Building an Inquiry Based Classroom

Welcome back readers!

 

This week I read an interesting article called: Inquiry-Based Learning: The Power of Asking the Right Questions. This article is written on a grade 4 teacher at a school who shares a centered focus of inquiry based learning. She states as a teacher one thing she has learned is the importance of planning. This is a great tip to hear as a future educator who is heading into teaching! Planning should be done at the start of the week and the start of everyday so you are refreshed, prepared, and have knowledge about what you will be teaching your students. If a teacher has no plan do they really have a purpose? The focus today in education is all about inclusion and student centered learning as well as teaching the 21st century learners. However this article also states that we should not forget we are not necessary teaching students lessons that are fully included or student centered at all. We are teaching to the needs of our students and are accessing their skills and knowledge in a variety of different ways. How the lesson is taught and makes the difference in a good lesson vs. a bad, it’s not in the resources you use or the ideas you have. YOU make the lesson. YOU are responsible for the lesson going absolutely amazing, or horribly awful. YOU make the impact on the students!

 

The Power of the Right Questions

 

For many of my lessons I create I add questions that I could ask my students to check for clarification, but how do I know these are the best questions to ask my students? How do I know they will get the most out of my questions? Will my students interpret these questions the same way I do or will we both be on opposite ends of the spectrum? As a future educator these are the things I begin to think about when asking questions to my students before, during, and after my lessons. In this article it gives future teachers like myself some great advice! 1. Curiosity takes the class in many different directions, be prepared! 2. Everything connects, find the ways they do 3. Questions foster powerful learning 4. Meet the needs of my students not needs of the class 5. Seize the opportunities (teaching moments) These also relate to when to stop and when to continue on with the lesson and questions. As a teacher we are able to get a feel for these moments and we need to sense these. This will become easier as we build those relationships with our students.

 

Are we asking the right questions?

 

Check out this video on the unknown to the known. Why ask questions? How to ask higher level of thinking questions, and making the most of our lessons. James Curleigh gives a great humor side to the topic of questions. We want our students to feel safe and comfortable answering and asking questions, just as we as teachers want to feel comfortable. Where does information come from? This is a great video to connect with the article of the power of questions.

 

 James Curleigh (May 21 2011). Asking the Right Questions. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1pPMqG2NWo 

 

 

Steps to Student Led Inquiry

 

In the article it states to start with a student led activity to get the class engaged and excited about the lesson. Some ways to include this would be: ask students questions, play think, see, wonder on the material being taught, and let students share ideas with their peers. Then they state to teach how to ask questions so students can learn how to lead an inquiry. Also be discussing the material with the students to get feedback and an idea of how the lesson is going. One way this article states is to use journals to brainstorm lists of questions to ask, and then they can discuss as a class examples of good and bad questions so students can have a sense of which to ask their peers. Next step students create their inquiries based on the feedback, and then can begin to discuss what path they will take with their inquiry. Then students will create their pathways by designing, investigating, and creating their projects. A great wrap up idea is to use gallery walks and inquiry fairs where students will be able to showcase their work with their peers. These can also be open to not just peers, but parents, and other community members as well. The content and knowledge students learn will all be individual, personal, and unique to each student, which is one way to show student centered learning. This is also fully inclusive without including everyone in one task. How would you create an inquiry based classroom? I want to hear from you, leave your comments and ideas in the comment section of the blog below.

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

My Digital Portfolio

 

Hello,

My name is Paige Harris and I am a Concurrent Education student at Brock University. I will be graduating this June with a major in Physical Education. I saw your job posting on the Trinity College School website, and am very interested in this position. My teachable subjects upon graduation are Junior/Intermediate where I can teach grades 4-10.

I have experience teaching math, literacy, science, health, and physical education. These have been completed during my teaching block sessions through Brock University in a split grade 7/8 class. I also helped tutor and teach grades 4,5, and 6 math and science at a summer learning program in Bowmanville.  My qualifications in physical education also equip me with a great deal of knowledge to be able to coach teams and assist wherever necessary.

Born and raised in the small town of Cobourg, Ontario, I have gained a strong sense of community. Community is very important to me, and having the students participate both inside and outside of the classroom goes along with this. I am a young face of education and will bring a diverse range of knowledge and resources to Trinity College School that will benefit both the school’s and my own growth. I have a ton of energy, am very outgoing, and love a challenge. You will find that I am dedicated, hard working, and care for all of my students. I participated in many sports growing up, which will be an asset in this position. These include cross country, hockey, soccer, ultimate frisbee, horseback riding, golf, rugby, track and field, badminton, tennis, and swimming.

 

Harris, P. ⓒ 2016

 

This portfolio is a showcase of my work and abilities that meet the requirements of the teacher commandments as well as prove I will be a hard working, positive, and caring educator.  My first page shows what balanced learning looks like in the classroom. I believe balanced learning will include all areas of the language arts curriculum, as well as be split up between teacher and student directed learning. A typical 100 minute lesson would include station work using the daily five or café for students to complete reading, writing, oral, listening, and vocabulary work. There can also be a variety of different forms of media displayed and use of technology. This lesson will also include a set routine of bell work and silent reading at the start with a minds on activity to introduce the lesson. Then it will go through the activities and would end with a consolidation and debrief on what the students had learned, and next steps they need to take. 

 

 

Thanks for reading and please comment below on what you think or if you have any comments on what I talked about today!

 

Cheers!