Page 54 - December 2017 The Castle Pines Connection

54 CastlePinesConnection.com
The power of questioning to increase critical thinking,
common sense and creativity
By Michelle Post
I love the written word. One of my favorite writers, Mark Batterson, in his book “A Trip Around the Sun” discussed the observation that children ask roughly 125 questions per day and adults ask about six questions per day. The result being that somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we lose 119 questions per
day. This (along with the Warren Berger book “A More Beautiful Question”) really sparked my passion, or what my husband calls my “obsession” with asking questions.
Research repeatedly shows the better questions one asks, whether a child or an adult, the better critical thinker one becomes. In addition to
increased critical thinking, an individual can improve his or her own common sense and creativity. Often times, solving a problem by nding the answer is far less insightful than asking the right questions and the process by which the answer is reached.
How does one become a master questionnaire?
The answer is by learning to ask questions using several di erent techniques: 1) Ask the six “W”s – who, what, when, where, why and how; 2) utilize mind tools such as the 5 Whys – asking “why” to the answer of a question repeatedly ve times to narrow down an underlying causal factor in the problem; 3) exercise Socratic
questioning, whereby you seek to get the other person to answer their own questions by making them think and by drawing the answer out of them; 4) Use alternative questioning techniques such as rhetorical questions, open- and closed- ended questions, probing questions (asking for an example) and leading questions; and 5) Mastering metacognition – knowing how and when to use which strategies for problem solving or learning (thinking about thinking).
By perfecting the art of the question, one can unlock deeper understanding.
Additional resources about questioning techniques:
• The 6-Ws (Also known as the 5-Ws + How) –
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Ws
• The 5-Whys – www.mindtools.com/pages/
article/newTMC_5W.htm
• The Socratic Questions – www.
changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/
socratic_questions.htm
• Alternative Questioning Techniques – www.
mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_88.htm
• Thinking About Your Thinking (Metacognition) – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Metacognition
Kindie registration is happening soon!
By Kathy Fallert
Kindergarten registration for the 2016-2017 school year is as follows: Bu alo Ridge Elementary and Timber Trail Elementary takes place on Tuesday, December 5 and Wednesday, December 6 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Eligible children must be ve years of age by October 1, 2018. For registration, you will need to provide your child’s certi cate of birth, immunization records
and your proof of residence (warranty deed, deed of trust, tax notice, lease agreement, assessor page, notarized letter from the person you are living
with if you are living with someone and your name doesn’t appear on the proof of residency. A copy of their proof of residency must also be given at enrollment).
BRE is located at 7075 Shoreham Drive; call Christy Smith at 303- 387-5575 or visit bu aloridgek5.org. TTE is located at 690 Castle Pines Parkway; contact Patty Boyle or visit www.bit.ly/timbertrailweb.
For more information, visit
www.dcsdk12.org.