My Wondering: How can I use higher order thinking questions to help foster critical thinking skills?
Part A: TAKING ACTION AS A TEACHER- TELLING YOUR TEACHING STORY
This week, I began taking the lead in science for both my classes. I started creating Exit Tickets with higher order thinking (HOT) questions. Since this is something I found to be a little difficult for me, I began collecting data on how to write a HOT question. I found many things on Teachers Pay Teachers that helped me develop HOT questions. Many gave me correct verbs to use when writing the questions and some include stems or ways to begin a HOT question. I found these very informational since I always hear and read that HOT questions are questions you need to have planned at the beginning of a lesson. I used this resource to help develop an Exit Ticket to use during my LDC lesson on rocks. When I gave students the Exit Ticket, some moaned and groaned about having to complete it. I also had some that did not know what the word “distinguished” meant. I had to explain this before they could answer the question.
Part B: REFLECTING ON LEARNING- FORMATIVE DATA Collection analysis
One of the most powerful pieces of data I collected this week are charts on how to begin a higher order thinking question. Since I have taken the lead in science, I am finding it difficult to create HOT questions to use during and after my lesson. I began to look up how to develop higher order thinking questions. I found many charts that not only list the verbs I should be using but also contained stems for questions. For example, for level 5 evaluating some key words are determine, interpret and support. A stem for this type of question would be “How could you determine….. or What information would you use to support the view….?” These charts have become very helpful when trying to create HOT questions for my lessons. This is important to my inquiry because if I am unable to ask HOT questions how can I foster the critical thinking skills of the students in my classroom.
The second piece of powerful data I collected this week was an Exit Ticket I used during one of my science lessons. This is really my first attempt to have the students answer a HOT question as an Exit Ticket. I have asked them during a lesson but this allowed me to see if the students could answer the question individually. The question I asked was “How can you distinguish between igneous and metamorphic rocks? Use text evidence to support your answer.” For the most part, students could answer the question correct. I had two students who did not answer the question. I asked those students why they did not answer and they responded, “I didn’t know what the word distinguished meant.” I had another who on her Exit Ticket above the word distinguish she wrote “tell difference”, however, she was still not able to answer the question. I do not know if this is because of time or she truly did not understand what was being asked. This made me realize that I needed to make sure I went over the words at the beginning more than once to make sure that all students understood what the question was asking of them.
Based on my teaching this week, I am going to continue using Exit Tickets to help students become familiar with the format of Higher Order Thinking questions. I am going to use these as a form of trackable data. As students become familiar with the format and wording of HOT questions will their ability to answer them be greater? I also want to begin using a checklist, that will show me if students are actively involved in the discussion when being asked HOT questions during a lesson. Are the same students raising their hands to answer the question?
Based on the data I have collected, I still wonder what other types of data I can collect to show I am fostering the students critical thinking skills. How I can measure my students’ ability to think critically during a specific lesson?
Part A: TAKING ACTION AS A TEACHER- TELLING YOUR TEACHING STORY
This week, I began taking the lead in science for both my classes. I started creating Exit Tickets with higher order thinking (HOT) questions. Since this is something I found to be a little difficult for me, I began collecting data on how to write a HOT question. I found many things on Teachers Pay Teachers that helped me develop HOT questions. Many gave me correct verbs to use when writing the questions and some include stems or ways to begin a HOT question. I found these very informational since I always hear and read that HOT questions are questions you need to have planned at the beginning of a lesson. I used this resource to help develop an Exit Ticket to use during my LDC lesson on rocks. When I gave students the Exit Ticket, some moaned and groaned about having to complete it. I also had some that did not know what the word “distinguished” meant. I had to explain this before they could answer the question.
Part B: REFLECTING ON LEARNING- FORMATIVE DATA Collection analysis
One of the most powerful pieces of data I collected this week are charts on how to begin a higher order thinking question. Since I have taken the lead in science, I am finding it difficult to create HOT questions to use during and after my lesson. I began to look up how to develop higher order thinking questions. I found many charts that not only list the verbs I should be using but also contained stems for questions. For example, for level 5 evaluating some key words are determine, interpret and support. A stem for this type of question would be “How could you determine….. or What information would you use to support the view….?” These charts have become very helpful when trying to create HOT questions for my lessons. This is important to my inquiry because if I am unable to ask HOT questions how can I foster the critical thinking skills of the students in my classroom.
The second piece of powerful data I collected this week was an Exit Ticket I used during one of my science lessons. This is really my first attempt to have the students answer a HOT question as an Exit Ticket. I have asked them during a lesson but this allowed me to see if the students could answer the question individually. The question I asked was “How can you distinguish between igneous and metamorphic rocks? Use text evidence to support your answer.” For the most part, students could answer the question correct. I had two students who did not answer the question. I asked those students why they did not answer and they responded, “I didn’t know what the word distinguished meant.” I had another who on her Exit Ticket above the word distinguish she wrote “tell difference”, however, she was still not able to answer the question. I do not know if this is because of time or she truly did not understand what was being asked. This made me realize that I needed to make sure I went over the words at the beginning more than once to make sure that all students understood what the question was asking of them.
Based on my teaching this week, I am going to continue using Exit Tickets to help students become familiar with the format of Higher Order Thinking questions. I am going to use these as a form of trackable data. As students become familiar with the format and wording of HOT questions will their ability to answer them be greater? I also want to begin using a checklist, that will show me if students are actively involved in the discussion when being asked HOT questions during a lesson. Are the same students raising their hands to answer the question?
Based on the data I have collected, I still wonder what other types of data I can collect to show I am fostering the students critical thinking skills. How I can measure my students’ ability to think critically during a specific lesson?