Questioning

1. Questioning

2. In this session… • Reflections on observations of questioning • Developing student questioning • Techniques for selecting students & posing questions • Constructing (and differentiating) questions, objectives, outcomes and tasks

3. Why is questioning important? • Good questions stimulate thinking, and often generate more questions to clarify understanding. • Good questions generate informative responses often revealing not only misconceptions and misunderstanding, but understanding and experience beyond that expected. • Good questions encourage learners to make links. • Good questions push learners to the limit of their understanding. • Good questions from pupils push teachers to the limits of their understanding too, and challenge them to find better ways of explaining. • Good questions offer opportunities for learners to hear others’ answers to questions, it helps them to reflect on their own understanding.

4. Think of questions about the picture beginningWho? What? Where? When Why? How?

5. Activity: Mystery Boxes • You have a box which contains a mystery item… can you work out what it is? • You cannot open the box! • If time, swap boxes with another group and repeat.

6. Activity: Feely Bags • In groups, one person is blindfolded and puts hand in the ‘feely bag’ (don’t shout out if you know what it is!) • Everyone else has to ask questions about the object and work out what it is from the answers • Then swap bags with another group and let someone else have a go…

7. No hands up… (Unless to ask a question)

8. So how do you choose who to ask? • www.Classtools.net • Targeted questioning (based on working/target grades – seating plans help) • Jar of lollypop sticks with names on • Stickpick / Random name selector apps

9. Or… a no likey no lighty light system?! Whole class capture How can you capture the whole class’ answer to a question? • Stand in different corners of room • Hands in the air/hands on heads • ABCD cards • Red/Green cards • Mini white boards • Electronic student response systems

10. Hinge Question Choose the best description of questioning 1. Questioning can be used to check who was really listening (stand against right wall) 2. Questioning can be used to gauge the whole class’ understanding (stand against left wall) 3. Questioning can push learners to the limits of their understanding (stand in the middle)

11. Hinge Questions • A hinge question is based on the important concept in a lesson that is critical for students to understand before you move on in the lesson. • The question should fall about midway during the lesson. • Every student must respond to the question within two minutes. • You must be able to collect and interpret the responses from all students in 30 seconds

12. Hinge Question Example • Choose the best description of a rhombus. • a.    a 2D shape with two pairs of parallel sidesb.   a quadrilateral with two pairs of parallel sides, each side being of equal lengthc.   a quadrilateral where all four sides have equal length. Opposite sides are parallel and opposite angles are equal.d.   a quadrilateral where all four sides have equal length. Opposite sides are parallel and all angles are right angles. • You can collate the responses using electronic response systems, ABCD cards, mini whiteboards etc. • Whatever the response, it offers an opportunity for probing and further discussion.

13. Objectives, Outcomes andLearning Questions • Learning Objectives can also be phrased as questions • Or you can prepare a list of key learning questions, or one hinge question to include in your plan • Use these Qs as prompts for your questioning / assessment in the lesson • How can your objectives/outcomes/questions be differentiated?

14. Bloom’s Taxonomy

16. Activity: Blooming Questions Carousel • In groups of three go to a station. • You have 2 minutes to create a learning objective and/or question for your subject(s) based in that level of Bloom’s taxonomy. • You will then rotate and repeat the activity at the other stations • Read other group’s responses. If you see any you really like, mark them with a smiley face 

17. Learning Objectives should be SMART • Realistic, Resourced • Also Simple /Succinct • And Memorable • Yet still aspirational

18. Pose, Pause, Pounce, Bounce Can you muster a Tigger-like Bounce in your classroom?

20. What is it? • PPPB (Pose, Pause, Pounce, Bounce) is a simple, yet sophisticated, AfL (Assessment for Learning) questioning technique to help teachers move from good-to-outstanding. It also helps address differentiation in the classroom and encourages teachers to slow down, take risks and tease out understanding... • Content that follows: • PPPB characters. • How to PPPB? • Reference: • Where hands-up in class is banned! BBC Education News. • Content, then process – Solution Tree video featuring Dylan Wiliam.

21. Now, think about Winnie The Pooh • Think about the characters and personalities…. …now link these characters to how you would ask a question in the classroom.

22. The Tao of Pooh "Just, how do you do it Tigger?“ "Do what?" asked Pooh. "Become so effortless.“ "I don't do much of anything." Tigger said. "But all those things of yours get done.“ "They just sort of happen," Tigger said. (edited)

23. Which character is your Questioning technique? Pooh-bear • Despite being naïve and slow-witted, he is a friendly, thoughtful and sometimes insightful character who is always willing to help his friends and try his best. His good intentions sometimes make things worse and other times solve a problem. Are you Pooh?

