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How to: Inquiry

How to: Inquiry
Will you ever just walk into class and ask, "Okay, what do you want to study today?" Of course not. Inquiry-based learning is founded on students taking the lead in their own learning, but it still requires considerable planning on your part. Projects must fit into your larger program structure, goals and plans, but the students will be actively involved in planning the projects with you and asking the questions that launch their individual inquiries. The Importance of Planning It's impossible to project all the possible ways in which you can build inquiry into programs, projects and activities, but preparing for most projects involves three basic steps: Pre-planning: Before going to the kids, determine any preliminary factors or characteristics that must be true in order to achieve your larger goals or plans. Ask questions such as "Where could you find resources to answer your questions?" Step-by-Step Through the Techniques Step 1: Posing Real Questions Step 2: Finding Relevant Resources

Educational Network Association Read Article in Spanish Inquiry is a dynamic process of being open to wonder and puzzlement and coming to know and understand the world. As such, it is a stance that pervades all aspects of life and is essential to the way in which knowledge is created. Misconception Alert “Inquiry is not a “method” of doing science, history, or any other subject, in which the obligatory first stage in a fixed, linear sequence is that of students each formulating questions to investigate. Inquiry is a study into a worthy question, issue, problem or idea. There are several dimensions of inquiry: These are taken from the Inquiry Rubric Misconception Alert “Inquiry is not to be thought of in terms of isolated projects, undertaken occasionally on an individual basis as part of a traditional transmissionary pedagogy. There is a difference between Projects as conventionally understood in education circles and Project-based Learning that fosters inquiry. Reference (1) Wells, Gordon (2001).

Inquiry Learning In some ways trying to answer this question is like trying to answer the question "How long is a piece of string?" However it is a very important question for any school implementing Inquiry Learning as a school-wide approach to consider. Different people will have different ideas, and different 'experts' will all push their own theories and ideas. It would be foolish to think that I would be any different, so the following material comes with an 'Opinion Warning'. The ideas expressed here have been formed over seven years of working with schools as they implement Inquiry Learning. They are based on experience, but are still opinions and as such need to be weighed carefully in the light of your own experiences, knowledge and understanding, and compared to what others are also saying. I believe there are a number of aspects that are essential to be considered as you form your own answer to this question. Goals: Curriculum Integration: Developing Independent Learners: Resources: References

Inquiry-based Learning: Exploration How do I assess students' progress? Student outcomes from an inquiry-learning experience should focus on: Thus, the focus of assessment of inquiry learning should be on the following: The degree to which the processing of learning skills has been developed. It is extremely important that there be feedback from students to the teacher regarding the degree to which the above objectives have been achieved. The feedback from the teacher to the learner is very important as well. Feedback shared with parents is very important in helping them understand the progress of their children and in making them more aware of the important and useful outcomes of inquiry learning. Effective inquiry teachers are constantly assessing students. Some teachers use one-on-one assessment of students following the end of a study unit or a learning activity. Individual assessment can reveal the student's perception of the following: How the student views her individual effort.

Replacing Faux Inquiry with the Real Thing Why should teachers nurture potent questioning skills and behaviors? As a practical matter, students need to be able to read between the lines, infer meaning, draw conclusions from disparate clues and avoid the traps of presumptive intelligence, bias and predisposition. They need these thinking skills to score well on increasingly tough school tests, but more importantly, they need these skills to score well on the increasingly baffling tests of life . . . how to vote? Drill and practice combined with highly scripted lessons stressing patterns and prescriptions amount to mental robbery - setting low standards for disadvantaged students so they end up incapable of thought or success on demanding tests. This approach contributes to high dropout and attrition rates - early school departures and millions of children left behind.

