In October 2012 Tim Holt's book 180 Questions hit the iTunes bookshelves. I was excited to have the opportunity to review it. Last month Tim did a guest post for me over his book and the importance of asking questions. You can find that blog here.
There were many reasons that I was interested in downloading and reading this book. One of the main reasons, however, was because I know the author and some of the people that helped with it! I already enjoy their thoughts, actions and ways that they are trying to change education and thinking.
"Do all the teachers of our school know all the other teachers, and what they teach?"
-Tim Holt 180 Questions-
The creativeness of this book includes interactive links, short quotes, meaningful questions that provoke a conversation, videos, and QR codes. This allows not only opportunities to extend learning but offer other ideas to use in the classroom or school. I have noticed that in my online Professional Learning Community many people are more apt to answer tough questions put out by other educators. When it comes to face to face PLC's we are not as forth coming. This book presents enough questions to have a daily reflection of school through six different categories. These questions don't just focus on the big questions about school, but also how parents, students, and community perceive school. We are looking for ways to engage in conversation. We are looking for ways to share our ideas and opinions over various topics.
I look forward to using this book to leverage conversations with my administration and members on my team. As I move forward in my career it will be a book that I use to reflect on different facets of my education and community that I am involved in.
Tim of course says it best:
"When was the last time we actually discussed the profession of education in a PLC? When did we do something to improve ourselves as educators, instead of just trying to improve a test score? Those are the types of things that happen when we actually start asking ourselves meaningful questions. When we ask the questions that colleagues and ourselves can really bite into, then, as educators, real learning can take place. Just like when we ask our students meaningful questions."- Tim Holt Mail Call Monday
How do you engage your Professional Learning Community in meaty questions? What do you do to promote questions that are no just test based, but ones that will help you grow as an educator and learner?
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