Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions [Paperback]

Dan Rothstein (Author), Luz Santana (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2011 | ISBN-10: 1612500994 | ISBN-13: 978-1612500997

The authors of Make Just One Change argue that formulating one s own questions is the single most essential skill for learning and one that should be taught to all students.

They also argue that it should be taught in the simplest way possible. Drawing on twenty years of experience, the authors present the Question Formulation Technique, a concise and powerful protocol that enables learners to produce their own questions, improve their questions, and strategize how to use them.

Make Just One Change features the voices and experiences of teachers in classrooms across the country to illustrate the use of the Question Formulation Technique across grade levels and subject areas and with different kinds of learners.

Editorial Reviews

Review

As the title of this book indicates, Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana believe that education can be transformed if students, rather than teachers, assume responsibility for posing questions. This idea may sound simple, but it is both complex and radical: complex, in that formulating good, generative questions, and being prepared to work toward satisfactory answers, is hardly a simple undertaking; and radical, in the sense that an apparently easy move can bring about a Copernican revolution in the atmosphere of the classroom and the dynamics of learning. The authors modestly quote physicist Niels Bohr who once said, An expert is someone who has made all possible mistakes in a field and there are no more to be made. In reading this powerful work, I was reminded of what Albert Einstein said, when he learned of Jean Piaget s pioneering questioning of young children: so simple only a genius could have thought of it. --Howard Gardner, The John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

This book begins with the seemingly simple request to get students to ask their own questions, but at heart it's a book about creating a classroom alive with dialogue, inquiry, and respect for students' minds. --Mike Rose

The protocols described in this book are easy to follow and adaptable to a variety of classrooms and subjects. These simple strategies can lead students to go into more depth in their learning and stretch the standard curriculum beyond the textbook. Students energy, motivation, and perseverance increase noticeably when they have more ownership of the topics they are studying. --Hayley Dupuy, sixth-grade math and science teacher, J. L. Stanford Middle School, Palo Alto, California

About the Author

Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana are codirectors of The Right Question Institute (RQI). Prior to his work with RQI, Rothstein developed and implemented education programs in Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Israel. Santana is a former counselor and parent advocate.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Education Press (September 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1612500994
• ISBN-13: 978-1612500997
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Education & Reference > Schools & Teaching > Education Theory > Reform & Policy

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars QFT makes kids feel smarter! October 22, 2011

By Lpeet

Format:Paperback

As one of the teachers mentioned in the book, I just wanted to share my perspective with fellow educators. When I first learned the steps of the Question Formulation Technique, I was skeptical about using it in my classroom because I thought it might take too much time away from "more important things". But now that I look back at my initial reaction, I realize that I was wrong--teaching students how to ask the right questions IS the most important skill that they could leave high school with. On the two occasions when I have done a QFT workshop for other teachers, I always compare teaching the QFT to a proverb about fishing--providing students with good questions is like giving them fish, which will feed them for a day, while teaching them HOW to ask good questions is like teaching them how to fish, which will feed them for a lifetime. If you don't agree with me that learning how to ask good questions is the most important skill a student can learn, then think about how many situations where people need to ask questions--the list is endless! Also, think about how being in the position to ask questions gives that person power because they are expecting an answer.
If you are still not convinced, let me give you a brief example from my own classroom. Recently, I taught the QFT on a day when I happened to be observed by my principal and a few other administrators from the district I teach in. The first thing the administrators did when they saw my students seated in small groups and asking questions, was to ask them what they were doing; by the end of the 5 minutes I gave them to do step 1 of the QFT (brainstorm questions), my students ended up asking the administrators questions! And so, the tables were turned.... Students were transformed into the question-askers instead of their usual role as the question receivers. After class, I singled out one student who had made a particularly insightful comment about the QFT and asked her to explain herself more. She said, "I don't know why, but things just kept popping into my head when we were doing the QFT. I felt smart!" Not surprisingly, she is not the first student who has told me that the QFT process made her "feel smart"--countless students have shared with me the power that QFT brings to their lives. I hope my comments here can convince more teachers to give the QFT a shot. Trust me, it's worth it. Read more ›

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't just wait for questions to emerge in YOUR classroom September 22, 2011

By Stephen Quatrano

Format:Paperback

Anyone concerned with intellectual development -- specifically the emergence of critical thinking -- should consider reading this book: parents, teachers, school administrators, or citizens concerned with school reform. It's kind of shocking to think that, on the one hand, we've known forever that students' questions are incredibly valuable "teachable moments" and, on the other, how little we've invested in teaching that skill in the classroom. Rothstein and Santana outline a simple process with specific steps and lots of examples. What real teachers say about their experience using the question formulation technique in their classrooms says a lot. What students report is even better. Check it out.

47 of 54 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not as Informative as I'd Hoped October 16, 2011

By KirstenP

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

At $26, I'd hoped to learn more about how to put into practice the Right Question technique but I found the book didn't offer much more than the article the authors wrote in the Harvard Education Letter. Although they make clear the NEED for students to formulate their own questions, the classroom logistics are less clear. It would be helpful to have a blog created around the book/article for teachers with practical questions. For example, if students don't know much about a subject, their questions will be off-topic or shallow. How does a teacher front-load the requisite knowledge without losing student engagement? I have as many questions today as I did before I read the book.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing process November 3, 2011

By joseph j ayers

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was amazed by this book. I've been teaching for 10 years, working on my doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction degree and I've never seen this process. The book not only talks about the theory, it shows you the method to get your students to start asking questions. I've always done something similar, but now that I have a definitive process to stick to, I'm going to. It succinctly bridges a gap between the scaffolding necessary for students to transition between direct instruction and constructivism ... specifically project-based learning. There are a few typos (outside the quotes) and it sometimes reads like an info-mercial. However, overall, this is book is worth the time and money. This is not a "magic bullet," but if done properly, will engage your students every time. I am starting to use it in my high school classroom and seeing amazing results. It broadens their creativity and critical thinking skills at the same time.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Review of book, Make Just one Change December 19, 2011

By prof23

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The book certainly has some great information, but it appears to me that there is a lot of fluff. The entire book could have been written in 30 pages max and be equally informative.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Can you say "empowerment"? January 15, 2013

By Michael e

Format:Paperback

IF YOU KNOW A GOOD TEACHER, the best "apple" you or your student could bring them would be a copy of the book "Make Just One Change." But before you give it to them, read it yourself. A fast read with easily accessible concepts. It exemplifies the primary skill/knowledge, I hope my children have by the time they leave their schooling. Since publishing the book, the Right Question Institute has been developing web support for educators who are captivated by the idea. This "educational reform" is empowering for BOTH the teacher and students. BUT this book should be read by more than just educators. It is ALSO A GREAT BOOK FOR COMMUNITY ADVOCATES to read for empowering community activism. Helping a community develop the skill of honing the right question, no matter what the issue, will engender the confidence they need to sustain a movement for change and to be able to capture the attention of local elected officials, increasing the likelihood of positive response.