Probing Questions

Pam Maclin
Graphing Linear Equations

Teacher Interview Questions

Focus Questions for Previewing
1. Read the description of Maclin’s lesson plan
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/lessons/015mohs/default.htm). Follow the steps
her students take during the learning process, starting from cooperative
learning up to individual learning. Do you agree or disagree with the way she
conceived her activity? What might you have done differently?
2. How do you feel about teachers having their students assess each other? Do
you think students should be given this kind of empowerment in the class?
Why or why not?
3. How does failure affect student self-confidence? What role does the teacher
play in rebuilding the student’s self-esteem?

Reflective Questions for Post viewing

1. Maclin utilizes three types of assessment in her lesson. Describe each. Which
do you think impacts student learning the most? Why?
2. Review Maclin’s teaching strategy in her lesson plan
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/lessons/015mohs/default.htm). Why are students
threatened by math and what is the solution she comes up
with to make them feel more comfortable in her class? What are your
reactions to this?
3. In what ways is this lesson a reenactment of Maclin’s previous lesson? What
did she add to it?

Learning Questions
Focus Questions for Previewing
1. What are the advantages of group work over individual work? Can you think
of some disadvantages?
2. In the video you are about to watch, the students engage in the process of
reflection as they collaborate with each other to assess their work. How would
you as a teacher involve your students in the process of Reflection
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/learning/refl.html)?
3. What is the importance of connections in the process of learning? Explain.

Reflective Questions for Post viewing

1. How does this project use Active Involvement
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model.learning/acti.html)
to promote student learning?
2. Review the checklist of observable behaviors for Patterns and Connections
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/learning/patt.html)
 in the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model. Describe how
Maclin encourages connections for each of the observable behaviors.
3. What is the purpose of student-student interaction in Maclin’s project? Does
student-student interaction affect learning differently than teacher-student
interaction? Explain.

Information Processing Video

Focus Questions for Previewing
1. How does activating students’ background knowledge positively affect the
learning process?
2. Maclin has her students evaluate each other by working in groups. How does
this motivate students to learn?
3. Review the definition of Interpretation
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/information/inte.html)
in the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model. Comment upon
the following statement: “Information requires interpretation to become
knowledge.”

Reflective Questions for Post viewing

1. How does Maclin allow her students to enter the Presearch Stage
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/information/pres.html)
of Information Processing? How can building background information help
students better understand the concept of graphing equations?
2. Maclin helps her students relate the task to their prior knowledge and defines
keywords that will assist them in their graphing assignment. Review the
checklist of observable behaviors for the Presearch
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/information/pres.html)
Stage of Information Processing. What other behaviors could be added to the
ones already integrated in Maclin’s lesson? How could they be integrated?
3. How is the Search Stage
(http://www.intimew.uni.edu/model/information/sear.html) of Information
Processing demonstrated in Maclin’s lesson?

Content Standards Video

Focus Questions for Previewing
1. Review the Standards for School Mathematics for grades 6-8
(http://standards.nctm.org/document/chapter6/index.htm)
Invent a lesson plan in which you would implement at least three of these
standards in a high school math lesson.
2. Do you think that a math lesson should include only standards for Mathematics?
What other standards could be integrated in such a lesson?
3. Familiarize yourself with the Standards for Students, as they appear in the
National Educational Technology Standards for students Connecting Curriculum
and Technology (http://cnets.iste.org/index2.html).
Which of these standards do you feel can improve student learning? How?
Reflective Questions for Post viewing
1. Look at the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics for grades 6-8
(http://standards.nctm.org/document/chapter6/index.htm)
How does Maclin incorporate some of these standards in her lesson to encourage
student competence in Mathematics?
2. How does the teacher use technology in her class to help fulfill Math Content
Standards (http://standards.nctm.org/document/chapter6/index.htm) in the
classroom?
3. Maclin integrates Mathematics Standard Number Eight
(http://standards.nctm.org/document/chapter6/index.htm)
into her lesson. How does she create conditions for its use? What is the
importance of this standard?

