Make Just One Change

I came across this book, and was rather intrigued by the reviews on it that I decided to splurge and get it for myself.  I believe in having students write their own questions, usually for Socratic Seminar, but have never actually created a system that deepens their questioning.  The QTF promised to do that.

As with the previous blog, I have had my mind on education, literacy, and the various political shenanigans going on that affect my students and yes, me and my teacher friends as well.  So I decided to apply the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) process to something on my mind.  Lately, there has been talk about public education as a civil right, and there have been reminders floating around that we need public education for the greater good of our democracy.  I already believe this, but somehow not everyone does. 

So, applying the QFT from the book, I came up with what is called "the QFocus."  This is a statement -- simple in nature, pretty much like a debate topic -- that students can use to generate questions.

Keep in mind, it was just me doing this exercise.  I can already tell that with others the power of this exercise would be even more evident than I found it to be.  And yes, I found it deepening my thinking on something I feel I have already thought quite a bit about.

Imagine that.

Anyway, the first step is the QFocus.  Here is mine:  Public education sustains democracy.

Now, the questions.  There are rules for this, which are good for guiding students.  Since it was just me, I didn't have to follow any rules except to write down every question the way it came into my mind.  Here are my questions in the order I wrote them:

How did economics become the focus?

Why does the general public not know the real reason behind public ed?

What does it mean to "sustain democracy"?

If charters get public money, aren't they sustaining democracy?

If private schools get voucher money, aren't they sustaining democracy?

How does standardized testing fit into sustaining democracy?

Do we have a democracy to sustain?

What evidence is there that democracy is already a lost cause?

Does comparing the U.S. scores to other countries serve democracy?

Does the Billionaire Boys Club -- those who've invested millions into education -- do it for democratic purposes?

Is public ed in its present form sustaining democracy?

(I sincerely hope that as you read these questions, you thought of some of your own.  Would love to hear them.)

Anyway, the next step for students is to decide which questions are open-ended and which are closed.  I decided my first few questions are closed, but after that they are pretty open-ended and can have many different interpretations.

Following the open/close exercise, the reason for questioning is brought to the forefront.  Is it for a research paper, a project, a debate, introduction to a new unit, conclusion of a unit?   Choices are available for this section to help prioritize, and so I put myself through those as well.

#1  Pick the three questions most important to you 
What does it mean to "sustain democracy"?
How does standardized testing fit into sustaining democracy?
Is public ed in its present form sustaining democracy?

#2  Pick the three questions you want or need to answer first.
How does standardized testing fit into sustaining democracy?
Do we have a democracy to sustain?
Does comparing the U.S. scores to other countries serve democracy? 

#3 Choose the three questions that most interest you.

How does standardized testing fit into sustaining democracy?
Does comparing the U.S. scores to other countries serve democracy? 
Is public ed in its present form sustaining democracy? 


As I concluded this process I could see with a lot more clarity where I need to investigate further.  I found these questions compelling -- and I probably would never have delved into this if not for the QFT process.  I can only imagine how, when working in collaboration with others, the extremel power here.

There is a reflection section that teachers lead students through at the end of the technique, so they can determine what they have learned.  I wrote down that this opened my eyes to see that I could learn a lot more about the public education -- democracy connection. This matters to me because it is my chosen profession, and what I will be doing the rest of my life.  I feel I need to get it right.  QFT set me thinking in a more solid direction. 

Of course, this question crossed my mind:  how does this fit into the teacher evaluation?  Will an administrator understand this is a way to create deeper questioning, without the teacher having to come up with every single probing question?  I have no idea what the answer is.  I just find comfort in this quote from Albert Einstein: "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."  I think if I can produce a few more people in our democracy who understand the power of the right questions and who have a revitalized curiosity, then I have done my job. 

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