Video: Using student questions to drive learning
Educators often wonder what to do with questions their students have generated. As Kim Sergent, a social studies instructional specialist, notes, “If you don’t use them” (the questions) “you will lose them” (the students). In this video, educators talk about different ways they use student-generated questions — specifically, questions about primary sources.
‘Next steps’: examples from first-grade
First-grade teachers Ashleigh Burry and Kristy Mandel provide some more examples of what to do with students’ questions, including reading and writing exercises, project-based learning, and activities like “wonder wall” and “exploration hour.”
More ‘next steps’ ideas and examples
We’ve compiled a list of more examples, based on insights from hundreds of teachers, and put them on continuum: From quick “exit tickets” to multi-day projects, student questions can drive the next steps of learning, no matter what your time frame or objectives.
Earn a micro-credential
Together with Citizen U and the National Education Association, we are currently developing a new micro-credential for using the Question Formulation Technique with primary sources. We’ll let you know when it rolls out, and until then, check out some of the other micro-credentials being offered.
Read more: Citizen U and NEA micro-credentials
What we’re reading
Here are some stories that recently caught our attention.
- How arts practices can be the foundation of teaching and learning — KQED’s Mindshift
- Tales from the haunted library: Halloween stories and songs from our online collections — Teaching with the Library of Congress
- Dallas schools were on the rise, praised for progress and reform. And then the pandemic hit — The Dallas Morning News
- We know how to help young kids cope with the trauma of the last year — but will we do it? — The Hechinger Report
- 13 ways to use art in content classes — Education Week
Upcoming learning opportunities
November 20: TPS + QFT Mash-Up: Off the Charts Student-Driven Research. Hosted by the National Council for the Social Studies.
Coming soon: Using the QFT with Primary Sources. In collaboration with Citizen U and the National Education Association.
Mark your calendar: November 30
Giving Tuesday takes place on November 30. It’s a day that celebrates generosity (as opposed to consumer spending), and there are many ways to give back. If you’re planning to participate in Giving Tuesday, know that that when you support the Right Question Institute, you help equip people with skills, strategies, and resources for participating in decisions and advocating for themselves, their families, and their communities, and you also help bring free resources to teachers and schools. On November 30, we hope you’re able to join us — or another cause close to your heart — to bring more generosity into the world.