Designing Questions

How do teachers design instruction to meet the needs of a variety of learners?

The Teaching Channel video Planning Instruction with Parcc Tools: ELA provides some answers to this question.

The best, most engaging instructions are created while keeping English Language Learners and special education students in mind, because tools that can help ELLs and neurodivergent students access the content can often help native English speakers and neurotypical students as well.

Chime Ikonne, a high school teacher in Boston, MA, referenced theories such as the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). "The level of rigor [in GRR] is gradually increasing, and a lot more is going to be expected of them, so that the Zone of Proximal Development -- you know, you meet students where they are, and you do what you need to do in order to take them to that next level."

Gradual Release of Responsibility: an increase in student independence throughout the lesson. 'I do it, we all do it, you do it with a partner, you do it alone'.
Zone of Proximal Development: the 'zone' where the difficulty level of material is optimal for student learning. Not so easy that students are bored, but not so hard that students are frustrated.

Other key takeaways from the video are the need for collaboration and the importance of asking compelling, purposeful questions which reflect the education standards of a particular state.

"Much of what students learn, they learn by really reflecting themselves, working through something. Hands-on, minds-on, engaged, student-centered learning." - Bonnie Hain, Director of ELA/Literacy Content and Instructional Supports, Parcc Inc.