Finding+focus+for+COT+unit

"Investigating - Going Further- Stage of Inquiry" __** Questions to probe your thinking…………………………. __ Engagement __ Are the students engaged in the unit? How can I engage ownership and questioning? __ New Questions __ What else does my class want or need to know about? What are the students new questions? //Revisit the students initial questions and wonderings and develop new ones. Ask the students what else do we need to know? You could use a questioning framework to assist in questioning…... ie Bloom’s Taxonomy, De Bono thinking hats or Fogarty Three Storey Intellect.// What have the students become interested in? Is there any opportunity to challenge assumptions & explore the understandings deeply? Considering these new questions what maybe be applicable to do, returning to the finding out/ sorting phase? __ Class Organisation __ Are the students ready to take on more ownership of this stage? Will we proceed as a class, in groups looking at different aspects or individually pursuing areas of interest? How can I hand over to the students? What opportunities are there for students negotiation and students choice? How can I involve the students in a deeper investigation where they use skills & processes more independently? How much time will be given to this investigation? What will you do first/ next? __ Monitoring Student Progress __ How will formative assessment take place? Where can I provide feedback on the students goals and achievements? When/where are some opportunities to reflect on learning? Who /what can support students in exploring further into the unit? How can I extend the students experiences? How are the students working with the understandings? How can we continue to assist students in making connections to understandings and prior knowledge? What skills and strategies are arising that need to be explicitly taught? Are the new questions showing greater depth and more insight? What organisation is needed to monitor and support students? How can I scaffold students needing support?
 * __ So the finding out / sorting phase is coming to an end, and its time to move onto the next stage

__ Monitoring Unit Progress __ Are the new questions related to the topic/understandings or concepts? Is this stage related to preferred learning styles or modes…. ie multiple intelligences ? What else needs to be built onto to deepen the unit and support students to achieve the unit understandings? Are there understandings that require stronger emphasis? Is there a perspective or aspect worth considering that has been uncovered in the building phase that needs further investigation? Is there room for higher order thinking to develop deeper understandings about big concepts? What could the next stage look like ? What are the possibilities or opportunities for the Personalising phase “Reflection and Taking Action”? How can students act on their learning in an authentic way?