Seemingly I'm on an endless quest to find the answer to life, the universe and everything. Somehow '42' doesn't do it for me (maybe I'm just not in the right place to 'get it'). Many of my earliest memories are of asking questions. Unfortunately the answers don't seem to have been very satisfactory -- not sure there if the adults were lacking in patience or just didn't really know how to explain to me.
I've always tried to do a good job of answering my kids' questions, while at the same time helping them learn how to find their own answers. In fact I think one of the fundamental advantages of homeschooling is the opportunity to ask and answer questions. What could be more frustrating for a child who needs to ask questions than to be in a classroom where they can't do so? Let's explore asking questions!
- The way questions are worded can reveal stuff about the questioner. Is your child interested in why, how, or something else?
- Jamie McKenzie says "Questions may be the most powerful technology we've ever created." With the power of the internet at our fingertips, information is more available than ever. To use information meaningfully we need to be asking ourselves questions!
- Kids can ask the strangest questions, there are some corkers here and some more links on how to answer kid questions. Even adults ask strange questions, like this blogger.
- AllExperts looks like an interesting place to ask your questions.
- Your kids might find AskKids.com a good place to pose their questions and give you a break!
- You can even receive some advice on the questions to ask when planning a family vacation.
- Teachers can utilize project based, problem based and inquiry based learning. Eduscapes explains the three options. You can take a workshop on inquiry based learning or read more at TeAchnology.
- Asking questions isn't exactly new, The Socratic Method has been around... well since the times of Socrates. It's based on asking questions and is used at University of Chicago Law School. Livewiremedia explains how to plan a socratic lesson and you can read a brief, if not too polite, explanation here, or a more in-depth explanation at Classical Education.
- Now that we're all fired up to ask questions, what are some good books? Amazon.com has plenty of books about questions, as well as books about kids questions. Usborne has plenty of books that contain answers to tons of questions including Book of Knowledge, the Children's Encyclopedia and Facts and Records.
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