Friday in #AEE412, we were introduced to Inquiry Based learning and given the hint that this weekly web wonder is very important. I completed my readings, and spent the afternoon with many thoughts on the subject racing through my head. I know I could easily write a blog that outlined the basic cycle of inquiry, but that didn't seem right. I know that inquiry involves students creating their own knowledge through interest, but it is more than simple problem-solving. I also know that, if done correctly, both students and teachers will benefit. This is an idea that was rarely used on me as a student and, as I found out, is relatively new to education. All things considered, you can understand why I feel like I'm dealing with something big here.
On Friday I recognized that we are all sort of learning about inquiry using inquiry. Therefore I hope I can contribute these ideas to our conversation:
(Note: To try and further my own ideas, I have been trying to get into Pinterest. Seeing a good situation, I used it to find the following:)
Check out this Edutopia Article. I like how the article broke down the idea into simple language. Educators have to battle students "dunno" when asked what they want to know. What we are doing with inquiry is trying to recreate the "whaa!?" feeling when we see something that peaks our interest. Also remember: "I think one of the reasons why the whole world seems to be losing its mind over the Broadway production of Hamilton is because it presents a fresh take on a story we’ve all heard before. The power of learning something new is undeniable."
From our reading, we can implement it this way:
1.starting the inquiry process;
2.promoting student dialog;
3.transitioning between small groups and classroom
discussions;
4.intervening to clear misconceptions or develop students’
understanding of content material;
5.modeling scientific procedures and attitudes; and,
6.utilizing student experiences to create new content
knowledge.
When implementing, remember:
Inquiry based learning will not work in all situations for all subjects. It is also hard to get students to buy in to the idea. But when we can, it is an awesome power tool to keep in our teacher toolbox to further 21st century skills and promote student independence.
I agree- it is not inquiry if they know what they are supposed to get. Looking forward to seeing how this all plays out.
ReplyDeleteLove the reference to the "power tool." I agree as well that this will not work for all content areas. However, it can be extremely effective when it is used.
ReplyDeleteI like the tools you have so far put into your tool belt, Nate. Things will only improve and get better from here on out.
ReplyDeleteI really like the Edutopia article. I think that it would be cool if we had our students do a project that they worked on the entire semester. It would start with them brainstorming ideas that they would like to test, something that was interesting to them. They would formulate hypotheses and methods to carry out their experiment and have to report their results at the end of the semester. I would give them time in class to do some research and get feedback from peers and myself. It would almost be like a research SAE that they would complete for the class.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that this would work?
Your little graphic on what inquiry is NOT is really clear and helpful. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe transition from teacher-centered to student-centered sometimes seems unnatural (especially for students). Some students will be difficult because they expect to come to class and be 'entertained' rather than working/thinking/creating. You will find your way and when you do you will definitely be firing on all cylinders :)
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely a change for the students when you work towards more inquiry based instruction. I find that transparency about what you are doing at first works well. By that I mean, explain to the students that what you will be doing is going to be different, they will have to be creative and create their own path. You will find some students that really dislike the freedom they are given with inquiry and then you will find some that thrive.
ReplyDelete