Inquiring Minds Want to Know:Inquiring Minds Want to Know:What are the critical elements What are the critical elements

of inquiry?of inquiry?

LC ConferenceLC ConferenceSept 27, 2013Sept 27, 2013

ALL RESOURCESALL RESOURCEStech2learn.wikispaces.com

twitter: @brendasherrytwitter: @brendasherryemail: email: brenda.sherry@ugdsb.on.ca

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Project-based Learning

Inquiry-based learning

Guided Inquiry

Knowledge Building

Problem-based Learning

Open Inquiry

Coupled Inquiry

Structured Inquiry

by tambakothejaguar on flickr

Active Learning

• Is it really inquiry?

• What elements must I think about while planning?

• How do I make sure everyone is learning?

• What is the culture I need to build to ensure that successful inquiry happens ?

Wondering...

John Dewey - 1938 John Dewey - 1938 Learners draw meaning by connecting Learners draw meaning by connecting

one experience to another and to the one experience to another and to the future, and by collecting and by future, and by collecting and by reflecting on and organizing the ideas reflecting on and organizing the ideas that emerge from the experiences. that emerge from the experiences.

What are the implications for our What are the implications for our classrooms? classrooms?

What is missing?What is missing?

Your top 5 elements of inquiry...

Common

Inquiry

Framewor

k

Tap into prior knowledge, background knowledge

Generate intriguing problems and/or questions

Develop a plan for investigation

Select and analyze resources

Organize info, draw conclusions and new understandings

Share demonstrations of learning with others

Reflect on process;Generate new questions

http://www.inquiryschools.net

What is PBL? What is PBL? From the Buck Institute at From the Buck Institute at www.bie.org

focuses on the central concepts and focuses on the central concepts and principles of a disciplineprinciples of a discipline

involves students in problem-solving involves students in problem-solving investigations and other meaningful tasksinvestigations and other meaningful tasks

allows students to work autonomously to allows students to work autonomously to construct their own knowledge, andconstruct their own knowledge, and

culminates in realistic products.culminates in realistic products.

What is PBL? What is PBL? (cont(cont’’d)d)

George Lucas Educational Foundation at George Lucas Educational Foundation at Edutopia.orgEdutopia.org

is curriculum fueled and standards basedis curriculum fueled and standards based asks a question or poses a problem that each asks a question or poses a problem that each

student can answerstudent can answer asks students to investigate issues and topics asks students to investigate issues and topics

addressing real-world problems while addressing real-world problems while integrating subjects across the curriculumintegrating subjects across the curriculum

is a method that fosters abstract, intellectual is a method that fosters abstract, intellectual tasks to explore complex issues.tasks to explore complex issues.

What is PBL? What is PBL? (cont(cont’’d)d)

Linda Darling-HammondLinda Darling-Hammond

PBL involves completing tasks that typically result in a realistic PBL involves completing tasks that typically result in a realistic product, event, or presentation to an audience.product, event, or presentation to an audience.

central to the curriculumcentral to the curriculum organized around driving questions that lead students to organized around driving questions that lead students to

encounter central concepts of a disciplineencounter central concepts of a discipline focused on a constructive investigation that involves inquiry focused on a constructive investigation that involves inquiry

and knowledge buildingand knowledge building student-driven, in that students are responsible for making student-driven, in that students are responsible for making

choices &for designing &managing their workchoices &for designing &managing their work authentic, by posing problems that occur in the real world and authentic, by posing problems that occur in the real world and

that people care aboutthat people care about

What is PBL? What is PBL? (cont(cont’’d)d)

Susie Boss and Jane Krauss (ISTE, 2007)Susie Boss and Jane Krauss (ISTE, 2007) Projects form the centerpiece of the curriculum - they Projects form the centerpiece of the curriculum - they

are not an add-on or extra at the end of a "real" unit.are not an add-on or extra at the end of a "real" unit. Students engage in real-world activities and practice Students engage in real-world activities and practice

the strategies of authentic disciplines.the strategies of authentic disciplines. Students work collaboratively to solve problems that Students work collaboratively to solve problems that

matter to them.matter to them. Technology is integrated as a tool for discovery, Technology is integrated as a tool for discovery,

collaboration, and communication, taking learners collaboration, and communication, taking learners places they couldn't otherwise go and helping teachers places they couldn't otherwise go and helping teachers achieve essential learning goals in new ways.achieve essential learning goals in new ways.

Reinventing Project-Based Learning: Your Field Guide to Real World Projects in the Digital Age

Seymour Papert and Hard Fun!

• kids like hard fun, important work, challenges

• kids need to see us learning

• kids can think like mathematicians, scientists, artists

What does inquiry look like in science?

• search for accurate and replicable evidence

• confirming or refuting a hypothesis

• drawing conclusions about a truth

• identifying misconceptions by going beyond observations to investigate fallacies

What does inquiry look like in math?

• problem-solving and reasoning

• looking for patterns and relationships in the physical world

• more involved with accuracy and logical thinking rather than point of view

What does inquiry look like in history or social studies?

• assess evidence for point of view

• assess evidence for social and historical point of view

• finding multiple truths

• representative of different perspectives and time periods

• understanding your own personal bias

What does inquiry look like in language arts?

• interpretation of evidence

• weighing social context

• determining point of view and author’s purpose

• synthesizing and making inferences

• questioning

Crowdsourcing the Wisdom in the

Room

Continua to Consider for Effective PBLContinua to Consider for Effective PBLPeter Skillen & Brenda Sherry, 2012Peter Skillen & Brenda Sherry, 2012

David Thornburg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4CeceFQAJ8

Flavoured Tobacco Project

How do we make sure everyone is

learning?

Developing a community of thinkers Habits of Mind from Deborah Meiers - Mission Schools

Evidence: How do we know what's true and false? What evidence counts? How sure can we be? What makes it credible to us? This includes using the scientific method and more.

Viewpoint: How else might this look if we stepped into other shoes? If we were looking at it from a different direction? If we had a different history or expectations? This requires the exercise if informed "empathy" and imagination. It requires flexibility of mind.

Connections/Cause and Effect: Is there a pattern? Have we seen something like this before? What are the possible consequences?

Conjecture: Could it have been otherwise? Supposing that? What if ? This habit requires use of imagination as well as knowledge of alternative possibilities. It includes the habits described above.

Relevance: Does it matter? Who cares?