I wonder...
I wonder was a very important question in my practicum classroom. Class and small group discussions often started with the prompt "I wonder..." in order to encourage students to think and wonder on their own before turning to the teacher.
One activity that I used in the classroom was to have students look at a random image or a drawing that I put on the white board and share what they saw in the picture and ask questions about areas they were confused.
This image was projected onto my classroom smartboard
One activity that I used in the classroom was to have students look at a random image or a drawing that I put on the white board and share what they saw in the picture and ask questions about areas they were confused.
This image was projected onto my classroom smartboard
Some student wonders and responses included:
In these "I wonders" students were able to share what they saw. Every student is able to feel a sense of success because there is no correct answer to an I wonder question. Each student, whether sharing to a neighbour or sharing to the whole class, can participate and think of their own question. Students are also able to share their own stories about what they think, allowing students to use their imagination and deduction skills to explain why they think for instance, the lizard is trying to eat the hot air balloons.
- I wonder where the ladybugs are going
- I think the ladybugs are going into the tree
- I see a lizard. I wonder what he is doing
- I wonder why they hot air balloons are so small
- I think the lizard is trying to eat the hot air balloons
- I wonder what is behind that door
In these "I wonders" students were able to share what they saw. Every student is able to feel a sense of success because there is no correct answer to an I wonder question. Each student, whether sharing to a neighbour or sharing to the whole class, can participate and think of their own question. Students are also able to share their own stories about what they think, allowing students to use their imagination and deduction skills to explain why they think for instance, the lizard is trying to eat the hot air balloons.
Open-Ended Questions
Having open-ended questions to start discussions is a wonderful way for students to share their knowledge. There is no right or wrong answer, giving students the confidence to share their ideas and take risks with their comments. I often began lessons with a think-pair-share activity that allowed students to share their thoughts and wonders about a topic before we started talking in-depth about. I encouraged students to answer the question "why". Why do you think that? Why did you make that connection?