Lesson 7 Reflection- Effective questioning strategies

     WOW, time flies; we are now in our seventh lesson with Dr Lina. Before the session began, Dr Lina, as usual, linked previous knowledge and went over some of the criteria for our teaching demo presentation, which is coming up next week. She went into detail about the assignment's requirements, such as group members, learning objectives, and outcomes, as well as the mandatory parts in our slides. It provided us with a clearer picture of the assignment as well as an accurate guideline to keep us on track. She then instructed us on how to write a holistic learning objective utilising SMART objectives and Bloom's taxonomy, as well as displaying some examples. She even explained what learning objectives are and why they are important. She cleared things up at this point, which was quite beneficial to me. Aside from that, she taught us good questioning techniques. She discussed the importance of questioning, including Socrates' skill of questioning, inquiries in the classroom, and the different types of questions we might employ. Following that, she gave each of us a research report on question methods. The article was instructive in terms of question generation, question asking, question lengthening, and implementing HOTS in our daily lives. The session made use of a whole-class discussion.

     Despite having experience writing objectives, I was new to SMART goals in drafting learning objectives. I used to believe that using the ABCD model to set learning objectives was the only way to ensure accuracy. I learned a lot about writing them after this class! It was incredible! This session was incredibly informative for me. I delved deeper into the questioning techniques. It broadened my previous understanding of inquiring. During Dr. Chu's class, I learned about many types of questioning tactics, but I didn't learn much about how to encourage and adjust our inquiries so that we can use higher-order thinking skills. I recently understood how important it is to cultivate, practise, and implement the HOTS in our daily lives.

    Dr Lina's class will show some of the relevant theories. First, there will be a class discussion. Grossman et al. (2014) stated that the whole class discussion can be defined as an educational productive discussion in which the teacher and a diverse range of students contribute orally, actively listen, respond to, and learn from the contributions of others, by Vygotsky's social cognitive theory. It emphasises several benefits, such as possibilities for teachers and students to engage with, make sense of, and learn from other people's ideas (Dunning, 2023). These whole-class discussions are used in problem-solving sessions, where students work on rich mathematical assignments before teachers choose a few student strategies to highlight during the discussion. The cultivation of thinking and metacognition in the whole-class debate is consistent with Piaget's theory, and it closed the ZPD of pupils during a large discussion.

    The reading article comes in second. The teaching and learning method was also implemented through guided reading from Dr Lina's class. Dr Lina thoroughly facilitated the interaction in her guided reading session, taking into account small group composition and text selection, setting intentional lesson objectives, and encouraging strategic behaviour with prompts such as asking questions, giving clues, and demonstrating. Independent reading allows us to improve our reading control, increase our strategic behaviours, and effectively absorb or grasp information (Clay, 1991). Dr. Lina's guided reading in class lowered our cognitive load by chunking and breaking down the literary pieces before they entered our long-term memory. In this session, she obviously used Atkinson and Shiffrin's (1968) human memory paradigm. Aside from that, Dr Lina employed question methods to engage us in serious discussion and boost our reading responses. When teachers lowered our cognitive load (Feldon,2007) by limiting the questions (Leifer et al., 1994), we were able to retain and respond more. It indirectly stimulates pupils by providing them with a sense of achievement. Waiting allows pupils to ponder and respond. 

    Thirdly, there is the application. According to Bloom's taxonomy, application is critical for assessing students' knowledge and improving comprehension. Dr Lina asked us to compose a statement using the question circle method after reading the text. She offered us opportunities to demonstrate our expertise in front of the class. Learners, according to constructivist views of learning, are both producers and consumers of knowledge; the development of unique learning artefacts is crucial to constructivist-inspired conceptions of learning. Learning is facilitated when students actively participate in knowledge-generation activities (Grabowski, 1996). Thus, knowledge application enables us to change and develop unique interpretations, as well as to represent freshly generated knowledge in a flexible and relevant manner.

    Finally, I have found some advantages of using effective questioning strategies in the classroom. Questioning strategies promote critical thinking. Effective questioning encourages students to think critically and analyze information. As noted by Paul and Elder (2006), questioning is a key component of critical thinking, fostering deep understanding and intellectual growth. Furthermore, it also develops communication skills among students. Students' engagement in meaningful discussions in response to questions helps students develop effective communication skills. This aligns with Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory, which emphasizes the importance of language in cognitive development (Vygotsky, 1978).

    In a nutshell, as a human being, I would like to apply more effective questioning strategies in my life to practice my higher-order thinking skills. It helps me to think deeper, view subjects holistically and make judgements fairly without biases. It also promotes my rationale further in making decisions and problem-solving. Furthermore, as a pre-service teacher, I would like to integrate SMART goals with the ABCD model as well as Bloom's taxonomy in writing my learning objectives. I would also like to bring effective questioning strategies into my class and instil students to practice HOTS in their learning journey. This is helpful in driving their interest in learning or even in their future.

