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/
I enjoyed reading your post. Our assignment this week about defining "What Inquiry learning means" was a very in depth situation. There is so much that goes into inquiry learning and I think that your definition is on target. Inquiry learning does include some in depth conversation and requiring students to developing their critical thinking skills. I think that Inquiry Learning is where teachers develop problems or situations that help students engage in deep thinking conversations and meaningful learning opportunities. Great post.
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