The Inquiry Page Based on John Dewey's philosophy that education begins with the curiosity of the learner, we use a spiral path of inquiry: asking questions, investigating solutions, creating new knowledge as we gather information, discussing our discoveries and experiences, and reflecting on our new-found knowledge. Each step in this process naturally leads to the next: inspiring new questions, investigations, and opportunities for authentic "teachable moments." Questions of Import Difference of Opinion Some questions matter more to some than others. Significance is defined to some extent by personal issues, tastes and interests. Several people looking at the image below might pose very different questions. Some might pose questions about media, media coverage and media literacy. Others might be intrigued by Michael himself and the drama surrounding his passing. Awakening a Sense of Import In some cases, young students may not recognize the import of an image, a poem or a set of numbers. The painting mentioned in the sample lesson above, "Four Boys on the Beach" by Winslow Homer, is a case in point. The boys' body language may be a matter of import but young students may not naturally fix their attention on how the boys are sitting. By definition, questions of import are intended to explore meanings. Making School and Learning Important

What is Inquiry Based Learning? How to Study Help students learn to study well. We offer a number of great resources. View Study Skills Graphic Organizers Great printable graphic organizers for all subjects and grade levels! View Organizers What is Inquiry Based Learning? Inquiry based learning is mainly involving the learner and leading him to understand. Dictionary meaning of Inquiry is seeking knowledge, information, or truth through questioning. Very sadly, our traditional ways of teaching discourage the process of inquiry. Much mesmerizing information and facts are readily available, which needs an understanding of how to make sense out of it and turn it into useful knowledge. Inquiry based learning can be applied on all disciplines which has been confirmed through different researches. The teachers must organize their lesson plans according to the changing, interrelating, and communicating of knowledge. Go Deeper Into Our Inquiry-Based Learning Categories Equity in Education Basics

Enquiry/problem-based learning Whilst EBL has clear parallels with problem-based learning (or PBL), in that the solution of a ‘problem’ serves to shape the whole learning experience of the students, it is usually viewed as covering a broader spectrum of approaches. Further, as noted by the HEA Guide to Curriculum Design, ‘EBL is perhaps more open to divergent ways of thinking about problems, more open to exploring and understanding different ways of perceiving the world and less concerned with providing firm solutions to problems that do not have simple or unique solutions’. (Kahn and O’Rourke 2004). This is supported by Price (2003) who notes that both approaches share a number of philosophical premises: ‘Simply put, these are that you have a great deal to gain from active study that involves you in inductive and deductive thinking and which requires that you work closely with others, within small study groups, to make sense of the practice environment and the challenges that exist there.’ enquiry based learning;

TWT: Inquiry-based Learning Strategy What is Inquiry-based learning? The old adage, “Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand” describes the core of inquiry-based learning. Inquiry is the process of seeking truth, information, or knowledge by questioning. Questioning! The process of inquiring begins with gathering information and data through applying the human senses: seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling. Inquiry-based learning processes vary. How does inquiry-based learning encourage student learning? Memorizing facts and information is not the most important skill in today’s world. What does inquiry-based learning look like in the classroom? The following example elaborates on the five steps listed above: questioning, planning and predicting, investigating, recording and reporting, and reflecting. Additional Information on the Five Steps for Inquiry-based Learning Questioning, Planning and Predicting, Investigating, Recording and Reporting, and Reflecting.

What is inquiry-based learning? « Chip’s journey Inquiry-based learning is difficult to describe in a fixed and straightforward way (see Other definitions of inquiry-based learning). When viewed from a curricular perspective, it is often seen as a process that provides opportunities for learners to engage in the practices of life beyond the classroom — using the tools and methods of scientists, artists, problem solvers, or citizens in society — to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. This process is situated, personal, action-based, social, and reflective. Most versions of inquiry learning see a continuing cycle or spiral of inquiry (Bruner, 1965), one version of which is shown here. There is usually a strong caution against interpreting steps in the cycle as all being necessary or in a rigid order. Inquiry-based learning is manifested in a variety of curricular and instructional approaches, which can be roughly grouped according to the aspects of the inquiry cycle they emphasize. References Bruce, B.

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