Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique (QFT)

Strengthening Parents’ Skills to Ask the Right Questions

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• Housekeeping
• About the Right Question School-Family Partnership Strategy
• An experience in the Question Formulation Technique (QFT)
• Unpacking the QFT
• Integrating the QFT
• Closing Remarks & Assignments
• Q & A

Overview

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Free Resources

The Right Question Institute offers many of our materials through a Creative Commons License and we encourage you to make use of and/or share this resource. Please reference the Right Question Institute as the source on any materials you use. Source: www.rightquestion.org

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An Interactive Webinar

Time: 5 s Time’s up!

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Let’s see who’s here!

Please share in the chat box:

• Your name
• The region you are from

Make sure you are sending the message to everyone!

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After the Webinar

• Fill out

evaluation

• Download free

resources https://goo.gl/ wwZA4Q

• Complete

assignments to

• btain

certificate of participation

• Look out for

email announcements and stay in touch!

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Please select three most common things you do when working with parents: 1. Offer advice 2. Provide information 3. Have them prepare their own questions 4. Give them tips for supporting their children’s education 5. Encourage them to ask questions 6. Teach them parenting and other skills 7. Give them suggestions on how to partner with you 8. Provide a process so they can focus on key decisions 9. Other? (Please list)

Before we start…

Share the number of your three choices in the chat box.

Time: 30 s Time’s up!

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Honoring the original source: Parents in Lawrence, Massachusetts, 1990

“We don’t go to the school because we don’t even know what to ask.”

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Components of the Strategy

The strategy has three components that can be used separately or as a unit. The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) The Support, Monitor, and Advocate Model The Framework for Accountable Decision-Making

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Outcomes

• Parents have foundational skills they can use to

partner and advocate more effectively

• Parents and school staff are resources for each
• ther on behalf of children
• Educators and school staff have tools and a strategy

to engage and prepare parents to partner more effectively

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An integrated strategy

A Strategy, NOT a program Complementary to existing programs

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An Experience in the Question Formulation Technique (QFT)

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Rules for Producing Questions

• 1. ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS AS YOU CAN
• 2. DO NOT STOP TO ANSWER, JUDGE OR DISCUSS
• 3. WRITE DOWN EVERY QUESTION EXACTLY AS STATED
• 4. CHANGE ANY STATEMENTS INTO QUESTIONS

What might be difficult about following these rules? Time: 30 s Time’s up!

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Question Focus (QFocus)

Some parents are not asking questions.

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Some parents are not asking questions.

• Follow the Rules
• Ask as many questions as you can.
• Do not stop to answer, judge, or discuss.
• Write down every question exactly as it comes to mind
• Change any statements into questions.
• Number the Questions

Time: 3 min Time’s up!

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Improving questions:

Identify closed and open-ended questions

Definitions:

• Closed-ended questions can be answered with a “yes” or

“no” or with a one-word answer.

• Open-ended questions require more explanation.

Identify your questions as closed-ended or open-ended by marking them with a “C” or an “O.” Time: 1 min Time’s up!

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Advantages & Disadvantages

Closed-ended questions

Advantages

Time: 30 s Time’s up!

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Advantages & Disadvantages

Closed-ended questions

Disadvantages

Time: 30 s Time’s up!

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Advantages & Disadvantages

Open-ended questions

Advantages

Time: 30 s Time’s up!

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Advantages & Disadvantages

Open-ended questions

Disadvantages

Time: 30 s Time’s up!

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Work with Closed and Open-Ended Questions

• Change one closed-ended question so it becomes open-

ended.

• Change one open-ended question so it becomes closed-

ended. Add the new questions to the bottom of your list of questions. Closed Open Closed Open Time: 1.5 min Time’s up!

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Prioritizing Questions

Review your list of questions

• Choose the three questions you consider most important.
• Keep in mind your QFocus: Some parents are not asking

questions. After prioritizing consider…

• Why did you choose those three questions?
• Where are your priority questions in the sequence of your

entire list of questions? Time: 1.5 min Time’s up!

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Action Plan

Next Steps:

• What information do you need to get?
• What are specific things you will do to

get the information?

Time: 1.5 min Time’s up!

