Reframing Inquiry in today's Digital World

        Inquiry learning, at its heart, is all about exploration, deep thinking, and problem solving. It's about taking what you do know, and using it to figure out what you don't know. It is also about trying to solve a realistic situation or problem with your knowledge and skills, while developing new skills and knowledge in the process. It involves questioning, and synthesizing information that is acquired from our senses. This is very applicable to the school environment, particularly in the younger grades, because inquiry is how young children learn. They are naturally curious and want to know. Unfortunately, even at a young age, older kids and adults are teaching our younger people that information and skills are indeed just given to them, and as educators, we must work to avoid this shift in mindset and continue to encourage kids to be inquiring learners. 

       Inquiry and information fluency in the 21st Century has expanded to include a variety of digital tools and technologies, and students (and adults) have to expand their knowledge and understanding of inquiry and information to incorporate and synthesize these new elements of the world. Some of the tried and true methods of inquiry we learned when we were younger no longer work the same way as they did then, when we try to apply them to the digital world. There are less boundaries, in a way, in the digital world, and therefore are more precautions we have to take as learners when taking in and analyzing information.

      We are the teachers, the subject matter experts. We are supposed to know more, apply more, and lead more. However, just like Silivia Tolisano pointed out, we are learning alongside our students. New technologies and tools appear every day that are as new to us as they are to them, so we must adapt quicker, we must be ready, we must be open to this change and be ready to apply what we know to these new tools and technologies if we ever expect to teach our students to do the same. Adults, the digital "foreigners," cannot be more afraid of technology or unwilling than the students, the "natives." It is our responsibility to learn and grow so that we can properly guide our students to do the same, lest we lead them from the minnows to the sharks.

     Inquiry has often been referred to as intellectual play, and in many ways it is, but according to Neil Stephenson, 

           “just as play requires rules to keep a game going, inquiry needs structure and boundaries to be effective. As compared with more traditional delivery models of teaching and learning that focus only on pre-existing knowledge or skills, inquiry remains open to the unknown, to the ‘not yet.’ As teachers are considering inquiry in a particular topic it becomes helpful to consider how students might ‘play’ within in topic, that is, maintain an emphasis on what is already known (the foundational concepts or key-ideas) while allowing for space for the unknown where students can create, design, interpret or participate."

     This is where the principals of inquiry learning come in, 8 concepts that can help guide educators in planning and teaching in a way that will foster those critical thinking and problem solving skills in our students. As I work to plan my mini-lessons, I will keep these principals in mind, and try to incorporate many of them in a realistic and applicable way, to foster learning at its peak potential.

     One of the principles involves experts, and I will try to incorporate them in the traditional and non-traditional way. My lessons will work with 6th grade students, assigned a research project on severe weather by their science teacher. I will use the science teacher herself as a subject matter expert in the science content area, as well as invite a local TV meteorologist in to visit with the students to peak their interest and give them some new information. The science teacher and I will incorporate authenticity into the task by using weather conditions that occur in the area we live, that are as real as the hair on their heads, and have been experienced by many. Additionally, we will include actual weather disasters in the past that have occurred in our region. This will help students connect with and own their work. I will incorporate ethical use and technology because these students will learn how to navigate the web in a way that is productive and relevant, learning how to analyze sources, and decide if they are worthy enough to be trusted and used with and credibility. Students will practice studying websites and sources for credibility through hands on activities and discussion with peers, thus incorporating the principles of deep understanding and student performance. The students will be responsible for creating a final product of their choice, using a digital tool, to present and synthesize what they have learned, using a digital presentation tool such as a prezi or a smore, or even preparing a movie or audio slide show.

    Using the principles of inquiry learning, we can create a rich and diverse lesson and plan of instruction that will keep students, interested, engaged, and offer them highest potential for learning. 

Resources:

Stephenson, N. Introduction to Inquiry Learning. Retrieved from http://teachinquiry.com/index/Introduction.html

Barseghian, T. (2013). Creating Classrooms we Need: 8 Ways Into Inquiry Learning. Mindshift. Retrieved from http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/03/11/creating-classrooms-we-need-8-ways-into-inquiry-learning/ 

Tolisano, S. (2013). Get Over It!. Langwitches. Retrieved from http://langwitches.org/blog/2013/05/29/get-over-it/

Revisiting my Learning Goals

        At the beginning of this course, we were asked to identify some learning goals. Only having the syllabus and title of the course to go by, I came up with some things I hoped to accomplish that I believed would transpire over the course of the class. Here is what I came up with then;

        In this course, I trust that I will enhance my skills in information fluency, learning new tools and strategies that will help me become more fluent, as well as help me teach students. I expect to explore inquiry learning in more depth, learning how to complement hands-on tasks and digital learning. I would like to learn the best way to network with other teachers to get new strategies without feeling like I don't have time to do so. Throughout my program, I have learned of the many, many different resources out there, and it can be overwhelming at times, as having so many resources can sometimes be as frustrating as having no resources at all. In taking this course, I hope to become discerning about resources given and explored, to be able to determine which ones would best suit me in my learning and my students in their learning, so no one becomes overwhelmed; or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, so no one puts in a lot of footwork without getting a lot of meaning from it.

         After reviewing the resources in this week's module, I really do think my goals are on target. While I never had a name for it, it would appear as though I already have the "growth mindset" and my learning goals reflect that. They are not questions that can easily been answered with a fact or a yes or no; which, according ti Wilhelm, are not good questions. My learning goals involve thinking and processing information, skills that line up with inquiry learning and the growth mindset. As I learned about the growth mindset, it seemed to line up with inquiry learning. Each builds upon the other. I found it incredibly interesting, actually, to learn from Eduardo Briceno in his TED talk, that there are actually physiological differences in the brain related to each type of mindset, fixed vs. growth. It was truly fascinating to learn that the way we perceive our learning affects the way we can take in new learning. I suppose in a way, I knew this, in working with my students. The ones who feel like they "can't," do not learn as much or as quickly as those who think they can. 

       Additionally, without realizing it, I do encourage a growth mindset in my classroom. I always tell them about trying, and how a great deal of learning comes from the process. I remind them that every mistake is an opportunity to learn, going so far as to tell them that many times, the ones who make the mistakes end up learning more. We learn about George Washington Carver in first grade, and one of his quotes has become well used in our classroom, even quoted by the children themselves; "There is no shortcut to achievement." We say that to remind each other that we must constantly try and strive for success, taking every opportunity to learn. Even at the young age of 6, students are already being taught and adapting the fixed mindset, and I wonder if it is related to socio-economic levels, and I'd be interested to see if research supports this. Students who come from poorer households, or households were there is little encouragement to learn, and more emphasis on what the report card says, (or no emphasis at all) tend to have the fixed mindset, whereas students who come from homes where learning is valued, and parents work with students on homework and learning activities tend to more easily accept and develop a growth mindset.

       Going to back to my own learning goals, I suggested that I'd like to explore inquiry learning in more depth, and how to complement hands-on learning with digital learning and literacy. This course has been helping me do exactly that, and having a growth mindset is essential to achieving these goals, as they are goals related to processing information, rather than simply the recalling of facts and guidelines. I also said in one of my goals that "I hope to become discerning about resources given and explored, to be able to determine which ones would best suit me in my learning and my students in their learning." This goal very nearly mirrors how digital fluency is defined in the article "21st Century Information Fluency Cycle," stating that it "is the ability to find, evaluate, and use digital information effectively, efficiently, and ethically."

      I believe I am making fabulous progress towards achieving my learning goals this term and that the types of goals I have developed fall right in line with the idea of a growth mindset with inquiry learning principles.