In this course, Questioning for Classroom Discussion: Grades 6-12, you will embark on a learning journey designed to open up new vistas and offer new insights that you can use with your students to make classroom discussion a manageable process. First, you’ll explore four quality questioning practices that drive productive discussion: framing a focus question; promoting equitable participation; scaffolding student responses to deepen thinking; and creating a culture for thoughtful discussion. Then, you’ll learn the discussion skills that comprise the DNA of meaningful discussion. Typically, students don’t arrive at school prepared to engage in productive discussion, so developing these discussion skills is crucial. You’ll explore research-based skills in three key categories: social, cognitive, and use-of-knowledge. Then, you’ll learn how to decide which skills are most appropriate for your students given their ages and developmental levels and the subject you teach. Using the threefold framework can help you plan disciplined discussions in which students’ skills are intentionally targeted for development.
