Title: DTC central training on using effective questioning and starting lessons
1DTC central training on using effective
questioning and starting lessons
- Using questioning at Key Stage 3 to get pupils to
think harder and for longer
Phil Smith Foundation Strand Consultant Bury LEA
2Before 5.30pm we will
- Are we fully aware of the range of questions we
use in our classrooms?
Planning for successful questioning?
- What practical things can we do after this
training?
3Before 5.30pm we will
- See how more purposeful lessons are linked to the
way they actually start - Develop an understanding of many different and
varied ways of starting lessons to encourage
greater motivation, engagement and challenge.
4Why have training in which we just focus on
questioning?
- What do you think the reasons are?
- the most common form of interaction between
teacher and pupil
- b. an element of virtually every type and model
of lesson
- c. a key method of providing appropriate
challenge for all pupils
d. an important influence on the extent of
progress made
- the most immediate and accessible way for a
teacher to assess learning.
5Can you spot the dodgy questions?
- They must capture interest
- Focus on real worthwhile aspects of that
subjects thinking, concepts or processes - Result in a tangible, lively, substantial and
enjoyable outcome activity through which pupils
can genuinely answer the key question
6Can we spot the dodgy questions?
- Electricity
- Weather patterns over Europe
- Do different people in different countries
respond the same to natural disasters? - Telling the time in French
- How would you cope if you were lost in Paris
after missing the school coach? - What structures do musicians use to organise
sounds? - Tempo
- School trip to the art gallery
- How effective is the art gallery in portraying
different styles of painting from the 20th
century? - When did the French Revolution happen?
- Why do we still bother to study the French
Revolution?
7Whats the purpose of good questioning in a
classroom?
- To interest, engage and challenge pupils
- To check on prior knowledge
- To stimulate recall and use of existing knowledge
and experience in order to create new
understanding and meaning - To focus thinking on key concepts and issues
- To extend pupils thinking from the concrete and
factual to the analytical and evaluative - To lead pupils through a planned sequence which
progressively establishes key understandings - To promote reasoning, problem solving, evaluation
and the formulation of hypotheses - To promote pupils thinking about the way they
have learned
8Pitfalls of questioning
It is easy to fall into the trap of
- asking too many closed questions
- asking pupils questions to which they can respond
with a simple yes or no answer
9Pitfalls of questioning
It is easy to fall into the trap of
- asking too many short-answer, recall-based
questions - asking bogus guess what Im thinking questions
- starting all questions with the same stem
10More pitfalls of questioning
It is easy to fall into the trap of
- pursuing red herrings
- dealing ineffectively with incorrect answers or
misconceptions - focusing on a small number of pupils and not
involving the whole class
11And some more
- making the sequence of questions too rigid
- not giving pupils time to reflect, or to pose
their own questions - asking questions when another strategy might be
more appropriateSee Handout 4.2
12Using questions to promote thinking.Theres
nothing so practical as a good theory!
Achievement at NC Level 5 require such
higher-order thinking
Bloom researched thousands of questions that
teachers asked and categorised them
And yet pupils level of achievement can be
increased by regular practice of higher-order
thinking
The majority of questions asked (95) by teachers
were factual recall and comprehension
Few questions developed higher-order thinking
skills
13Goldilocks and Bloom
- KnowledgeWhose porridge was too sweet?
- ComprehensionWhy did Goldilocks like Little
Bears bed best? - ApplicationWhat would have happened if
Goldilocks had come to your house? - AnalysisWhich parts of the story could not be
true? - SynthesisCan you think of a different ending?
- EvaluationWhat do you think of the story?
- Was Goldilocks good or bad? Why?
14What did Bloom discover?
- Evaluation being able to judge the worth of
material against stated criteria. Sees pupils
judging, assessing comparing and contrasting
- Synthesis being able to put together separate
ideas to form new wholes, or to establish new
links
- Analysis being able to explain how the various
parts fit together, infer and analyse
- Application using learnt information, ideas and
skills in new topics/situations.
- Comprehension where pupils start to understand
the basic information so that they can explain it
- Knowledge or recall of bits of stuff..can be
the foundation for higher levels of thinking
15How much of Bloom is in your classroom?
- In groups of 3 or 4 can you identify what range
and styles of questions are being asked to these
pupilsHandout 4.4 - Use Blooms list to classify and sort these
questions. - This is pretty tricky to do since we are taking
these questions out of context.
16Some suggested answers
Blooms taxonomy Questions
Knowledge 2,3,11
Comprehension 10, 15
Application 5,9,13,16,18
Analysis 4,14,17
Synthesis 6,12
Evaluation 1,7,8
17How much more of Bloom can you get into your
classroom?
