Teaching through Inquiry

There has been a lot said about Inquiry in the classroom and you can take whatever side you want. However, for me it is such a fundamental component of any primary classroom.  This is because in my opinion when we are first learning a new skill it is through inquiry that we learn it. Very rarely is it through a lecture. In fact even as an adult when acquiring new skills do we do it through lectures but through mentor-ship and research.

For me teaching is all about the inquiry process. And teaching through inquiry allows you to meet all the minds in the classroom.

Now before I get too far in my post maybe I should articulate what I mean by inquiry, as I know there are many variations of the process out there.

Throughout my teaching career my journey through inquiry has undergone a lot of changes. When I first started teaching I thought what I did was inquiry. I would plan lessons that were hands-on, engaging, thought provoking and had plenty of talk built in. Students would often be engaged with problems, experiments or activities that required them to think, problem solve and then discuss.  Now I know many of you are thinking but isn't that inquiry and you are correct.

According to Google, inquiry is:

in·quir·y

ˈinkwərē,inˈkwī(ə)rē/

noun

1. an act of asking for information.

However, what I was realizing was that I was the one doing the inquiring. I was the one that set the stage for student learning, I was the one that debriefed and discussed the learning.  I felt that this type if inquiry was more about me and less about the students. So I changed. I changed my thinking to be more student driven. My units often start with provocations, which then lead to questions, which then in turn lead to students recommending further learning. I still insert my thoughts but now they are developed through asking questions and using student talk to deliver the observations and learning.

Now why do I love inquiry so much:

The first is that I love it engages the students in the learning. They feel situated and invested. They want to learn because they like to learn. I even have students going home and asking their parents to go to the library or go and research because they want to find more things out about the topic they learn in school. I don't know about you but this is truly amazing to hear.

Second through inquiry you really understand the nature of your students learning. Because I am not lecturing and then asking students to complete a test where they regurgitate the information I just spewed out at them they have to rely on their own thinking and schemas. You also get to question them and conference more on a regular bases and because of this you see their growth and understanding. Assessment is a breeze because you have almost too many observations and conversations to choose from.

Finally, I look at this world around us and I think that the jobs I am preparing my students for don't even exist yet. Now you are right some jobs will exist put for the most part the skills that these students need will not. However, what will is the ability to problem-solve, be adaptable, creative, and flexible thinkers.

I recently came upon this:

I love the fact that the first three skills are soft skills, one that you really cannot learn from reading a textbook or listening to someone tell you things. They are skills that take time to develop and through multiple experiences and situations. In my opinion inquiry does this. 

Now these are just my opinions but ones that have been grounded in my practise. They are observations of my growth and reflection. Would love to hear your thoughts?

What do you think of inquiry?

Do you like it? If so why?

What are the benefits? Drawbacks?

I would love to hear your opinions.

Genius hour reflection #2

So we have been doing genius hour for the past tho months now and though I had reservations about it, it truly has been an amazing experience for me and my students.  For this that do not know what genius hour is, it is basically a moment in our week where students can explore their passions. We do it every day 4, right after technology. My students have been in love with it. In fact many of them have been finishing projects at home.

Now when we first started it, it was a little tough for some of my lover students, they just didn't know where to go or even how to start. Many of them haven't even been encouraged to think or explore their own passions (which is unfortunate). It was also a struggle because many of my students didn't have the research skills to get started.  This being said, with open learning goals, constructive feedback and ongoing discussion I would say all of my students have been working hard, learning and having fun.

Some things that I have learned implementing genius hour in the primary grades:

1) it is a slow process and may not look perfect 1 try, or two or three. Patients it eventually comes together

2) make your students reflect on what they learned and how it went. This was a big aha moment for me. Since making them reflect the students have begun to understand that it is about the learning and the journey not so much the final outcome.

3) genius hour helps with so many other strands and skills.  Part of our curriculum is do learn about celebrations around the world. This can be hard when the majority of the school is from one culture and not very wise about other cultures.  It is hard to be interested in other cultures or have inquiry when you don't know where to start.  Because of genius hour, I have been able to introduce how to question, how to wonder and the RAN model for reading non fiction. It has help with this project and I think many more

4) Introduce a Wonder wall. This has been a. New learning for me but when kids can post wonders even if they aren't answered by them they can see what else to explore and help others in the classroom. Many of my students have started other peoples wonders.

5) have technology ready for students to use.  In my classroom we have a set of net books and iPads. Students collaborate, talk and work together to get it done.

Anyways these are just some thoughts on implementing genius hour. If you want more help or just someone to talk to about it just email me or tweet.