Inquiry Based Learning - 1st Week

I have greatly enjoyed this first week of learning about inquiry based learning because it totally makes sense as an effective learning method to use! To have a learning environment in which students take more ownership of their learning, ask genuine questions of curiosity, and are ‘guided on the side’ by their teacher has always been a goal of mine. To have motivated students is always a teacher’s goal, because that’s when students will really learn and remember their learning.

I really like Inquiry Page’s (2010) defense for inquiry based learning - “All learning begins with the learner. What children know and what they want to learn are not just constraints on what can be taught; they are the very foundation for learning.” Without investment from the student, the likelihood of them putting something into long-term memory is less than ideal.

I found myself agreeing on another point that Inquiry Page brought up – that a teacher’s (and community’s) job is to direct and mentor a student’s questions and learning towards the benefit of the community. To be more specific, Inquiry Page (2010) describes a simple, doable process:o   Ask – question out of curiosity, identify problem
o   Investigate – research, study, experiment, observe, re-question
o   Create – make connections & synthesize info to create new ideas
o   Discuss – share new ideas, give & receive feedback, compare
o   Reflect – look at big picture, analyze what was learned/created, determine new questions to investigate…
 This week’s study on inquiry based learning was another great reminder for me to not let myself slip into the all-too-comfortable lecturing role that traditional education uses to share information. I like to lecture and convey what I feel is important information to my students, and there is a time and place for that. But I also want to make sure to be more intentional about letting student questions and curiosity affect where the learning journey goes.

Now that I have become more confident about the definition and process of inquiry based learning, I want to see it in action. More importantly, I want to obtain some sample formal and informal assessment tools to use with this process, since it sounds more like project-based learning, which requires more self assessments, rubrics, and checklists, compared to traditional learning.

Sources

Inquiry Page. (2010). Definition of Inquiry. Retrieved from http://www.cii.illinois.edu/InquiryPage/inquiry/definition.html

Inquiry Page. (2010). Inquiry Process. Retrieved from http://www.cii.illinois.edu/InquiryPage/inquiry/process.html