The Choosing a Question Protocol is designed to be used by a small group of teachers. The protocol is one way to go about identifying a question about individual and group learning to guide your individual and collective documentation. [Allow approximately 45 minutes-1 hour, depending on the number of people in the group.]

Discuss as a group if you want a shared question or not. If not, will you work on questions as partners? As individuals? As triads? (5 minutes)

Depending on your answer to the above, consider the following criteria and nominate a question to share with the group: (10-15 minutes)

1. Is the question connected to individual and group learning? (If your school has an overarching learning or professional development goal, you might also ask whether the question connects to this goal as well.)
2. Is the question something you really care about?
3. Is the question of interest and value to other educators?
4. Is the question of manageable size (e.g., grounded in something you already need or want to do in the classroom)?
5. Is the question aesthetically pleasing to you and others?
6. Is the question something in which you could include children as well?

The group shares thoughts about the question in relation to the above criteria (except #2) while the questioner remains silent. (The amount of time for this part will vary depending on the number of questions.)

Repeat this process for each of the questions in your group.

Group reflects on usefulness of the protocol (2 mins.)

© 2004 Making Learning Visible Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education