According to Dylan Wiliam, the traditional classroom practice in which a teacher asks a question, students raise their hands, and the teacher calls on a volunteer does not actually provide much useful information--and it may even impede learning. When teachers ask questions in this way, they're only engaging the most confident students in the discussion, they're only getting information on what a handful of students know, and they're often relying on spontaneous questions that do not reveal student misunderstandings. William offers three suggestions for improving questioning in class: (1) Don't allow students to raise their hands to ask a question. By calling on a student at random after asking a question, teachers are encouraging all students to pay attention to the discussion so they'll be prepared when called on; (2) Use an all-student response system, such as dry-erase boards on which all students write down an answer and hold up for the teacher to see; and (3) Plan questions ahead of time. Be aware of common misunderstandings, and craft questions that will reveal areas in which students are confused. These strategies will help teachers formatively assess where all students are in their learning, which enables teachers to provide better feedback and plan their next instructional steps more effectively.