Empowering Students to Think Deeply Discuss Engagingly Write Definitively

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Empowering Students to Think Deeply
Discuss Engagingly Write
Definitively

• Ann Singleton, Ed.D.
• Ken Newman, Ed.D.
• Union University
• Jackson, TN

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Think Deeply Discuss Engagingly

• Ann Singleton

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The quality of our lives is determined by the
quality of our thinking. The quality of our
thinking, in turn, is determined by the quality
of our questions. Without essential questions,
we often fail to focus our thinking on the
significant and substantive.

• Richard Paul
• Linda Elder

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Essential Questions

• Semester Goals
• Class Objectives
• Essential Questions

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The significant problems we face cannot be solved
at the same level of thinking we were at when we
created them.

• Albert Einstein

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Blooms Taxonomy

• Knowledge
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation

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Test Blueprints

• Ensure class objectives are tested
• Test different levels of understanding
• Clarify class content

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General Discussion Strategies

• Allow time to think
• Identify a specific student for response AFTER
  think-time
• Think pair share
• Ask for another student to elaborate on a
  students response
• Ask for another student to summarize a students
  response
• Ask for another student to give an opposing view
  of a students response

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General Discussion Strategies(cont.)

• Ask for another student to give a logical
  rationale for a students response
• Ask for the key concept of a discussion
• Ask how the key concept fits into the information
  for the entire course
• Ask how an understanding of the key concept
  empowers the student
• Withhold judgment

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Universal Intellectual Standards

• Clarity - Could you elaborate?
• Accuracy - How could we verify?
• Precision Can you give more details?
• Relevance - How does that relate?
• Depth - What factors make this a difficult
  problem?
• Breadth- Can we look at this differently?
• Logic Does the answer fit the problem?
• Significance Is this the central idea to focus?

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The longer the assignment, the LESS likely the
student will complete it. Harry Wong

• A few students tell of professors who give
  homework assignments that are so challenging or
  complex that the only way to get the work done is
  to collaborate. Such homework assignments
  increased both student learning and their
  engagement with a class.
• Richard J. Light

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Write Definitively

• Ken Newman