assessing student knowledge. What is your opinion about using educational software for assessing student learning?
   

Principles of  Learning: Previewing Questions

1. What methods of assessment do you use in middle school Earth Science classes? Which were the most effective methods and why? 
   

2. How do you create an Enjoyable Setting in a middle school Earth Science class?
   

3. What type of feedback do you use in your middle school Earth Science class? What criteria do you use for providing feedback?
   

Principles of  Learning: Post-viewing Questions

1. How does the teacher in this video assess students? Read the information provided in the lesson plan. What is your opinion about her assessment methods?
   

2. How does the teacher in this video engage students in active learning? Describe evidence of student learning.
   

3. How would you describe the setting in this classroom?
   

Information Processing: Previewing Questions

1. Brainstorm a list of Information Processing skills middle school science students should develop.
   

2. Identify possible problems students might encounter during each of the stages of Information Processing. 
   

3. How do you develop students’ Appreciation of the content they are learning in the Earth Science class? 
   

Information Processing: Post-viewing Questions

1. How do students in this video Interpret their data? What role does the teacher play in this process?
   

2. The students in this video are engaged in experimental design. How important are the Presearch and Search stages for this kind of design?
   

3. How do students in this video Communicate the results of their experiment? Think of other activities that could be integrated in this stage of Information Processing.
   

Content  Standards: Previewing Questions

1. Give examples of activities that integrate Science Standard A1 for Grades 5-8, which requires students to develop abilities to do scientific inquiry.
   

2. Do you integrate standards other than science in your Earth Science activities? Explain.
   

3. Look over the Science Standards for grades 5-8. Which standards facilitate a hands-on approach to science?
   

Content  Standards: Post-viewing Questions

1. The teacher in this video integrates Science Standard A1 for Grades 5-8 by asking students to create weather prediction models. Think of other activities that could integrate the same standard.
   

2. How does the teacher in this video integrate Science Standard E1 for Grades 5-8? 
   This standard requires students to develop technological design.
   

3. The teacher in this video integrates a large number of science standards in her unit. Do you see any relation between the standards addressed and the improvement of student achievement? 
   

Tenets of Democracy: Previewing Questions

1. How do you encourage collaboration between students in your middle school science class?
   

2. In any class there are students who tend to dominate the classroom discourse. How do you encourage the shy students to participate, without discouraging the more dominant ones?
   

3. Brainstorm a list of rules that would facilitate Decision Making in your middle school Earth Science class.
   

Tenets of Democracy: Post-viewing Questions

1. How does the teacher in this video promote Individual Responsibility and Civil Involvement with others?
   

2. How do students in this video engage in Critical Thinking? Brainstorm a list of thinking skills required for this type of cognitive activity.
   

3. How do students in this video demonstrate Tolerance?
   

Technology: Previewing Questions

1. How do you keep informed of the latest educational technology?
   

2. Read the Technology Competencies presented in the TFQE model? Which ones do you display more often? Which ones do you find more challenging?
   

3. What criteria do you use in choosing certain technological equipment for teaching practices?
   

Technology: Post-viewing Questions

1. The teacher in this video uses Model-It, a software program that allows her student to experience science directly. Give examples of other software programs that you can use in middle school science classes.
   

2. The students in this video are able to explain the rational behind instructional software. Speculate about the way they have gained an understanding of this rationale.
   

3. Using the teacher’s lesson plan, identify the technological equipment she used to develop this unit. How does this equipment fit into the context of the whole unit?
   

Teacher Knowledge : Previewing Questions

1. Brainstorm a list of criteria that a teacher should consider when choosing instructional resources.
   

2. How do you encourage your middle school students to use their Interpersonal Intelligence in an Earth Science class? Give specific examples. 
   

3. What does Logical/ Mathematical Intelligence mean in practical terms in an Earth Science class?
   

Teacher Knowledge : Post-viewing Questions

1. The teacher in this video asks her students questions in order to make them see cause-effect relationships. Brainstorm a list of elements that make up an authentic dialogue.
   

2. What methods of instruction does the teacher in this video use? How effective are they? Consult the lesson plan. Thinks of other methods she could have used.
   

3. The students in this video work in pairs to construct a weather model. Give examples of other science learning activities that students can complete in pairs. 
   

Teacher Behavior: Previewing Questions

1. What Content Management issues do you find most challenging in teaching Earth Science?
   

2. What instructional resources do you use in your middle school science classes? Give specific examples.
   

3. How important is it for you, as a teacher, to model skills and strategies for your students?
   

Teacher Behavior: Post-viewing Questions

1. How does the teacher in this video demonstrate Content Management? Think of other ways she could have structured her review and introduction.
   

2. The teacher in this video uses questioning in order to review students’ previous knowledge about Model-It, a program they have used before. How does she use student answers?
   

3. Model-It allows students to create and test their own theories about weather phenomena. Why is it important that students are provided with this opportunity?