posted by Dorie on Apr 30
When starting my Inquiry Based Learning class I didn’t know very much except what was in the title. I am pleased to know that I do some inquiry in my classroom already. I learned that it doesn’t have to be that complicated. I also learned that students enjoy and benefit in many ways: collaboration, research, problem solving, engagement to name a few. I think that inquiry based learning is beneficial for my students and will be looking at the curriculum to find ways in that it will fit. Brenda gave good examples with our plant unit. The Animal unit that Dianne does is similar to one I have done before. One thing that I haven’t used with my students is voicethread. I will be looking for ways to incorporate it along with the inquiry based lessons that my students will be completing next year.
posted by Dorie on Apr 24
The thing that I have struggled the most this week is in following the 5 E lesson graphic organizer. This is because of the way it is set up with the concept and the subconcepts around it. The way our district sets up our curriculum guide is around the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) and that is skill based.
5E_CFG_Template_Example
So, there might be one concept, but not 4 subconcepts. I am sure I am over analyzing this but it has bothered me. I think that maybe completing a mind map might help teachers realize the concepts that go together. I will try that next time.
As I continue to struggle to fill out the template, I am realizing that it could be in part the grade level I teach-2nd. The concepts do not go that in depth in second grade and students are not expected to know much more than the basics. I am learning more about the concept as well. I am sure that will help me teach it better. Maybe a different topic would have been a different experience.
posted by Dorie on Apr 16
This week we learned about web 2.0 tools in the inquiry based learning environment. Discovery education has some great videos regarding web 2.0. I had seen most of them before, but not used all of them. Web 2.0 tools give students the opportunity to share their data in a creative, personal way. Using web 2.0 engages the learner in the assignment at hand. Here is my prezi I created on web 2.o tools and inquiry. Included in the prezi, I describe ways that web 2.0 tools can engage the learner. I don’t have any questions at this time, but am looking forward to looking at the 5e model.
posted by Dorie on Apr 10
Sounds easy. Right? Well, I think it takes practice. An investigable question is one based off facts. They can also be investigated. Non-investigable questions are generally based off concepts. They don’t usually allow for a hands on activity to figure it out. I had a difficult time creating the questions, but it is because I didn’t quite understand it. After completing the paper, I now feel that I have a better grasp of the concept.
I wonder if students will have such a difficult time or will it be easier because they have lots of questions. I believe that it is important for the teacher to be able to know the difference between investigable and non-investigable questions so that she can guide the student(s) in their inquiry. Now, I am seeing that the students will use the information that they glean from the investigable questions to help them answer the concept (possibly the non-investigable) questions.
posted by Dorie on Apr 2
This week in my inquiry based learning class I had to analyze three case studies for evidence of abilities and understandings found in them. Here is what I was looking for:
Abilities Necessary to Do Inquiry
- Identify questions that can be answered through investigations.
- Design and conduct an investigation.
- Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
- Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence.
- Think critically and logically to make relationships between evidence and explanations.
- Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions.
- Communicate procedures and explanations.
Understandings About Inquiry
- Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of investigations.
- Current knowledge and understanding guide investigations.
- Technology used to gather data enhances accuracy and allows us to analyze and quantify results of investigations.
- Explanations emphasize evidence, have logically consistent arguments, and use principles, models, and theories.
- New knowledge advances through legitimate skepticism.
- Investigations sometimes result in new ideas and phenomena for study, generate new methods or procedures for an investigation, or develop new technologies.
The case studies had varying degrees of the abilities and understandings. What I found to be the most interesting was the variation of the analysis’ done by myself and my classmates. I tried to write mine from the description of the cases. I didn’t try to suppose that something was there if I didn’t read it. After reading some of my classmates responses, I saw some qualities that I didn’t see when I did it. I think this is a great example for why we should have team planning! Their findings opened my eyes to connections that I didn’t see. In planning my next inquiry lesson, I will definitely be referring back to the abilities and understandings as I feel that students will be engaged and working at a high level of thinking. What more could a teacher want?!
This week I also had the opportunity to analyze a video in an 11th/12th grade classroom looking at light, lenses, and the human eye. I was looking for essential features that should be found in an inquiry based classroom. They are:
Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry:
- The learner engages in questions that can be investigated.
- The learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions.
- The learner formulates explanations from evidence.
- The learner connects explanations to knowledge.
- The learner communicates and justifies explanations.
The video is a part of a series of videos on Teaching High School Science. The video I analyzed is #6 The Physics of Optics. I highly recommend that you watch it. The way this teacher conducts his lesson gives an incredible model of how inquiry based learning should look like. You will see that the students are engaged and operating at a high level of thinking. All of my classmates agreed that we would have loved to be a student in that classroom!!
We all need to reflect on how we are teaching and how are students feeling in our classroom, it can only make us better teachers and our students better learners.
