@RightQuestion Digest: Library of Congress Presentation, Students’ Questions about Literature, & More

Dan Rothstein Presenting at Library of Congress’ Online Conference

On Tuesday, October 27^th Right Question Institute co-director Dan Rothstein (@DanRothstein) will be presenting as a part of Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources online conference. Dan’s presentation, Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions, will be held from 5:00-6:00pm (EDT). If you are interested, check out the registration page here. There are only a few spaces left.

The Movement from Teachers’ Questions to Students’ Questions

Sixth-grade teacher Joel Pardalis (@MrPardalis) has written about changing his teaching practices in order to elicit and incorporate more student questions. He has observed positive changes in how students approach literature and how students partake in classroom discussions. To read more about Joel’s insights on students’ questions in the classroom, check out his two-part blog post here:

Part 1: The Importance of Student Questions &

Part 2: Tips to Empower Students to Ask their own Questions about Literature

Teachers in Action

Earlier this school year, teachers across the United States shared and used the Question Formulation Technique with their colleagues. Featured below are teachers from Middletown, CT, Ellington, CT, and Los Angeles, CA going through the Question Formulation Technique (QFT)!

@RightQuestion @RothsteinDan Middletown SS learning QFT! #ctinqiryk12 pic.twitter.com/2EDzBzooR1

— elizabeth mancini (@ManciniCT) August 25, 2015

Ellington teachers learning how to use the QFT in their classrooms @RightQuestion pic.twitter.com/4axwnSERXQ

— Michele Murray (@michelelmurray) August 24, 2015

@pmcastaneda rolls out QFT @ResedaHS @ResedaHS_PLC @RightQuestion pic.twitter.com/Y6pPR5biYr

— Melanie Welsh (@melanieawelsh) September 22, 2015

Not Your Ordinary Eighth-Grade Drama

The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) can be used across subjects and grade levels. Here is an example of eighth graders using the QFT during a drama class at Nichols Middle School (@NicholsMiddle) in Buffalo, NY.

8th graders going thoroughly a QFT from the Right Question Institute @RightQuestion in Drama Class pic.twitter.com/QIMN0tmIoz

— Nichols MiddleSchool (@NicholsMiddle) September 4, 2015

The QFT and the California Drought 

Jim Bentley (@Curiosity_Films), who was featured in a previous @RightQuestion Digest, used the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) to elicit students’ questions about water. The Question Focus was, “Bottled Water v.s. Tap Water.”

Used @RightQuestion #QFT w/5th graders to inquire about water. Powerful questions=deep thinking. @suzieboss @CaEEI pic.twitter.com/wAnWrLzCrj

— Jim Bentley (@Curiosity_Films) August 27, 2015

Our weekly digest will keep you up to speed on the Right Question Institute’s latest news. If you have written a blog about your experience using the Question Formulation Technique (QFT), have pictures of the QFT in action, or have other content that you think should be featured in an upcoming digest please share on Twitter @RightQuestion or by email (with the subject header RQI Digest) Interns@v1.rightquestion.org