Make Just One Change

Make Just One Change
Authors: Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana
ISBN-13: 978-1612500997
ISBN-10: 1612500994
 
APA Style Citation
Rothstein, D & Santana, L. (2011). Make just one change. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
 
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https://www.amazon.com/Make-Just-One-Change-Questions/dp/1612500994
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​Book Description
How would you describe a student-centered classroom? One answer might include students doing the thinking, talking, and producing. Teachers have all been faced with the sound of crickets after they ask, “Are there any questions?” Perhaps it is because students don’t know how to ask questions. Make Just One Change offers the Question Formulation Technique for the teacher’s toolbox to help students learn how to ask questions.
 
The authors, Rothstein and Santana, recognized the need to be taught how to ask the right questions in school. They were impacted by parents commenting on how they couldn’t help their children with their school work because they didn’t know what questions to ask. The traditional education system has focused on teacher questions and student answers for too long. Instead, all students should learn how to ask questions and teachers can easily incorporate this skill into their lessons. After years of experimenting, the authors have landed on a six-step process that helps students exercise their questioning muscle for future growth. The strategy focuses on divergent thinking (multiple answers), convergent thinking (narrowing of options), and metacognition (thinking about your thinking). With these new skills, students will have an easier time writing essay, reading texts, identifying research questions, designing experiments, participating in Socratic seminars, creating homework assignments, and preparing for tests.
 
When students can ask questions, it improves their ownership in learning, engagement, learning outcomes, and confidence. The Question Formulation Technique helps with teamwork skills and classroom management. It promotes democracy and turn students into life-long learners. It has also been found effective with at-risk students, especially minorities to bridge the achievement gap.
 
A short summary of the six core components has been provided below.
 

1. Question Focus or QFocus

Rather than the traditional prompt, the QFocus is a stimulus to kickstart student questions. It can be a short statement or a visual aid, but it must have a clear focus and NOT be a question. Also, it should stimulate new thinking and stay away from teacher bias. While creating the QFocus, teachers should keep in mind the goal of the lesson and what students will be doing with their questions.
 

1. Produce Questions

Before students start producing questions, it is important to introduce the four essential rules. Each of them have value, and all must be followed. First, ask as many questions as you can. This provides students the authority to ask their questions. Second, do not stop to discuss, judge, or answer the questions. This creates a safe space, along with supporting efficiency, equalizing, and an opening to ideas. Third, write down every question exactly as it is stated. This levels the playing field so all voices can be heard and respected. As a teacher, we know how challenging this can be because we often paraphrase for students. However, students need to practice being able to scribe as accurately as possible. Finally, change any statement into a question. This brings the focus back to questions not statements. Remember, producing questions takes courage. We’ve all heard, “I know this is a stupid question, but…” By following the four rules, students will be provided a safe place to explore the skill of questioning. 
 
After explaining the rules, teachers should help facilitate a discussion on the challenges of using these rules.  Students will discuss the challenges in small groups in order to draw attention to the rules and participate in metacognition. After the discussion, students will start to produce their own questions. The teacher should monitor students and remind them of the rules. If necessary, starters to questions can be provided, such as what, when, or how. However, it is very important to not give examples or questions while supporting students because they will feel there is a correct way of questioning.
 

1. Identify Closed- vs. Open-ended Questions

The type of question asked shapes the information received. The teacher should begin with differentiating closed- vs. open-ended questions. Then, students will review their questions and classify them with either a C or O. After, the teacher will facilitate a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of both types of questions. Finally, students will practice switching 1-2 of each type of question to its counterpart.  Students may struggle with this step, so the teacher can provide some starters again. Question stems for open-ended questions often start with why or how, whereas closed-ended questions start with is, do, or can. There is value to both types of questions and one may be more helpful than another in certain situations. It is important for students to recognize the value and practice being able to change their questions to the other type. While students are producing and categorizing their questions, they are practicing divergent thinking. When they transition to listing advantages and disadvantages and changing their questions, they have moved on to metacognition and convergent thinking.
 

1. Prioritize Questions

This step is a very important, but often overlooked part of the process. Students must prioritize on a regular basis, such as time management between homework and peers or next steps for a long-term project. As many teachers know, this can be quite challenging for the adolescent brain. For this step, students will discuss, compare, analyze, and prioritize their questions down to three based on the teacher’s criteria (e.g., what students would like to focus on, most important information to students, specific purpose, information to explore further). In addition, students must provide a rationale for their prioritized questions that will be shared with the larger group. The teacher should support students by reminding them of the criteria and validate the reports with a neutral tone, such as “thank you.” When providing what is meant to be positive feedback, such as “great question,” this makes students think there is a correct way of questioning that the teacher is looking for. Students may struggle with this process, but hopefully they will come to a consensus and utilize their convergent thinking.
 

1. Provide Next Steps

Now it will be established what students will do next. The question formulation technique can be used at the beginning, middle, or end of a class or unit. In the beginning it might be used as a starter, to review yesterday’s topic, guide new research, assess knowledge gaps, or shape a future lesson. In the middle it might be used to shape homework, prepare for tests, or identify student misconceptions. In the end, it might be used to review the lesson, prepare for final reports, or set a new research agenda. The next steps are diverse and can be varied throughout the year. When students are using the questions for the purpose set by the teacher, they are practicing their convergent thinking.
 

1. Reflection

The final step has students reflect on the entire process and participate in metacognition. Teachers will develop questions for students to respond to focused on what the student learned, how they learned, and how they feel. The format of reflection also needs to be decided, whether it will be written or discussion based. Sometimes there may not be enough time and teachers remove this step. However, enhancing metacognitive skills for students should not be skipped.
 
Other Related Resources
Right Question Institute
https://rightquestion.org/resources/make-just-one-change/
 
The Brainwaves Anthology: Dan Rothstain- Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOGbA9LocAk
 
The Brainwaves Anthology: Luz Santana- The Right Question Institute
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NP24l3jCwo
 
TEDxSomerville- Dan Rothstein: Did Socrates Get it Wrong?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JdczdsYBNA
 
Harvard EdCast- Make Just One Change
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/11/11/harvard-edcast-make-just-one-change
 
Psychological Concepts and Figures
Howard Gardner
Carl Jung
Robert Sternberg
 
Creativity
Convergent thinking
Divergent thinking
Implicit memory
Metacognition