This document discusses the importance of questioning students and different types of questions. It notes that there are stages of questioning and that teachers should model effective questioning. The document suggests creating a classroom environment that encourages questions, is supportive, and where students can take on teaching roles. Different types of questions are outlined, including closed questions to gather facts and open questions to promote complex thinking. Activities like question dice and cards are proposed to stimulate student questioning. The importance of deliberately teaching questioning skills is emphasized.

1. Jan WattsThe Importance of Questioning

2. What is Important About Questioning?Students understanding of what a question isThere are different stages of questioningWhich questions matter?What is a good question?Teaching students the difference between statements and questions

3. Our Class Environment…Will be –Hands onEncourages how, why and whatModels effective questioningA place where students can take on a ‘teacher role’ – giving feedback, questioning etcA selection of thoughts from each group of teachers.

4. Lots of oral language opportunitiesSupportive & builds trustA place that it is safe to take risksOkay to be wrongA place of ownership of their questioningA selection of thoughts from each group of teachers

5. Teacher’s Do…Relationship building, trust and team buildingSimple question – why do we come to school?Teacher’s responses to questions, we need to value all questions & not brush offShow that we are all learners tooChallenging & engaging environmentWonderwallsA selection of thoughts from each group of teachers

6. Teacher’s Do… (Continued)Discovery tableDeliberate acts of teaching questioningLots of gamesPacing lessonsUsing ‘chatterbox’ to ask questionsStatements versus questionsScaffolding children to move from statements to questionsA selection of thoughts from each group of teachers

7. Roll the Dice and Take Your Chances… Jan threw a dice around the class to stimulate questioning, each side was labelled with –WhoWhereWhy WhenWhat

8. Jan Suggests …Using as a pile of cards Sit in a circle or in small groupsUse with a black and white photo orThe digital photos the children are taking

9. Two Dice are Better Than one… Adding a secondary dice (or pile of cards) can add more depth and thought to the questioning process. This dice would look like – Is/wasAre/wereDo/didCan/couldWould/might

10. What is Appropriate & Relevant? Closed Questions –Useful at the beginning of the a studyUseful for gathering factsFor classifyingCheckingMoving on to further questioning

11. Suggestions for Closed QuestionsPlay games such as – 20 questionsHeadbands (name or subject on the person’s head or back and they have to ask questions to find out who they are)

12. Open Questions – What do They Look Like? They – JustifyAnalyse They prompt with –What if…What could we do…

13. Fat or Skinny? Both closed and open questions can be fat or skinny. Skinny questions do not require a lot of thought. They can be both open and closed. We use them to – gather informationFind out Describe ClassifySee Jan's handout for more depth

14. Fat Questions Require some complexity of thought & tend to require some interpretation. Fat questions can be both closed & open. Closed: Interpreting factsGiving opinions Evaluation/justificationSee Jan's handout for more depth

15. Fat Questions continued… Open Questions require complex thinking & have no limit on the possibilities. May be used for:Interpreting factsGiving opinionsEvaluation/justificationPredictionPossibilitiesoriginalitySee Jan's handout for more depth

16. Check This Out… A great site to check out between the hours of 1-5pm is anyquestions.co.nzThis is run by librarians and can be a great source of research, information and learning.

17. A Final Message…Questioning is up to us – it demands deliberate acts of teachingPractice questioning every single day – across all curriculum areasRefer to the 6 stages of questioning (in Jan’s handout)