References:

Clay, M. M. (1991).  Becoming literate: The construction of inner control.  Auckland, New                 Zealand: Heinemann. 

Dunning, A. A framework for selecting strategies for whole-class discussions. J Math Teacher         Educ 26, 433–454 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-022-09536-5

Feldon, D. F. (2007). Cognitive load and classroom teaching: The double-edged sword of automaticity. Educational Psychologist, 42, 123-137. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00461520701416173

Glaser, B. G. (1965). The Constant Comparative Method of Qualitative Analysis, Social Problems,          12(4), 436–445, https://doi.org/10.2307/798843

Leifer, R., Lee, S., &Durgee, J. (1994). Deep structures: Real information requirements determination. Information & Management, 27(5), 275-285. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-7206(94)90022-1

Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2006). Critical thinking: The nature of critical and creative thought. Journal of Developmental Education, 30(2), 2-7.

   

Citati

Lesson 6 Reflection- Digital storytelling.

    Apa khabar!! 👀👀We are presently in the sixth lesson of Dr Lina's class. Due to the public holiday, we have our 3-hour substitute session, which includes a lecture and tutorial, this week at BA05. During this week's lecture, Dr. Lina discussed an interesting topic: Digital Competencies. Before delving deeper into this issue, Dr Lina provided a more detailed explanation of our assignments' due dates, requirements, and rubrics. She also outlined the length of the teaching demonstration and how we planned to complete the evaluation during the class. Then she explained the definitions, importance, and challenges of storytelling. It was a novel subject for me! She also defined the four storytelling elements: the challenge storyline, the creative plot, the connection plot, and the conversion plot. To be honest, I'm not familiar with these terms. Following that, Dr Lina offered some advice and crucial aspects to consider while writing or narrating a narrative. When telling a story, for example, we should provide a clear purpose. She also gave us some material to utilise in creating a digital story, such as videos, PCs with multimedia, multimedia software, and audio recorders. It was quite eye-opening! Aside from that, Dr Lina gave each of us an incomplete account. She encouraged our imaginations by asking us to continue the story properly. We worked hard to make the story intriguing and related.

To be honest, I had no idea at the start of the class. This is a new topic for me that I have not previously investigated. I was perplexed and continued to seek advice from my colleagues. I attempted to retain all of the crucial information from Dr Lina's presentation, and happily, I grasped this concept. I conducted some studies on how digital storytelling can be used in the classroom or in our daily lives. It taught me a valuable lesson: narrative abilities are sometimes disregarded, and they must be taught to pupils. This relates to my primary and senior school years when I was always eager to compete in storytelling, debate, and public speaking competitions. I finally understood the core benefits of digital storytelling. It not only increased our creativity and imagination, but it also improved our intellect, language, and communication skills!

    After doing some research, I found out that the advantages of digital storytelling can link to some of the teachings and learning theories. First and foremost, digital storytelling enhances students' creativity, engagement and critical thinking skills (Lambert, 2009). By creating their own stories, students have the opportunity to express their ideas and perspectives uniquely and creatively. This process stimulates their imagination and encourages them to think critically about the content they include in their stories (Glover & Law, 2012). It links to the Bloom Taxonomy of critical thinking, in which students are required to apply and analyse content critically. Digital storytelling acts as a tool to allow students to explore and express themselves freely. Other than that, digital storytelling also helps different types of learners boost their inner imagination. For instance, it allows students to use audio, hands-on, words and drawings in their storytelling.

    Secondly, digital storytelling promotes collaboration and communication skills among students. As they work together to create and share their stories, they learn to effectively communicate their ideas, listen to others, and collaborate to achieve a common goal (Robin, 2006). This collaborative aspect of digital storytelling helps students develop essential interpersonal skills that are valuable in both academic and professional settings. This speeds up oral language development among students (Brooks,2014) because presentations bridge the gap between language study and language use which is necessary for students to use four language skills in natural ways, based on Vygotsky's theory. In addition, group work can be directed too. People learn and know language through others’ presence (Harste,1990). Working in groups promotes students to use language to share and learn language by listening and equipping themselves with skills such as vocabulary and pronunciation.

    Furthermore, digital storytelling improves students' technological proficiency. Through the use of multimedia tools and software, students learn to navigate digital platforms, manipulate images, incorporate audio and video elements, and present their stories in an engaging and visually appealing manner (Ohler, 2013). This technological competency equips students with valuable skills that are increasingly required in today's digital world. The incorporation of technologies can also promote students’ responses. According to Vygotsky’s theory, cultural context is important to consolidate students with the environment so they can express themselves more in their communication styles. 