Knowledge
- Questions for learning
- What three things are the most important?
- Describe them to me
- List for me the key characters in the book
- Write your list, turn it over, repeat it
- Where in the book would you find
- Name as many characters as you can, go for 5
- Activities
- Tell
- Recite
- List
- Memorise
- Remember
- Find
- Name
18How much more of Bloom can you get into your
classroom?
Comprehension
- Questions for learning
- What do you think is happening here?
- Can you think of any other examples?
- What might this mean?
- What 3 things are the most important?
- Activities
- Explain
- Give examples of
- Summarise
- draw
19How much more of Bloom can you get into your
classroom?
Application
- Questions for learning
- Plan and deliver a presentation to
- What is most significant for your chosen
audience? - How can you best demonstrate your understanding?
- Activities
- Demonstrate
- Based on what you know
- Model
20How much more of Bloom can you get into your
classroom?
Analysis
- Questions for learning
- What information is needed? Where will you get
it? - Organise the data using a flow chart/concept map
- List arguments for and against, compare them
- Separate into fact and opinion using a Venn
diagram
- Activities
- Investigate
- Classify
- Categorise
- Facts and opinions
21How much more of Bloom can you get into your
classroom?
Synthesis
- Questions for learning
- Provide a portfolio for evidence showing your
case for - Taking the theme of stillness produce three
pieces for piano - Using all the evidence available
- Based on the evidence and your own feelings, what
do you think is likely to?
- Activities
- Create
- Compose
- Forecast
- Formulate
- Argue the case for
- Predict
- Imagine
22How much more of Bloom can you get into your
classroom?
Evaluation
- Questions for learning
- Re-order with a justification
- Design a mechanism to evaluate the performance
- Discuss the relative merits in relation to
- Following your critique, say which is better and
why - What is the bst option? Why? List five reasons.
- Activities
- Prioritise
- Rate
- Grade
- Critique
- Judge
- Recommend
23Tactics used in a real classroom
- Use Handout 4.5 to record some positive features
of the questioning
24Ms. History
- Stimulated thinking by
- Having an unhurried pace
- Allowed wait times.(the average wait time is
less than 1 second and below average pupils are
given even LESS wait time). - Open ended questions
- Pupils asked speculative What if questions
- Extended/sustained responses by
- Requesting explanations
- Posed challenging Why questions
- Pupils answers are valued by the teacher
25Ms. History
- Encouraged active listening by
- Poising questions to conscripts as well as
volunteers - Using a variety of questions
- Encouraging pupils to generate their own questions
- Created an interaction between pupils by
- Carefully structuring think, pair, share
sessions - Encouraging to ask each other questions
- Requesting pupils to add to and challenge the
answers provided by others
26Handouts 4.6 and 4.7
- Great use of departmental timespend 25 minutes
as a department using 4.6 to identify possible
benefits and contexts for using each tactic with
a particular class in mind. - Whilst 4.7 provides the basis for further
discussion
27Ready for more?
- Begin to build key questions into your medium as
well as short-term planning. - In a departmental meeting discuss how you might
plan sequences of questions that build up pupils
understanding of important concepts.
28Pacey starts can be crucial
Per lesson Over the Key Stage 3
1 minute saved 2 hours saved
2 minutes saved 4 hours saved
3 minutes saved 6 hours saved
29Common ways of starting a lesson
- Sit down and get your books out
- Copy the date and title then listen to teacher
- Quick recap on the previous lesson
- Take the register
- Answer a few brief questions before the lesson
fully develops - Stand behind your chair
- Hand books out
- Waiting for silence
30The ideal learning state
High
Challenge
Low
High
Low
Stress
31Activitythe High Challenge-Low Challenge game
- High challenge refers to the extent to which
high-order thinking is demanded by the starter
activity
32Activitythe High Challenge-Low Challenge game
- Challenge is not the only factor in an effective
start to the lesson - (i) Pacewith focus on thinking and learning
rather than on the business of the activity. - (ii) Interactionessentially the pupils are
active. - (iii) Involvementbe wary of the Put your hand
up and tell me what we did last week syndrome
setting in.
33Activitythe High Challenge-Low Challenge game
- Challenge is not the only factor in an effective
start to the lesson - (iv) Connecting with prior learning..
Do you remember when? - (v) Arouse pupil curiosity and intrigueare
they thought provoking? - (vi) Can include brief, small-group activities.
- Id like you to think about what you think
were the three most important things which you
can remember about.which we did last week. Turn
to your partner and explain what you have chosen
and why?
34But what is the BIG picture youre trying to
create?
