1. The Question is the Answer
Challenge through questioning.

2. To explain the importance of questioning in the classroom
Starter – 10 Questions
Take a post it note and write down the name of one famous person or character on it. E.g.. Bill Clinton, Mickey Mouse, Britney Spears.
Don’t let anyone else see it.
Stick it on the forehead of the person next to you.
1 minute – explain instructions. Post its
MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT SEE THE NAME

3. To explain the importance of questioning in the classroom
The Rules of 10 Questions
Now you have to guess who you are by asking only 10 questions to different people.
You may ask anyone in the room.
You must only ask closed questions (questions which are answered with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’) i.e. Am I a politician? Do I have hair?
You have 3 minutes to try and work out who your well known person is.
No cheating!
4 minutes – wander round and find out who it is.
Don’t forget to ask who got their answer correct.

4. To explain the importance of questioning in the classroom
Session Aims
To explain the importance of questioning in the classroom.
To provide opportunity to strengthen one of your own lesson plans using higher order questioning
Explain purpose of activity. To get you to consider the effectiveness of open and closed ques.
Closed questions are answers which only allow you to give short answers or yes, no. E.g. Do you understand? Did King Henry get married? They give you facts and quick and EASY to answer.
Open questions require the person to think or reflect on the answer. They hand over control of the answer to the respondent.
We are focusing on open questioning today using a version of Blooms Taxonomy that we have adapted.

5. Why is questioning important?
To explain the importance of questioning in the classroom
Why is questioning important?
Most common form of interaction in lesson between students and teacher.
Interest, engage and challenge students.
Allows you to challenge students appropriately.
Inspires discussion, debate and individual thought.
Allows you to gauge pupil understanding and progress and to influence it.
Ques is the most common interaction between student and teacher. A sign of a good lesson is where both parties feel comfortable asking and answering questions.
Fact based, closed questions have their place but today we are looking at HO questions.
We are focusing on these as they allow students to think independently and justify their answers.

6. To explain the importance of questioning in the classroom
Types of questions
These can be broken down into:
Managerial – dealing with the running of the lesson
Information/data – recalling information learnt
Higher order questioning – analysis and inference
There are many types of question – but basic ones we all use are
Managerial – do you understand the work, everyone finished? Stuff to do with the lesson.
Info/date - what is the date WWI started? What is this chemical? All knowledge recall.
HO – these ques deal with analysis and inference. They require you to engage your brain. Make students compare, propose, examine.
Research shows most questions in class focus on Knowledge & Comprehension.

7. To explain the importance of questioning in the classroom
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Given this information, what would you say about….?
Questioning wheel: adapted from Bloom’s Taxonomy. This is the typical version you will see. The HO questions are at the top.
Blooms taxonomy – 1956, classification of thinking into 6 categories. .
We want you to practise Blooms taxonomy in your classroom questioning.
There are many examples of Blooms. This one shows HO and LO.
LO questions are knowledge and comprehension.
LO have their place. Essential for us. Who, What, When, Where do well.
What was the main idea?
Can you describe?
Can you tell me what?

8. What solution would you use to the problem of…?
Evaluation
How effective is….?
Synthesis
What solution would you use to the problem of…?
Analysis
Explain why…..happened?
Can you compare this to…?
HO is our. Focus. Raise pupil achievement,. NCT GCSE level descriptors require students to use skills of application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation.
If regularly question, then train them to use these HOTS.
Talk about G&T

9. Activities to encourage type of thinking
Thinking skill
Questioning stems
Centre: Higher order thinking skills and verbs
Inner circle: Question stems
Outer circle: Products/example activities where the questions could be used
Many different ques you can use. Here is a basic breakdown of Bloom’s taxonomy.
Knowledge–. Recall of info - Can you tell me, describe.
Comprehension – Test understanding of knowledge, E.g. put info in your own words, what was main idea.
Application – Applying the knowledge learnt, given this info, what would you say bout.
Analysis – Given this info, what would you say about…?
Synthesis – Constructing new things from info learnt – e.g. what solution would you use to the problem of..?
Evaluation – Debating and assessing the info. Strengths and weaknesses. How effective is…?
Activities to encourage type of thinking

10. What does effective questioning look like?
To explain the importance of questioning in the classroom
What does effective questioning look like?
Students do not just describe, they use a range of thinking skills to answer the questions.
Questions challenge according to student ability.
Students feel comfortable asking as well as receiving questions
Students speculate and hypothesise when answering
Questions prompt students to justify
For example, it’s not just about facts and recall of knowledge - hopefully students will start to think about their knowledge and use the appropriate skills to answer questions.
Tamara
Including more questions in your planning means that you re more likely to use them.
Build displays up around a question in your room.
Plan a lesson where ½ questions are closed and ½ are open.

11. To explain the importance of questioning in the classroom
Question the Object
In the middle of your table is an image.
Using the questioning wheel and the question stems provided, devise some higher order questions around the your picture.
This should help you to practise using and planning HO questions.

12. Tips for effective questioning
To explain the importance of questioning in the classroom
Tips for effective questioning
Plan your questioning
Stage your higher order questions into the lesson progression
Ask open questions
Use questions to develop collaborative work
Be inventive
Respect answers
Plan your questioning – more likely to use if plan. Share key questions with pupils. Indicate which questions are harder to attract G&T
Stage your higher order questions into the lesson progression - Break them gradually into lesson. Forewarn pupils.
Ask open questions - engage with info, don’t just repeat but be creative.
Use questions to develop collaborative work – Tell them to discuss in pairs. Get one side of class to think of reply for other side of class.
Be inventive – thinkers keys
Respect answers – time for answers. Give question time.

13. To explain the importance of questioning in the classroom
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
Albert Einstein