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Encouraging student questioning

Expanding my original Edutopia story by offering up some of the insights and ideas from educators that couldn’t fit in the Edutopia piece—but that are well worth sharing.

Who is entitled to ask questions in class? {Excerpt from AMBQ}

The issue of “who gets to ask the questions in class” is one that touches on matters of purpose, power, control, and, arguably, even race and social class. An excerpt from A MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION.

Michelle Obama on friendship, fear of failure, and focusing on learning

Michelle Obama’s advice to her younger self offers some good life lessons and even a shout-out to asking questions.

Can a school be built on questions? {AMBQ excerpt}

Deborah Meier on “What if our schools could train students to be better lifelong learners by enabling them to be better questioners?“

What happened when young Woz asked “Why”

Steve Wozniak has lots of stories. But the ones I found most interesting have to do with Wozniak’s curiosity as a boy. When he would ask his engineer father questions, the answers changed Wozniak’s world. Whose world have you changed lately?

Curious kids: What makes them question so much? {AMBQ excerpt}

In this short excerpt from AMBQ, I ask leading child psychologists about what’s going on kids’ developing brains and why that causes them to ask hundreds of questions a day—up until about age five.

“Neoteny”: How can we release the 5-year-old questioner inside all of us?

LinkedIn’s Jeff Weiner and Albert Einstein

Daniel Pink: “A veritable gold mine” of questions

“The Book of Beautiful Questions is a veritable gold mine. In its pages, you will find fresh (and often brilliant) ways to use the power of the interrogative to sharpen your decision-making, boost your creativity, and deepen your connections to others. Berger’s insights are so potent and his advice so practical that only one question remains: What’s stopping you from picking up this extraordinary book?”

—Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and A Whole New Mind
Adam Grant: “Full of instantly useful answers”

“Why don’t we ask enough questions? Why do we ask so many bad questions? And how can we ask the kinds of great questions that make us better at leading, deciding, connecting and creating? The Book of Beautiful Questions isn’t just a thought-provoking book on questions—it’s also full of instantly useful answers.”

—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals, Give and Take, and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg
Lisa Bodell: “A must-have skill for success”

“In The Book of Beautiful Questions Warren Berger shows us the incredible power that inquiry has to approach problems differently and to unearth powerful, innovative solutions. In an increasingly complicated world, knowing how to ask provocative questions is a must-have skill for success.”

—Lisa Bodell,
bestselling author of Why Simple Wins, and CEO of FutureThink
Greg McKeown: “The difference between a busy life and a life that really matters”

“Use Warren Berger and his latest book as a guide for asking not only more beautiful questions but also more important ones. It may well make the difference between a busy life and a life that really matters.”

—Greg McKeown, New York Times bestselling author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Frank Sesno: “Warren Berger raises questioning to an art form”

“Warren Berger raises questioning to an art form. The Book of Beautiful Questions is a vital read for anyone who wants to excel at creativity, leadership, decision-making and interpersonal skills. Berger offers a symphony of questions that will inspire you to become your own maestro of inquiry.”

—Frank Sesno, former CNN anchor and author ofAsk More
Marshall Goldsmith: “Be a better thinker, partner, problem-solver, and leader”

“Being an effective leader is not so much about having all the answers as asking the right questions. In The Book of Beautiful Questions, Warren Berger shows why questioning is critical to success—and provides hundreds of questions that can help you be a better thinker, partner, problem-solver, and leader.”

—Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times bestselling author of Triggers and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
Dorie Clark: “A transformational resource you’ll go back to again and again”

“The Book of Beautiful Questions gives us the power to re-imagine our lives. For those who seek to make better decisions and lead more effectively, it’s a transformational resource you’ll go back to again and again.”

—Dorie Clark, author of Entrepreneurial You and Stand Out
A.J. Jacobs: “Question every aspect”

“In this wise book, Warren Berger shows us how crucial it is to question every aspect of our lives, from business to school to our choice of toothpaste. My question: Why wouldn’t you read this book?”

—A.J. Jacobs, New York Times best-selling author and Esquire columnist
Eric Ries: “Figuring out how to ask”

“In the old economy, it was all about having the answers. But in today’s dynamic, lean economy, it’s more about asking the right questions. A More Beautiful Question is about figuring out how to ask, and answer, the questions that can lead to new opportunities and growth.”

—Eric Ries, New York Times best-selling author of The Lean Startup
Guy Kawasaki: “Real men ask questions”

“The genesis of many great startups is the simple question, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if…?’ Berger helps you understand the power of questions to change the world. Real men ask questions, they don’t spout out answers.”

—Guy Kawasaki, author of APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur, and former chief evangelist at Apple

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Latest on the blog...

These 5 questions are “creativity killers.” If you find you’re asking yourself any of them, just stop.

The questions we ask ourselves about creativity also can undermine creative confidence or cause us to misdirect our efforts. Here are five questions that kill creativity…

Bringing beautiful questions to South Carolina

My immersive first-year reading experience at the University of South Carolina as the chosen book/author.

It’s Back to School as Usual, But in Many Questioning Classrooms It’s Not School as Usual

The curiosity and engagement unleashed by a questioning environment is undeniably powerful and lasting.

36 Questions

The 36 questions used in Arthur Aron’s experiment are wonderful examples of open-ended, deep questions. A discussion of the power of good questions to form lasting connections—even between strangers.

Visualizing questioning

A new art form is flourishing—the art of visualizing talks. See how some skillful visual notetakers have made art out of my beautiful questions presentations.

Is “critical thinking” in critical condition? How questions can help.

Want to be a better critical thinker? Questions can be a powerful way to spot false narratives and “weaponized lies.” Read more about it in this article I wrote for The Atlantic’s Quartz.com.

Find Your Passion with These 8 Thought-Provoking Questions

The following eight questions—shared by a noteworthy lineup of entrepreneurs, innovators, consultants, and creative thinkers—can help you figure out where your heart lies and what you really ought to be doing.