     One takeaway from the lessons, I would like to apply digital storytelling to my class as a future teacher. I would like to provide guidance on how to use the chosen digital storytelling tool effectively. Teach students how to import their media, arrange it logically, add text or narration, and apply transitions or effects. Encourage them to experiment and be creative in their storytelling process. After that, once the digital stories are completed, I will provide opportunities for students to share their work with their peers, other classes, or even parents. This can be done through presentations, screenings, or by publishing the stories on a class website or a shared digital platform.

References:

Brooks, G., & Wilson, J. (2014). Using oral presentations to improve student’s English language skills. Kwansei Gakuin University Humanities Review, 19(1), 199-212.

Glover, D., & Law, A. (2012). Digital storytelling: Capturing lives, creating community. Routledge.

Kajder, S. B. (2010). Adolescents and digital literacies: Learning alongside our students. National Council of Teachers of English.

Lambert, J. (2009). Digital storytelling: Capturing lives, creating community. Routledge.

Ohler, J. B. (2013). Digital storytelling in the classroom: New media pathways to literacy, learning, and creativity. Corwin Press.

Robin, B. R. (2006). The educational uses of digital storytelling. In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Learning Sciences, 814-820. International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Lesson 5 Reflection- Introduction of the SIOP model (lesson plan)

    Yeah! It is already week 5, and next week is reading week!!👀👀 We had our first 'official' lecture class with Dr Lina this week. Dr Lina had prepared an unusual seating arrangement for us, a 'U' shape forum lecture session, just like the Malaysian parliament conference. This was the first time we weren't sitting in a group for the first time. Dr Lina linked previous knowledge and provided feedback on our weekly reflective blogs before the class began. She covered the 'thinking tool', various evidence-based learning and subconscious learning as the introduction. She then thoroughly explained the SIOP model one by one with a provided SIOP lesson plan sample for us. The SIOP model is made up of eight components: lesson preparation, background building, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction, practice, lesson delivery, and review and assessment. It includes 30 features in all. Dr Lina then invited us to participate in a 'think pair share' activity to conclude all she had taught us in class. Iris, my partner, and I discussed our perspectives on SIOP. I also learned something new from her about how to plan relevant activities for students. Dr Lina even invited me to recall and summarize the lesson with my own summary of the SIOP at the end of the class. Amazingly, I can remember 90% of what's taught in class. During the tutorial, Dr Lina requested us to discuss and answer a question regarding Luna's lesson plan. After the discussion, we will have a presenter to present the answer and Prof. Lee, a guest speaker will further explain SIOP to us.

    I was ecstatic when I walked into the class with the new seating arrangement. I was most interested and enjoying myself in this lesson so far. I appreciated how Dr. Lina broke down the difficult SIOP model into manageable chunks, as well as the 'think pair share' activity. I gained a lot from her explanation, especially how she made the new information easier to understand. I read through the PDF provided by Dr Lina before the classes and discovered that designing various activities in class is a lot of fun. The book went into great detail about how to create a SIOP lesson plan. This reminded me of Dr. Chu's and Dr. Sharimila's seminars from the previous semester, where we were also asked to create a lesson plan. Despite my prior familiarity with lesson planning, I felt confused at the start of the tutorial. I was unsure of the criteria of objectives, and it was difficult for me to understand how SIOP works. Fortunately, Prof Lee's explanation assisted me in getting through this, and I gained new insights from him!

    

In both sessions, Dr Lina focused on the dialogic assessment theory by recalling our prior knowledge, which corresponded with a new hypothesis: the cognitive set-point hypothesis (Machiels-Bongaerts et al., 1993). The level of the cognitive set-point is supposed to be decided by an estimate of the students' minimum degree of understanding, the student's goals and motivation, and external influences such as the predicted consequences of not being able to replicate the knowledge sufficiently. Before delivering the following material, Dr Lina used slides, cold-calling (wheel), and sharings to assess and connect our prior knowledge. Based on the cognitive information processing model (Stahl, 2008), it assists us in organising information representations in working memory during the recall sessions, integrating them, and then linking them to previously learned information from their long-term memories (Mayer, 2014) before learning new information (Joshi, 2006). Furthermore, activating prior knowledge assists students in allocating more attention to new relevant information for which no prior knowledge activation occurred in comparison to a control condition; thus, better recall for the entire content, which can be attributed to higher recall scores for information that had not previously been activated.

