Introduction Principles of Inquiry-Based Learning Inquiry in the Classroom Look Ahead

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1 Introduction Kids come to school as natural inquirers.and we're doing a disservice to kids by not keeping that in the forefront, not keeping that natural curiosity burning. O'Keefe (1998) Overview Are you familiar with the joke about young children asking too many questions, such as "why is the sky blue?" Well, it is this very act of questioning that inquiry-based learning encourages. Individuals carry out the process of inquiry from birth, whether they recognize it or not. Infants begin to make sense of the world by inquiring. They observe faces that come near, grasp objects, put things in their mouths, and turn toward voices. With time, inquiry becomes a conscious information-seeking method. You will begin this session by introducing yourself to fellow learners in the discussion forum and by setting some goals. You will also jump right into the subject matter by creating questions to guide your learning. Finally, you will learn about inquiry-based teaching techniques and assess their value for the classroom. Objectives By the end of this session, you will be able to: Define your professional goals and expectations for this course in your online journal. Explain previous knowledge about inquiry-based learning. Identify three hands-on, inquiry-based learning techniques and explain why you think they would work in your classroom. Analyze and discuss the role of curiosity in the classroom. Reflect on what kinds of inquiry-based activity you would like to try in your classroom on both practical and theoretical levels. To keep track of your assignments for this course, print the Assignment Checklist. Getting Started In this section, you will meet the other learners with whom you will discuss the ideas presented in the course. In addition, you will use your online journal to reflect on your prior knowledge and experiences related to inquiry-based learning and to identify some questions and areas of interest. Throughout the course, you will use your online journal to record your thinking and reflections. You will also take notes about the course readings in your journal and use your

2 notes and ideas to complete assignments and the final project. Expectations Reflect on your professional goals and expectations for this course and record these in your online journal. You may wish to use the following questions to guide your writing: What are your expectations for this course? What knowledge and skills do you hope to learn? How will this professional development experience shape your future instruction? Prior Knowledge Reflect on your past teaching experiences and/or readings you have already done related to inquiry-based learning in the classroom. In your online journal, write about the following: Your prior experiences in inquiry-based learning, including any specific techniques you used. Challenges and successes you have experienced teaching an inquirybased pedagogy. Any questions you have about this topic. Get to Know Each Other Take a moment to introduce yourself to your fellow learners in the discussion board. Go to the discussion board and enter the Virtual Café forum. When you introduce yourself, include the following information: Your name What grades and classes you teach or plan to teach Why you are taking this course Any other information that is relevant to your situation and desire to study inquiry-based learning

3 Principles of Inquiry-Based learning Inquiry-based learning is a model of learning that encourages the natural process of inquiry, defined as the way of obtaining information and knowledge by questioning. In this model, "questioning" is key. Educators who support inquiry situate student learning within questions or problems, and then help students develop the necessary skills to seek appropriate resolutions to them. Successful inquiry takes students beyond rote learning because it requires the development of skills and attitudes that improve students' capacity to process information (compare, contrast, infer, conclude, etc.), solve problems, and make decisions throughout their lives. The challenge of inquiry-based learning is that teachers need to nurture students innate curiosity. The students' curiosity then drives their learning. The system is student-centered, with the teacher serving primarily as a facilitator. Ultimately, an inquiry-based approach to teaching requires a shift in ownership of the learning process, from teacher to student. What does this shift look like? Inquiry-based learning projects are driven by students. As the teacher, you act more as coach, guide, and facilitator to help your students ask questions about the things they really care about. When students choose the questions, they are motivated to learn and they develop a sense of ownership of the project. Inquiry-based Learning Teaching Techniques Read the article, "Recognizing Inquiry: Comparing Three Hands-On Teaching Techniques," in which the learning experiences of different approaches to inquiry are explored. Based on what you read, reflect on the following question in your online journal: List three hands-on inquiry-based learning techniques. Which of these would work well in your classroom? Why? You may wish to refer to the online journal rubric to review the expectations for journal entries. Theoretical Perspective According to Joe Exline, an educational reform expert, inquiry implies a "need or want to know" premise. Inquiry is not so much a process of seeking the right answer often there is none but rather seeking appropriate resolutions to questions. Inquiry takes the student

