Week 2 Inquiry Learning Project This week was filled with an abundance of research, learning and deciding where to go with my topic. Looking back at my critical challenge question, I decided the topic required a bigger picture to execute in the classroom. I expanded the topic and branched out into defining and researching inquiry, guidance on how to ask essential questions, looking at searching, gathering and organizing material, platforms for presenting work, and finding lessons and resources to support inquiry learning. I decided to make a google doc to start gathering and sorting materials.
After sifting through many articles and explanations of inquiry learning, I realize that there are many ideas of what it is and how it should look in the classroom. I have decided to use a definition found in the article, Inquiry-Based Learning: Developing Student-Driven Questions. It states, “Inquiry-based learning, rather than presenting a set of facts, uses student inquiries, questions, interests, and curiosities to drive learning. This level of student involvement makes the learning more relevant, encouraging students to develop their own agency and critical thinking skills.” The article also does an excellent job at describing the benefits such as discovering the cycle of learning, asking questions that create new questions, and self-motivation to find answers which keeps them actively thinking and problem solving. The next important branch is essential questions (EQ). Again I have found many opinions and definitions, but my favorite is from, The EQ Guidebook. The book defines a good essential question as creating a spark for learning, is based on using critical thinking processes, uses real world problems, and inspires unbounded wonder. Creating an EQ is foundational to effective inquiry. To develop and model my own EQ’s, I will use the reflection questions provided by the EQ Guidebook. “Has the question: 1. Caused contemplation or any serious inquiry? 2. Inspired other questions and ideas or meaningful discussion? 3. Motivated the learner to think about creating something to solve a problem or meet a challenge? 4. Really taught us anything?” What everyone seems to agree on, is that to encourage curiosity and wonder, a good place to start is determining what we already know about the topic and building from there. Hence the KWL chart. I have always been a bit opposed to the charts because I have never seen them used effectively. Now I know, it’s because the students weren’t interested in the topic. The whole point of inquiry is to use what the kids are interested in. In theory, once you have interest you have engagement and commitment. In teaching, part of using inquiry requires, flexibility and adaptability to take advantage of teachable moments. Another aspect is allowing student to be in the driver’s seat with their own learning. This shift in teaching style where student learning can go anywhere, necessitates the search for answers from multiple and varied sources. This requirement supports the use of OER’s more successfully than a standard textbook which is limited in content and sometimes outdated. How all of this translates to my K-1 class will be slightly modified. My plan for this week is to sift through my current collected data and come up with some simple lessons to begin the process of EQ’s with the hope of inspiring curiosity. I would like to create a wonder centre to take advantage of the children’s curiosity in the moment, instead of when time is more appropriate. I will continue to add to my resource list and build upon my ideas to work towards my end goal of creating a unit of inquiry.
Stefanie
5/16/2016 10:33:42 am
Lindsey, your learning project topic is so useful and practical. I completely agree with the fact that it's so important to spark a curiosity in your students in order to create greater engagement and interest. It takes more time in planning, but the outcomes will be far more positive. You've provided so many resources already to look at! I had a look at the EQ Guidebook, and I think that it is an incredibly useful resource. I plan to refer back to these and many of the other links you provided when I return to planning for my Grade 3s in September.
Lindsey
5/16/2016 05:33:36 pm
Thanks for your positive feedback Stefanie. I'm happy you found resources that you think will be helpful. I just added a couple fantastic ones supporting First Nations understandings for inquiry. This project is really helping me define how to be a more effective teacher.
Brad
5/18/2016 07:35:34 pm
Lindsey your project is so timely with the new curriculum coming into effect next year. Thanks for all the learning that you are doing in this that we get to benefit from! Comments are closed.
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AuthorK-7 Coordinator in SD68. Archives
January 2017
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