HOT Open Ended Responses

Higher Order Thinking Questions and Open Ended Responses

In the educational world, terms like academic rigor and higher order thinking questions are continuously thrown out in conversations.  Sometimes I wonder if everyone truly knows what they're talking about - and since we're keeping things real, lets be honest..... they don't.

Something that was shared with me years ago during a workshop was the Q Chart.  The Q chart breaks down the types of questions we ask and provides quick ways to ensure the student shows understanding by thinking beyond the question.  The Q Chart has words listed down the side and across the top - you simply select a word from the side and attach it with a word from across the top to start your question.  When you follow these two words down to where they meet it shows you the type of question you are asking.  

What is......? (factual) vs. What might.......? (predictive)

Example: 

Q: What is today?

A: Today is Monday.

Q: What might someone do today?

A: Well, since today is Monday many people have to go to work. 

As a teacher, I used to keep the Q Chart posted on the front board of my classroom.  This was something that I used regularly within my lessons, and I also taught my students how to use the Q chart.  

I'll be honest, when getting observed or having an administrator in my classroom for a walkthrough, I always referred to the Q chart when asking students questions.  As a teacher, I felt responsible to know how I was being evaluated (something I can not stress enough to teachers - know your evaluation and know your contract inside and out).  I knew that I was being evaluated on whether or not I was asking my students higher order thinking questions, and I knew that I was also being evaluated on whether or not they were able to develop and ask themselves higher order thinking questions.

Easy Solution:

On a regular day (but definitely if I was being observed) I might model for the students what a higher order thinking question looks / sounds like and how they would be expected to respond.  I might then have them create their own higher order think question on a post it note (based on something we have read as a class), have them pass it to the student sitting next to them, and answer the question using an open ended response format (many of the schools I have worked use RACE: Restate the question, Answer the Question, Cite an example with page or paragraph numbers, and Elaborate by making a text, self, or world connection)

Once students have completed their open ended response, students would then pass their response to the person sitting next to them, who would have to evaluate the writing and decide (based on the open ended response rubric) what score the student would receive.  

The best part of everything I just discussed - it can ALL be done within the first 5-10 minutes of your class period.