For me, inquiry based learning starts with an idea rather than a question--an idea that is complex, an idea that does not have one right final answer. Inquiry based learning is why I have always had a love for literature, reading, and writing. My English teachers in high school and college would present a scenario, a conflict, or a theme, and we would create, design, build, and never stop learning from it. As stated by David Perkins in Chapter 1 "Introduction to Inquiry Based Learning," inquiry based learning is about "structuring learning around opportunities to experience or engage in the topic as it would exist outside of school." I remember sitting my math classes in high schools learning formulas and calculator functions thinking, "When in the world will I actually ever use this?" Every student who has ever sat in a class they did not like has had that exact thought before--what is the point? Additionally, in this reading, the author reassures teachers that the "unknown" is a good thing for students. "Not knowing" is what led to some of the greatest discoveries and inventions our world has ever seen. In regards to inquiry based learning, my philosophy revolves around taking an idea and having students ask questions, design their own learning outcomes, and bridge it to their every day life.
After reviewing the mini-lesson assignment, the 8 principles of inquiry based learning, and Keren-Kolb's 3 E's--my mind started racing with potential ideas. The topic of my mini-lessons will have a focus area of non-fiction reading and writing. For starters, I will need to establish inquiry based learning norms and outcomes. I am thinking in order to ensure students are truly staying curious about the task at hand, I will ask students to design or create an assessment rather than simply take a quiz or answer a prompt. The next element is incredibly important to me and my classroom philosophy--I never want students to feel like my assignments are a waste of time. How can I make my mini-lessons feel worthwhile and relatable to their lives and global issues? With literature, perhaps I will bring in non-fiction articles that reflect themes of our unit or bring in editorial/opinion pages written by high school students. A conceptual map will help me create authenticity as well as a deeper understanding--perhaps this is an activity that students can create. This creation of a conceptual map could serve as an assessment in which students create and design as well. In addition, I will include a detailed rubric as well as frequently check for understanding throughout the mini-lessons. Now, for the big #5, technology. The technology I use to present these lessons is just as important as the tools I ask students to use throughout the mini-lessons. I will include a wide range of multimedia delivery--videos, audio, interactive games, and basic presentations will keep learners curious and engaged. I will also use a reliable and visually appealing Web 2.0 resource to host my mini-lessons, perhaps Weebly will work best. My main focus for this will be using Keren-Kolb's three E's- engage, enhance, and extend. I want to ensure students are connecting with each other and using a discussion board to hold both formal and informal class conversation. All in all, my goal as a teacher and facilitator is to provide clear expectations for understanding, but also allow students to discover and create through different realms of technology. Some of programs and tools I am considering using are Weebly, Glogster, Sway, Wordle, and ChalkUp.
I am probably going to borrow this quote from you: "Not knowing" is what led to some of the greatest discoveries and inventions our world has ever seen." Most of my students are gifted and so scared of failing and "not knowing" that they would rather give up before anything has started than be presented with failure or not knowing an answer. They really need to realize this quote, especially since they are trying to learn a new (dead) language in my class that is different and more than they have been expected to learn about their own language. We will probably do some sort of reflection with it at the beginning of the year when I am trying to teach some growth mindset stuff.
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ReplyDeleteI really like your definition of inquiry-based learning. Individuals can come to their own conclusions with inquiry. I too remember sitting in classes wondering why I had to take certain courses. Unfortunately I still haven't figured out why some content was taught, opposed to more life skills. But I do understand that the more knowledge we have, the more diverse we are. I like that you have your students create assessments, this forces them to think and be creative.
With your mini-lessons, it is important that you strive to make the lessons relatable to your students lives. As you stated before, everyone has wondered why they were taking a specific class. If we teach things that apply to students lives, they will gain a better interest.
You stated...."I will ask students to design or create an assessment rather than simply take a quiz or answer a prompt" -- ABSOLUTELY! Using web 2.0 tools enables students to be imaginative and creative, which in turn, causes them to immersed in the concepts. This process allows for a deeper and more meaningful learning experience.
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