TP Task 1 – Promoting Scientific Thinking

Name: Mahra Al Qassimi

Student ID: H00330597
Course: EPC 3903 – Practicum 3b
Instructor: Robin Ogdol

(Technology, 2017)
TP Task 1 – Promoting Scientific Thinking
This task is linked to ECE3703; using higher level questions (Bloom’s Taxonomy) to develop
students’ thinking. Teaching students the skills of scientific thinking is not only for science
class, but can be applied to any area of learning.
Explain how questioning Questioning is part of the teaching tools that is used by teacher to
relates to Bloom’s assess and promote students’ knowledge and critical thinking.
taxonomy and student There is a difference between effective questions poorly
learning. constructed questions. Effective questions can allow children to
explore new insight and initiate discussions between the students.
Whereas poorly constructed questions simply cause confusion and
limit the children’s creativity. Most teachers often ask low order
questions that depend on their prior knowledge rather than higher
order questions that promotes deep thinking, analyzing, and
evaluating that engages the students.
Reference Tofade, T., Elsner, J., & Haines, S. T. (2013, September 12). Best
Practice Strategies for Effective Use of Questions as a Teaching
Tool. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3776909/

Engagement Question(s) asked by the How did the

teacher
Activity
(& subject & LO)
English – My - Teacher introduced
room lesson by using
LO: Children flashcards (Shelf –
should be able to Pillow – Rug – Bed –
identify picture. Wardrobe – Blanket).
- Students spend time
writing and saying
these words, then
moved on to matching
Was thinking time
given? If yes, how students’
much? respond?
The students in Ms. Most students
Roopa’s classroom would respond
are pretty smart, quickly, others
they need at the hesitated before
very least a minute answering. Some
to think, some take would answer too
longer and the quickly and get
teacher knows confused between
words such as:
 the correct word to its whether they need wardrobe and
corresponding picture. help or not. shelf. Since the
- Each student came up students were
and independently read provided with
the words out loud to numerous tasks
the classroom. they were able to
- For the activity, the memorize and
teacher played the recall the words
“Guess who am I?” more easily.
game with the students.
E.g. Ms. Roopa would
say “I lay on the bed
and pull up the ____”
and each student would
get a turn to complete
the sentence.
Math – Addition - Teacher will write an When asked HOT’s Students would
up to 10 equation on the board questions students show respect to
LO: Ability of and ask a student to would immediately their fellow
identifying and come up and solve. explain the strategy classmate and sit
writing. - Ms. Roopa taught them that they used. quietly until s/he
to begin by spotting the They would show is done before
bigger number and us by applying it, counting together
keeping it in your students will begin with the teacher.
mind, then find the by finding the
smaller number and bigger number and
lifting their fingers and lift their finger on
count on from the their head and
number that they have move on to the
in their mind. smaller number by
 - E.g. 5+3, keep number lifting their fingers
5 in your mind and lift and counting it.
3 fingers up and start
counting from 5 using
their lifted fingers and
then write down the
answer before solving
it as a whole class.
- Teacher would ask
HOT questions like:
“Can you show me
how you got that
answer?” or “How do
you know that the
answer is 8?”
Science – Fruits - Ms. Roopa prepared a Students would Students were
hopscotch game, where first spot the looking for their
LO: she would hold a tray number then begin turn to come up,
- Students and have the students hopping. Teacher they were aware
will be shake it then pick a and fellow that the teacher
able to random number classmates would was only calling
identify the between 1-9. be patient and give the names of the
fruits. - Students would hop him or her time to students who are
- Understand until they reach the identify and behaving well.
that print number that they’ve describe the
and picked. picture.
pictures - Students would
convey identify the picture that
meaning they’re standing on and
describe it, is it a fruit
 or vegetable and the
color or texture of it.
English – CVC - Teacher will introduce Each student Students sat
‘at’ word family the CVC –at word received thinking quietly waiting
LO: Children will family. time as much as for their turn. the
be able to read and - Teacher will explain she or he wants. children listened
write the ‘at’ word the activity. Teacher provided and followed Ms.
family. - Students will come up support if she was Roopa’s
front and answer asked or knew that instructions.
questions directed to it was needed.
them as a
whole/individual such
as: “What is that
picture?”, “Can you
find me that letter?”,
“Can you read that
word?”. Students will
search for the correct
letter to the
corresponding picture
displayed to blend in
the sounds and read the
“at” word family out
loud as a whole group.
On reflection:
(i) Which question(s) did the students engage with the most? Why do you think that
was?
(ii) Which engagement activity were the students most engaged with? Why do you
think that was?
Throughout my TP I had trouble asking them HOT’s question but after observing
my MST and students I knew what kind of questions best worked for them and
what HOTs questions engaged them most. I think the students responded the way
they did was because despite being asked a HOTs question, they thought of it as a
question that they can easily explain by applying on the spot.
I believe that students were more engaged when given hands-on activities instead
of text/copy books work. I think that was because they got to cooperate with their
fellow classmates and got to stand up and move around while still gaining new
knowledge.