- Starter activities work best when they are placed
within challenging and fun sequences of lessons
(See art/geography examples)
Main enquiry covering a series of lessons over a
period of weeks perhaps
Starter
Starter
Starter
35Multiple Intelligences and starting lessons
36What this really means
- Logical/Mathematical
- Puzzles
- Charts
- Graphs
- Analysis
- Forecasts
- Predictions
37Imaginative use of this model
- Logical/Mathematical in English
- M-KD (KM)
- Macbeth minus King Duncan equals King
Macbeth-but not for long, so put it in brackets
38What this really means
- Interpersonal
- Group work
- Team work
- Interviewing
- Chat shows
- Drama
- Teaching others
- Group leading
- Group co-ordinating
39Imaginative use of this model
- Interpersonal
- This can free yourself up to work with those who
really need your support. - Buddy-up systems
40What this really means
- Intrapersonal
- WIIFMs?
- Empathy
- Emotional
- Metacognition
- Target setting
- HypotheticalWhat if?
41Imaginative use of this model
- Intrapersonal
- Encourage reflectionWell donehow did you do
it? - Which bits did you learn quickest and why?
- How would you feel if.? (Geography and the rain
cycle) - Science experiments
42What this really means
- Visual/spatial
- Learning maps
- Posters
- Highlighter pens
- Symbols
- Icons
- Instructive display work
43Imaginative use of this model
- Visual/spatial
- We have a better memory for pictures than we do
for words (see From the land of the gods) - Using colour improves our memory
- Mind-mapping
44What this really means
- Body/physical
- Role play
- Making models
- Movement
- Acting
- Practical
- Walking through the learning
45Imaginative use of this model
- Body/physical
- English Dept used Go high and Go low when
developing a new area of learning. - Happy-sad continuums.
- Moving around the classroom (Trenches-table
example) - Science lesson (solar system in the hall-moving
to Holsts The Planets) - MathsJumping from column to column
46What this really means
- Musical
- Rhymes
- Raps
- Jingles
- Songs
- Background music
47Imaginative use of this model
- Musical
- Creates the right kind of atmosphere for learning
- Examples (Bachs Goldberg Variations/Pachelbel)
48What this really means
- Verbal linguistic
- Debates
- Stories
- Discussions
- Poems
- Word games
- Speeches
- Diary entries
49Imaginative use of this model
- Verbal/linguistic
- Class discussions (think carefully about your
enquiry question) - Radio commercials
- Poems to help with remembering key concepts
50What this really means
- Naturalistic
- Going out of the classroom to learn
- Classifying into family groups
51What this really means
- Naturalistic
- Varying your classroom environment (Battle of
Hastings out doors?) - Which animals would Disney use in a cartoon
version of Macbeth? - Persecution of other groups through Darwins
eyes? - Emily Davison throwing herself in front of the
horse from the horses point of view - Amazonian rainforest through the eyes of the
creatures living there and dying there
52Be aware
- We tend to teach and start lessons according to
the way WE prefer to learn. - Wear your creative thinking hat
- How can we incorporate music into Art lessons?
- Can we use these models to evaluate our current
schemes of work? - Would Mozart have been happy just doing Music one
hour a week?
53WARNINGWatch out for the potential problems!
1. Take too long or even take over the whole
lesson!
2. They can lose pace and direction and lack
clear learning outcomes
3. Too quick a pace can lose pupils who need
extra thinking or speaking time
54WARNINGWatch out for the potential problems!
4. Can bore the more able if you are not careful!
5. Become a fixed routine that bores
6. Can be derailed by the arrival of latecomers
55So if those are the problems, what are the
solutions?
- They need careful planning and preparation so
that everyone (teacher and pupils) see the
purpose of the activity - Remain focussed on the purpose of the starting
activity - Use a variety of activities to get the lessons
started
56So if those are the problems, what are the
solutions?
- Skilful teacher questioning, coupled with
thinking time. (Blooms ideas are really useful
here) - Effective use of classroom support
- Adding extra challenge for some by increasing the
complexity or sophistication of the activity
57The keys to successful starters
- To avoid over running plan this as a discrete
element of the lesson. - Ensure that your starter activities contribute
directly to the overall lesson objectives - Choose starters that best fit your BIG picture
planning - Make sure that your starter activities show
progression over time!
58Second to last slidethe keys to successful
starters
- Use varied and unusual routines to create
motivation. (Think of Alistair Smith and
Multiple Intelligences) - Plan for a brief conclusion at the end of the
starter to consolidate the gains made
59Ready for more?
- Why not trial three different types of starter
that you have not used before with the one class
over the enquiry/lesson sequence? - Follow this up with a departmental discussion
about how these might be incorporated into a Year
7 scheme of work for next year - Also during this meeting discuss what other
colleagues have been trying out.