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Share Your Work

Please share:

• 1. Your three priority questions
• 2. Your rationale for selecting those three
• 3. Number of your priority questions in your sequence
• 4. Your action plan

Time: 2.5 min Time’s up!

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Reflection:

• What did you learn?
• How can you use it?

Time: 1 min Time’s up! Time: 1 min Time’s up!

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Parent Reflections

• Ask the right questions to be sure I understand the standards

expected of my child

• Communicate better with my child’s teachers
• Have a plan of action when it comes to my child’s education
• Monitor my child’s education more closely and ask questions

to obtain answers

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Let’s peek inside the black box

The Question Formulation Technique (QFT)

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The QFT, on one slide…

1) Question Focus 2) Produce Your Questions

Follow the rules Number your questions

3) Improve Your Questions

Categorize questions as closed or open-ended Change questions from one type to another

4) Prioritize Your Questions 5) Share & Discuss Next Steps 6) Reflect

• 1. Ask as many questions as

you can

• 2. Do not stop to discuss,

judge or answer

• 3. Record exactly as stated
• 4. Change statements into

questions Closed-Ended: Answered with “yes,” “no” or one word Open-Ended: Require longer explanation

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Three Thinking Abilities in One Process

DIVERGENT THINKING

CONVERGENT THINKING

METACOGNITIVE THINKING

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Integration Opportunities…

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Parent Engagement Activities

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An Integration Example

Parent Teacher Conference

A teacher helps a mother generate questions to address an issue

Question Focus:

Sam seems to be having trouble doing his homework.

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An Integration Example (Continued)

• 1. Is he behaving?
• 2. Is he causing problems?
• 3. Is he doing his homework?
• 4. What do you mean by “trouble”?
• 5. How do you know he’s having trouble?
• 6. When did this start?
• 7. Did he do his homework before?
• 8. Is he getting punished for not doing his homework?
• 9. What’s going to happen to him?
• 10. Why do you think he’s having trouble? X
• 11. What should I do to make sure he does his homework? X
• 12. What happens when he doesn’t do his homework?
• 13. Will he be held back? X

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Developing Partnerships

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Facilitation

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Tips for Question Focus (QFocus) Design

• It should not be a question.
• The simpler the better.
• One word can make a huge difference.

“What questions do you have about your child’s school environment?” “Your child’s school environment”

V.

“Sam seems to be having trouble focusing in class and doing his

• homework. I wonder if there is

anything going on at home” “Sam seems to be having trouble doing his homework.”

V.

“Your child will be held back in the same grade for another year.” “Your child might be held back in the same grade for another year”

V.

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Facilitation Tips

• Introduce the process as quickly as possible
• Do not explain the question focus
• Do not stop to answer the questions as they are being

produced

• Make sure to leave time for reflection

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Facilitation Example

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A Few Closing Words

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Democracy

See Chapter 6 on Septima Clark in Freedom Road: Adult Education of African Americans (Peterson, 1996).

“We need to be taught to study rather than to believe, to inquire rather than to affirm.”

• Septima Clark

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Assignment

• Complete evaluation
• https://goo.gl/forms/AVyG5QuFXOZXhhEU2
• Watch videos
• Using the QFT with Individual Parents
• Watch the video Using the QFT with Groups of Parents
• Jot down your observations and reflections and submit to
• btain certificate of participation.
• Complete Google Form, OR
• Type up your answers and send to siyi.chu@rightquestion.org

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Certificate

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Upcoming Webinars

Webinar Series: Building Stronger School-Family Partnerships

Speakers: Luz Santana & Siyi Chu

• Part 2 - The Support, Monitor & Advocate Model: Three

Key Roles Parents Can Play in Their Children's Education.

• Tues. March 12, 2019, 12:00 – 1:00 PM, CST
• Register now!
• Part 3 - The Framework for Accountable Decision Making:

Strengthening Parents Skills to Participate in Decisions.

• Tues. April 16, 2019, 12:00 – 1:00 PM, CST
• Register now!

Learn more: https://www.texasparent.org/webinar

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Thank you. Now, some time for your questions.

We are eager to connect with you and explore how we can support your work: Siyi.Chu@rightquestion.org Luz@rightquestion.org Register to access free resources at: www.rightquestion.org