Online Learning Gaining Insights into Online Teacher Training through Essential Questions My favorite pedagogical tool is theessential question [http://www.authenticeducation.org/ae_bigideas/article.lasso?artid=53]. Briefly, these attempt to focus student attention on the broader implications and deeper meanings behind content. I had been using them in my own quaint way before readingUnderstanding by Design [http://www.authenticeducation.