24. Which character is your Questioning technique? Owl • Owl believes that he is the most intelligent animal in the wood and most of his friends agree, but he is really quite scatterbrained. He often rambles on into long-winded speeches and frequently uses words that his friends don't understand. Are you Owl?

25. Which character is your Questioning technique? Rabbit • Rabbit is friendly but arrogant and irritable friend who thinks himself the smartest animal in the Wood. He insists on doing things his way and is obsessed with rules, planning and order. Are you Rabbit?

26. Which character is your Questioning technique? Kanga • Kanga is a kind-hearted, docile and motherly character. She takes great care of Roo, and is constantly concerned with his well-being, whether that means caring for him or trying to keep him out of trouble. Are you Kanga?

27. Which character is your Questioning technique? Eeyore • Ever-glum, slow-talking, sarcastic and pessimistic donkey friend who has trouble keeping his tail attached to his bottom. Are you Eeyore?

28. Which character is your Questioning technique? Piglet • He is a kind, gentle and small animal who is ordinarily quite timid, but with Pooh by his side, he often overcomes his fears. Are you Piglet?

29. Or, are you a Tigger?

30. Which character is your Questioning technique? Tigger • He loves to bounce, especially bouncing on others. He is full of energy, likes to have fun and is so overconfident that he thinks that any task is "what tiggers do best". Or are you Tigger?

31. So why is PPPB useful? • This technique is used to develop an awareness of the new Ofsted criteria. • This strategy encourages teachers to take risks and tease out the "learning" in class. • It also a useful focus for differentiating objectives and learning experiences by varying our questioning techniques. • NO more closed questions in our classrooms!

32. How does it work? • On the following slides, the sequence of PPPB is listed. • A simple four-part approach with additional information that explains the methodology.

33. 1. POSE • Give the context of your PPPB approach to the class. It is important they know what is happening before it becomes common-place… • Insist on hands down before the question is delivered. • Provide a question or a series of questions, ensuring that you ask the students to remain reflective. • Pose the question to the class; not an individual. • Then Pause…

34. 2. PAUSE... • This is the difficult part. To stop talking… • Ask the class to hold the thought... think... and think again... • If students are captivated and engaged, try holding the silence for a little while longer (take a calculate risk) and... • Still push the boundaries. Keep the reflection for as long as possible….before you, • Pounce!

35. What’s your question? 3. POUNCE! • Insist that the answer to the question comes from student A and possibly student B, directly and as fast as possible! • Of course plan in your mind who you are going to ask, before speaking to the class. • Name student A to respond and don't move from the student… • Possibly don't speak and nip any comments, grunts or noises in the bud! Its magic when you can hear, see and feel a captivated learning audience. We've all seen it. • Wait for an answer... pause... decipher the support needed, especially if no response is evidently on its way. (Of course, at this stage, you can instigate various strategies for peers to support the questionable student A). • If student A does manage to answer, the fun part starts here...

36. 4. BOUNCE! • Ask another student B their opinion of student A's answer (immediately) after the Pounce response. • This can be developed by asking student B and C their opinions to student A's response, irrespective if the answer is correct or not. • An additional strategy is to Bounce the question onto a group A...and subsequently, a sub-group B if group A do not deliver a suitable way forward. • This ensures the teacher is engaging a significant number of students with the question at hand, whilst using this strategy. It also ensures the entire class can be called upon at any given time by just returning to Pose or Pounce. • Many, many teachers are very reluctant to hold onto a question that is a stumbling block in class. I know because I have done it; but my favourite lessons are often the ones that involve this ethos being established from the outset and (me) not being afraid to tease out "why?" student A or B thinks the way they do... • Ensure that all your students understand ‘a’ concept. Test it before moving on. Try it tomorrow. Don't accept student E or student K shouting out the answer to maintain pace or behaviour. Don't allow student T to answer the question because (you know they won't let you down and) they will help you move on during an observation lesson!

37. Summary • Teasing out students’ thinking skills and understanding, is far more important, than moving onto the next stage of any lesson. Further reading: • The Tao of Pooh • The Te of Piglet • Pose, Pause, Pounce, Bounce

38. @TeacherToolkit

39. Plenary: 3, 2, 1 • State 3 uses of questioning • Describe 2 types of questions • Explain the benefits of 1 way of selecting students for questioning