    Second, the detailed explanation, examples, and guest speaker invitation were all consistent with Bloom's taxonomy; understanding is important in cognitive growth. Dr Lina went over the entire SIOP in depth, including the guidelines and real-world examples like Luna's lesson plan. This is also connected to one of the features of SIOP: comprehensible input. The use of exemplar theory in concept learning is also used to encourage students to build an understanding of the concept topics by thinking about logical examples because comprehension requires more cognitive processing than simply memorization (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). Various examples based on cognitive learning theory will aid learners in beginning to incorporate knowledge into their existing cognitive schemes through which they interpret the world. Furthermore, Dr Lina's guest speaker session is based on Vygotsky's social cognitive theory. The integration of our participation, the interaction between lectures and students, and the QnA session promotes our knowledge construction (Wang&Wang, 2013, p.1387) and improves our memory (Murray, 1991) to increase the degree of understanding and capacity to integrate and synthesise content (Nasmith&Steinert, 2001). By asking deeper questions regarding the SIOP, we can build our cognitive and metacognitive abilities.

    

Lastly, there are the 'think pair share' activities, which are cooperative learning tactics. It gives students more time to reflect and has been demonstrated to increase student participation in debates and improve the quality of student responses (Rowe, 1972).  Students must analyse, relate, and assimilate new material with their prior knowledge and experiences for effective learning to occur (Cortright et al., 2005).  To learn, students must actively analyse knowledge (Lujan & DiCarlo, 2006), which is related to the 'thinking tool' theory (Lina, 2022). Students must use their cognition and metacognition to grasp, organise, summarise, and translate before sharing with their partners throughout the relate and interpret process.  Direct instruction and other teacher-to-student contacts may not always provide these possibilities for students. In addition, think-pair-share will boost students' self-confidence and willingness to participate in whole-class conversations (Sampsel, 2013).

    To summarise, I thoroughly enjoyed Dr Lina's classes. As a pre-service teacher, I found this week's seminars to be educational and beneficial. Aside from SIOP knowledge, a key takeaway from this week is that I learned how to break down content, tie content to real-world context, and convey context meaningfully. I observed Dr. Lina's 'think pair share' technique for assisting us in recalling and constructing our knowledge. 'Think pair share', in my opinion, not only aids in cognitive formation but also creates a comfortable area for students to share. This is because students can choose their partner based on their interests, which is especially important for introverted students who want to express themselves more openly. I would like to incorporate the lesson delivery techniques and 'think pair share' into my lesson plan and class. If I become a teacher, I must support and guide my students' metacognitive processes and alleviate their cognitive load when facilitating a topic.

   

Thanks for reading!! Bye!

References:

Anderson, L. W., & Krathwolh, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: a revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York NY: Longmans. Retrieve from: https://www.uky.edu/~rsand1/china2018/texts/Anderson-Krathwohl%20-%20A%20taxonomy%20for%20learning%20teaching%20and%20assessing.pdf

Cortright, R. N., Collins, H. L. & DiCarlo, S. E. (2005).  Peer instruction enhanced meaningful learning: Ability to solve novel problems. Advances in Physiology Education, 29(2), 107111. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00060.2004

Joshi, M. (2006). Diversity in lecture delivery. Journal of NELTA, 11(1-2), 1-151.

Lina Guo (2022) Teachers’ mediation in students’ development of cognition and metacognition, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 50(5), 458-473, DOI: 10.1080/1359866X.2020.1846158

Lujan, H., & DiCarlo, S. E. (2005). Too much teaching, not enough learning: what is the solution? Advances in Physiology Education, 30(1), 17-22. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00061.2005

Machiels-Bongaerts, M., Schmidt, H. G. & Boshuizen, H. P. A. (1993). Effects of mobilizing prior knowledge on information processing:  studies of free recall and allocation of study time. British Journal of Psychology, 4,481498.

Mayer, R. E., & Estrella, G. (2014). Benefits of emotional design in multimedia instruction. Learning and Instruction, 33, 12-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.02.004

Murray, H. G. (1991). Effective teaching behaviours in the college classrooms. Higher education: Handbook of theory and research, 135-172. Bronx, NY: Agathon Press. Retrieve from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ909053.pdf

Nasmith, L., & Steinert, Y. (2001). The evaluation of a workshop to promote interactive lecturing. Teaching and learning in medicine, 13(1), 43-48. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15328015tlm1301_8

Rowe, M. (1972).  Wait-time and rewards as instructional variables: Their influence on language, logic, and fate control.

Sampsel, A. (2013). Finding the effects of Think-Pair-Share on student confidence and participation.  Honors Projects. 28.
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/honorsprojects/28

Wang, K., & Wang, X. (2013). Promoting knowledge construction and cognitive development: A case             study of teacher’s questioning. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3, 1387-1393.