Questioning and using metacognitive strategies

when dealing with answers

Richard Hodson

Produced as part of the Partnership Development Schools (PDS) Strategy Phase 3 2008-09 (Lead PDS: The Park Community School. Contact Chris Ley (cley@parkcommunity.devon.sch.uk)

Sometimes it is difficult to engage students in whole class or group questioning

Put yourself into a student’s mind and come up with 3

reasons why you might not be willing to answer a

question

Share your reasons with others in your group

Are there any surprises?

Generate a question that you mighthave used in the past week or so in your classroom

QUESTIONING WITH INTENTION:

Are invitational: Approachable voice

A Credible Voice

An Approachable Voice

QUESTIONING WITH INTENTION:

Plurals

PLURALS

"What are some of your goals?” "What ideas do you have?" "What outcomes do you seek?""What alternatives are you considering?

TENTATIVENESS

“What might be some factors that would cause……?”

“In what other ways could you solve this problem?”

"What hunches do you have that may explain this situation?”

INVITATIONAL STEMS:

“As you recall….” “As you anticipate…….” “As you envision……” “Given what you know

about…….”

1. Are invitational: Approachable

voice, Plurals,

Tentativeness, Invitational

stems

(2. Positive presuppositions3. Complex levels4. Address internal or external)

QUESTIONING WITH INTENTION:

Metacognition.Think Aloud Problem Solving

TAPS

Brenda’s hair is darker than Lisa’s

Georgia’s hair is fairer than Lisa’s

Who has the darkest hair?

What is half of 2 plus 2?

If the day before yesterday were Friday, what will be the day after tomorrow?

Pose questions that cause the student to check for

accuracy:

“How do you know you’re right?”

“What other ways can you prove you’re right?”

Pause and clarify ---(don’t interrupt)

“Explain what you mean when you said ‘you just worked it out’.”

When you said you started at the beginning how did you know

where to begin?

Provide data, not answers

I think you misheard the question, let me repeat it

You need to check something in your second paragraph

Resist making value judgements.

So, your answer is 48. Who got a different answer?

Who agrees with that answer? Why?

Encourage Persistence

C’mon, you can do it

Ok, but if you did know, what would you say?

Metacognitive problem.

Combine the following 4 sentences:

The horse jumped over the fenceThe horse was greyThe jump was done gracefullyThe fence was low and made of brick

In groups of 4, solve the ‘Piggy Dribble Surprise

Problem’

Sustaining and Engaging Metacognition

1 Check for accuracy2 Clarify3 Provide data, not answers4 Resist making judgements5 Stay focussed on thinking6 Encourage persistence