Classroom Inquiry
Inquiry
A way of being in the classroom, as well as in the world.
3 Main Issues:
The character of genuine questions for inquiry
How inquiry can be adapted to meet the requirements of mandated curricula
Intellectual rigor as students grapple with real ideas in real ways
Examples
How is this possible? I didn't know this would happen!
Why can't we drink salt water?
WHY? HOW?
Knowledge-building space where ideas are at the center, and a collective/evolving understanding is the goal
Often a collective effort and understanding
Think about cross-curricular objectives. Ex. Robotics may cover science, math and social studies
Map onto a curriculum document
Ex. Why can't we drink salt water? GLO 5.7: Students will describe the properties of various household liquids and solids and interpret their interations.
An invitation to investigate further
When caught off guard by inquiry, STOP and ASSESS your situation. Think about your options
Keys for teaching
Remember that you're accountable to OUTCOMES, NOT METHODS. Tie in your inquiry with your curriculum
Don't shut down an inquiry you have little knowledge about. LEARN WITH YOUR STUDENTS
How was the understanding developed and held?
BROAD topics so that EVERYONE can make a meaningful contribution to the topic
Teachers must explore, interpret, and share these moments
Teachers must learn to recognize and interpret key moments in their classroom
Explore units outside the curriculum
Develop theories, experiments
Answer new questions discovered from the answering of initial questions
PUR wasn't actually a desalinating agent, but was in fact, a water purifier (bacteria/contaminants)
How does water initially become contaminated? How clean is clean enough? How is water purified in OUR city? etc etc
Set clear learning goals, but not clear outlines of how the inquiry course is to be run
Ecological
Organic
Imaginative
Emotional
Intellectual
Practical
Collective