Tenets of Democracy Video

Focus Questions for Previewing
1. Maclin instills a sense of Individual Responsibility
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/democracy/indi.html) by making her
students feel accountable for their work. How does sharing responsibility
connect with Civil Involvement with Others
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/democracy/indi.html)?
2. Do you feel it is important for students to have ownership of their learning?
Explain.
3. What is a critical thinker? What abilities must he or she possess while
working with others on critical thinking matters?
Reflective Questions for Post viewing
1. Watch the video and name the Tenets of Democracy
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/democracy/demo.html) that appear in it.
How are they demonstrated? What others tenets would you have included in
the lesson? How would you have done this?
2. In her lesson plan (http://www.intime.uni.edu/lessons/015mohs/default.htm),
Maclin states that “democracy is a crucial part of the lesson because students
must be able to share power, make decisions and demonstrate Individual
Responsibility (http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/democracy/indi.html).”
How does Maclin allow her students to do each of these?
3. How can participating in a cooperative learning activity affect the way
students Think Together and Make Meaning
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/democracy/thin.html)?

Technology Video
Focus Questions for Previewing
1. Teacher’s effective use of technology resources create conditions that
optimize learning. What knowledge of technology do you think a teacher
should possess in order for this to happen? Why? Give specific examples.
 2. In the video you are about to watch, students use the software program
Green Globs and Graphing Equations to practice graphing linear equations
in slope-intercept form. Before watching the video, familiarize yourself with
these technology tools: Green Globs and Graphing Equations. Sunburst.
Available: (http://www.sunburst.com). Describe these and state how they
could be used in a classroom.
3. Maclin states in her lesson plan
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/lessons/015mohs/default.htm)
that she chose the Green Globs program after seeing it demonstrated at a
technology conference. What other ways can teachers stay updated with
technology?

Reflective Questions for Post viewing

1. What technology tools does Pam Maclin use in her lesson and how do they
help the students in the process of learning mathematics?
2. With the help of the LitePro projector, students are taken into a “virtual field
trip” in the classroom. How might this be helpful for the students?
3. Look at Miss Hamilton’s Mathematical Web Pages, available at:
(http://www.nauticom.net/users/ham/mathematicalpgs.html).
Do you think that this material can be used to help students better understand
linear equations?

Teacher Knowledge Video

Focus Questions for Previewing
1. Do you think it is important for the teacher to maintain constant eye contact
with the students? Explain.
2. What do you think “immediate learning environment” is? How much do you
think this kind of environment would influence learning? Why?
3. Being aware that students learn at different rates, do you think it is difficult for
teachers to adapt their lesson plans according to everybody’s intellectual
abilities? Explain. Give some specific examples of how teachers can adapt
lessons to different rates of learning.

Reflective Questions for Post viewing

1. Maclin’s In-Depth Content Knowledge
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/teacher/teac2summary.html)
is evident in her style of instruction. How does her interaction with her students
influence their learning?
2. How does Maclin create an enjoyable setting in her classroom? Why is it
important for her students to face each other in groups?
3. The teacher addresses the physiological characteristics of her students by
integrating an activity that requires movement. How can a physical activity
enhance learning in a math class? What are some other physical activities that
might be used to help with learning math concepts?

Teacher Behavior Video

Focus Questions for Previewing
1. Why is teacher feedback important for student learning?
2. Give two examples in which both positive and negative feedback from the
teacher affects the students, both emotionally and intellectually.
3. Review the checklist for Pedagogy
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/teacher/four.html),
Specifically Section 3: “Knowledge of Mathematics”(page 38), and Section 7:
“Using Mathematics”(page 42). How would being aware of these behaviors make
you a better student?

1. How is teacher-student and student-student interaction demonstrated in Maclin’s

lesson?
2. Maclin begins her lesson with an in-class review session. How does this
demonstrate effective Classroom Management
(http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/teacher/teac3summary.html)?
3. Maclin sets up a group activity by assigning students to their group. How does
this help students to learn effectively? Why is this activity important?