Asking Great Questions

by Michael Novelli   |  April 28 2009    12:05 PM

A few years ago I stumbled upon a great little book called, Asking Great Questions by Karen Lee Thorpe. I have included a portion from that book that I adapted for Shaped by the Story. You can also download this as a PDF by clicking HERE.

Here is the excerpt from my book:

Keep the Conversation Going 

Questions and curiosity drive learning. Once learners believe they have all the answers, they stop asking questions, and then they soon stop learning. Become an expert at redirecting questions back to the group…sparking further conversation and wondering. This will create an environment where deep learning can more readily take place. Don’t be content with just one answer; ask what others in the group are thinking until several people have had the opportunity to answer.

Here are some ways you can keep the conversation going, adapted from Karen Lee-Thorp’s How to Ask Great Questions*:

• Clarifying—Can you tell me a • Clarifying—Can you tell me a little bit more?
• Question—Where have we seen this happen before?
• Follow-Up—Why do you think that is?
• Bouncing—That’s a great question. Does anyone in the group have any thoughts on that?
• Brainstorming—Let’s see how many ideas our group can come up with…
• Sharing—I also noticed the connection between…
• Answering—In the story the character said…
• Bringing New Observations—One thing no one mentioned was…
• Identifying Themes—What did we see in this story that we also saw in previous ones?
• Summarizing—So what was one thing that stood out to you from the story?
• Prompting—Who would like to share what they journaled about?
• Restating—So what you’re saying is…
• Connecting—What you’re saying is connected to what Tom said…
• Feedback—How are you feeling about this process so far? What’s helpful? What’s challenging?
• Refocusing—That’s a really interesting thought, but let’s get back to the question I asked…
• Identifying—How do you think we’re like the people in the story? Unlike them?
• Applying—How does this story challenge you personally?

Thanks to Mauri for reminding me of this great little book!

* Karen Lee-Thorp, How to Ask Great Questions: Guide Your Group to Discovery With These Proven Techniques (Colorado Springs, Col.: NavPress, 1998).

Earth Day – I Love the Whole World!

by Michael Novelli   |  April 22 2009    07:36 PM

I posted this video before, but I though it was really fitting for Earth Day today. We have been given the great responsibility and privilege to care for this wonderful planet. This is part of God's design for our lives and this great place. I love the whole world!

Upcoming Echo Workshops – Spring 2009

by Michael Novelli   |  April 14 2009    03:02 PM

Here is an updated listing of my upcoming workshops. My fall fills up quickly, so if you would like me to come and lead a workshop with your volunteer or staff team, please contact me right away.

Apr. 17-18 – INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Youth Leader Workshop for FGF North Central

Apr. 25 – GLEN ROSE, TX
Workshop for Glen Lake Camp Staff

May 1 & 2 – PORTLAND, OR
Storying Workshop – Rolling Hills Community Church

May 4 & 5 – TACOMA, WA
Storying Workshop – Lake Tapps Christian Church

June 18 –FORT COLLINS, CO
Campus Crusade Staff Workshop

June 19-20 – HARRISONBURG, VA
Brethren National Jr. High Conference

June 25-28 – LOS ANGELES, CA
DCLA Student Event

June 28-30 – SAN DIEGO, CA
Brethren Annual Conference

Storying in a Large Group… Using BUZZ Groups

by Michael Novelli   |  April 03 2009    11:01 AM

This was a small addition to my Shaped by the Story book that didn't make the cut. It seems helpful to those of you who work with larger groups and don't have time or leaders to break into smaller groups.

Participant Lead Buzz Groups
The term buzz groups has been used in educational training for decades, and comes from the idea that students within a classroom turn to each other and form smaller groups. The “buzz” is the sound of the discussion from around the room as groups interact with each other. When Storying with a large group and you are the ONLY teacher familiar with the process, buzz groups are the best solution I have found for dialogue. The storytelling is lead by the teacher from the front with the entire group together. Then, retelling and dialogue is done in buzz groups of 4 to 6 people. If necessary for supervision, all of the buzz groups can remain in the same room.

Buzz groups do not require a facilitator, as all instructions and questions are provided by the teacher from the front of the room (slides or visuals help this). Each buzz group selects a spokesperson to share some of their groups’ responses. A time limit is set for the dialogue – and possibly for each question – depending on how much structure the teacher feels is needed.

Thought must be given as to who will be in each buzz group... teachers may want to assign adults or key students to each group to help keep the discussion focused. The teacher should “float” from group to group to motivate better involvement, clarify questions, and spread enthusiasm around the room. After the assigned time is up for the buzz groups, the teacher should facilitate a time for the spokespersons to share responses from their group.