4 through iterative cycles of reflection and revision, which ultimately leads this student to ask more and better questions without necessarily arriving at "an answer." He also believes that forming "habits of mind" should be an important goal in education. These habits can foster a perspective that embraces various disciplines or subjects. They can be thought of as the "ground rules" for a particular discipline; including, for example, a respect for data in science, the role of beauty in art, and the significance of faith in religious studies. Habits of mind are nurtured through these types of reflection: How do you (I) know? Can we (I) ever know that? What is the evidence? How did you (I) arrive at that decision? For educators, inquiry requires an emphasis on the development of inquiry skills and curiosity. This emphasis should instill in students an enduring desire for knowledge. Joe Exline identifies four key principles that serve as the basis of an inquiry-based classroom: Principle 1: All learning activities focus on using information-processing skills (from observation to synthesis) and applying the discipline's "habits of mind" as a means to assimilate that discipline's content. Principle 2: Inquiry learning puts the student at the center of an active learning process. Classroom resources (the teacher, instructional resources, technology, and so forth) are prepared or aligned to support the learner. Principle 3: The teacher becomes a facilitator of the learning process. The teacher also becomes a student by finding out more about his or her students and the process of inquiry learning. Principle 4: Assessment is ongoing. Assessing students' previous knowledge is important in order to determine the direction of the curriculum. Assessment includes students' development of information-processing skills and the nurturing of each discipline's "habits of mind," not just its content. Based on what you have read, answer the following question in the online discussion forum: Describe the role that students' curiosity has played in your own classroom. How do you think your classroom dynamic would be affected if students' curiosity played a larger role? How can you stimulate more curiosity among your students? Visit the discussion forum two or three more times to read and comment on the postings of at least two other learners. Refer to the discussion rubric to review the expectations for participating in online discussions in this course.

5 Inquiry in the Classroom Practical Perspective Dr. Arthur L. Costa, co-director of the Institute for Intelligent Behavior in Berkeley California, believes that content is the vehicle used by students to explore their own questions about a topic and develop thinking and problem-solving skills. Content is a means to an end, not an end in itself. For example, students do not learn math algorithms to know math algorithms, but so that they have a tool with which they can solve future problems. Costa describes how to conceptualize inquiry skills through a "three skills diagram." Information-processing skills (the innermost circle) are specific thinking skills basic reasoning faculties like comparing, contrasting, inferring, sequencing, predicting, hypothesizing, drawing conclusions, and providing evidence which enable humans to analyze problems. The next circle represents a higher order of thinking strategies, or inquiring strategies, such as decision-making, problem-solving, and creative skills. This circle represents the application of information-processing skills. For example, pretend that you are going to buy a new car. You have to decide which kind of car to buy. This decision-making process involves comparing, evaluating, and classifying the information. You would use these skills in sequence to address the problems that need to be resolved. The outer circle illustrates the dispositions of inquiry, referring to the need to explore one's thinking (which Exline refers to as "habits of mind"). Being an effective problem-solver requires: Persistence - Knowing how to ask good questions. Listening and comprehension - Striving for accuracy and precision. Metacognition - Awareness of your own thinking processes. To get an idea of how students use these three skill areas, think about this reading scenario: As students read a story, the teacher may ask them to compare two characters, make predictions about how each character is going to respond, and then apply that to their own lives. The teacher might also talk about the processes that students go through to arrive at those conclusions, as well as the characteristics, dispositions, and thought processes that each character is demonstrating. Now watch the video "Understanding," in which teacher Jane Morton considers the difference between rote learning and active, inquiry-based learning. Based on what you have seen and read, answer the following question in your online journal:

6 Describe an inquiry-based activity you would like to try in the classroom. How would it work on practical and theoretical levels? You may refer to the online journal rubric to review the expectations for journal entries. Citation Pooley, P. (Producer), & Sheppard, S. (Executive producer). (1998). Curiosity: Tim O'Keefe. [Video clip]. In PBS ScienceLine. New York: PBS ScienceLine and Thirteen/WNET. Resources Kluger-Bell, B. (2000). Recognizing inquiry: comparing three hands-on teaching techniques. In Foundations: Inquiry Thoughts, Views and Strategies for the K-5 Classroom Pooley, P. (Producer), & Sheppard, S. (Executive producer). (1998). Understanding: Jane Morton. [Video clip]. In PBS ScienceLine. New York: PBS ScienceLine and Thirteen/WNET.

7 Look Ahead Keep in mind that, to complete this course, you will need to submit a final project. This final project will require you to create an inquiry-based facilitation lesson plan, and then implement this lesson in the classroom or with a group of students by the beginning of Session 6. Before proceeding to Session 2, take some time to review the final project rubric for this project. You should begin to think about this project now. Record notes and ideas about what you have learned thus far from the readings, discussions, and other activities in this session. In Session 2, you will learn how inquiry-based learning differs from traditional approaches to teaching PBS. All rights reserved.