Questioning Session 1

Improving Student Question

A full day workshop with Trevor Bond

"Questioning is the engine house of thinking." Edward de Bono

"Questioning is our most important intellectual tool." Neil Postman (Teaching is a Subversive Activity) p 140

Thinking doesn't happen without questioning.

2 types of questions

• Expressed questions - to gain information
• Unexpressed questions - to guide thinking. These are the questions we ask in out head, the thinking behind the questions.

Stages of Thinking

• Tacit
• Aware
• Strategic
• Reflective

"Thinking is when you talk to yourself and your mouth stays shut." Edward de Bono

The talking we do most often when involved in seriously thinking about something is a Question/Answer dialogue.

Learning is moving from the known to the unknown. Inquiry learning with questioning at the heart. Take small steps > question > answer > question > answer...

Who asks the questions?

• At home, pre-school - children ask 50% of the questions.
• Pre-school - children ask 5% of the questions.
• High school - children ask 0.02% of the questions.

Instead of PMI, try L&P (Learn and Promise, what did you learn and what do you promise to go away and do?)

It is important to model good questioning!

If questioning is our 'most important cognitive tool, what are the implications for your school and your classroom?

Classroom Implications

• giving teachers strategies - coaching, observing, extending.
• making it safe for students to ask questions.
• it needs to be embedded, not an extra but part of every lesson.
• teach the language of questioning.

School Implications

• consistency - everyone knowing what is expected and when.
• assessment - what will this look like?
• professional development.
• BoT involvement - induction programme, value questioning.
• appraisals.