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As great as this sounds, in some classes like 8th grade Social Studies, the pacing guide moves so quickly.  How can a student REALLY go through the steps necessary to truly create an authentic piece that can allow them to experience this inquiry process?
--Carla

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* kids learn how to research
*kids learn how to organize as they gather information and research
*the project created has value to the student
*students learn how to connect their personal learning to the objective
--Carla

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Maybe in an early unit, students could find a topic and create an authentic piece that connects throughout the semester or year? Example:  in social studies, a student could take the topic of slavery from the colonial era and connect it through a unit or two -- like show how it changes? That way a student could continuously be thinking of how slavery connects to other eras.
--Carla

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How could I incorporate this into social studies? Could I have kids pick an area of interest early on, and THEN take them through the steps of Structured, Controlled, and then Guided Inquiry before releasing them to experience Free Inquiry?  How long would this process take?
--Carla

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My students being so young, could possibly have limited resources because they are unsure of where to look and can not go and do completely on their own
-Jessica T.

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Students feel empowered
Students are allowed to be creative
Students are able to feel proud of what they have done
-Jessica T.

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Its hard for me to picture this in a young classroom, I would love to see this in action so I have a better understanding of how to do this for our younger learners.
Jessica T.

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Let parents know about what is going on in the classroom. Have them help their students at home come up with resources.
-Jessica T.

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Our students, while frequently referred to as "digital natives," do not necessarily have the tech skills to CREATE authentic pieces.  A variety of skills would have to be taught before hand for students to be able to create authentic, high-quality products.
-Lindsey H.

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Student creativity
Real-world connections
Sense of price
-Lindsey H.

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Imbed the tech skills in baby steps throughout other subjects (not necessarily inquiry based lessons).
-Lindsey H.

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How can I create teacher buy-in and encourage them to take the leap.
-Lindsey H.

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For elementary students the challenges would be lack of time, resources, and skills.  I think students could create authentic pieces, but their choices may have to be limited and within certain parameters.  So, would that still be authentic?
--Dina H.

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*greater student engagement
*student takes ownership of learning
*makes learning fun
--Dina H.

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Have students brainstorm various options for authentic pieces and whether the options are reasonable. When students understand the limitations of their choices they wouldn't have to be told they couldn't do a particular project. They could understand why it wouldn't be a good choice.

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I can see how this method of teaching/learning is preferable in many ways to our traditional methods.  I would like to see examples of how this method is used with elementary students.  With what age group would Mr. Mackenzie start using inquiry-based learning?
Has anyone considered writing a curriculum based on this method that includes all the TEKS ?

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This book was based in an ELAR class, as many of these books are. It makes total sense for an ELAR or English class because most of the TEKS are reading and writing process TEKS, but other contents which are still held accountable to knowledge/fact based tests make it more difficult to incorporate. I think he addresses this in the book, but it will still be a challenge in actual practice.

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Our real goal in education is not testing standards; it is preparing our students to problem solve in the real world. Authentic Free Inquiry pieces do this. The self-efficacy students learn through this process is far more valuable in real life than fact based content.

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In classes that are deeply content/memorization based, pick and choose one or two of the process TEKS, and design an authentic piece to use those TEKS and review content students have already learned.
Or, just this once, fight the good fight. Put fear driven testing standards on hold and give your kids this more valuable gift. Cover the testing standards within the unit as you can, but take the hit with district personnel who will object. If some of us aren't brave, those above us will never gain the courage to replace low rigor testing repetition with high rigor learning that creates good test scores as a by product. #fighttheman

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This year, our campus has the freedom of using me as a co-teacher. How can we use this freedom to incorporate free inquiry in classes while necessary testing remediation takes place in small groups?

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As an elementary music teacher, I only see each class about once every four days. That translates to seeing each student only about 6 times per month. It already is not enough time for everything that I want/need to cover. Also, while I aim to help them develop their own individual music skills and knowledge, I am also preparing them to enter an ensemble in middle school (choir, band, orchestra, etc) which is often heavily teacher-led.
-Anna P.

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Increased students engagement and creativity.
More in depth knowledge/experience with a specific topic.
-Anna P.

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Incorporate an ongoing project that may cross several units to allow enough time for students to explore their own questions with their choice of resources and products.
-Anna P.

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I can imagine doing this with my older students in music, but have a hard time imagining how this would like with young students, especially with such limited time.
-Anna P.

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Available technology outside the classroom

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Available technology outside the classroom

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With the time constraints and new concepts taught every day in a math class the authentic piece would have to be worked on outside the classroom. I am not sure our students have the resources at home for doing this.
Margie Gillenwater

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real world application
student engagement
thinking outside the box
Margie Gillenwater

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Make the connection to future skills as each new math skill is introduced. Have the students keep a Venn diagram in their journal that they add new skills to. This would be a continuous of how one skill relates to another.
Margie Gillenwater

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How do you find the time for this in a math class where specific new skills are being taught daily?
Margie Gillenwater

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I think a big challenge I would face would in using an authentic piece in the classroom is offering enough resources to complete an authentic piece that isn't just a paper or a powerpoint or a poster. But to do something more interactive and technological, I need to be more aware of these avenues and offer them as places for students to navigate to in order to complete their authentic piece. I'm worried about not being enough "in-the-know" about cool programs that would be use to create a really engaging authentic piece.

-Carson Hadley

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Student engagement
Higher-level thinking
Differentiation
Improved communication skills
Improved collaboration skills
-Diana G.

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Start with small steps so as to not get overwhelmed or discouraged. Don't give up!
-Diana G.

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Need more info on how to hook teachers and motivate them to put the effort into transforming their traditional classrooms into inquiry-based learning classrooms.
-Diana G.

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Finding the time to engage in this process with all the district requirements and pressures of testing preparation.
-Diana G.

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With so much emphasis on meeting testing requirements, closing gaps, and following curriculum/scope and sequence, required resources ... I've got to wonder if I might get into some trouble trying this before May.
-Landa Jacobo

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Student choice encourages inquiry (so more engagement, high interest, more desire to chase that proverbial rabbit and generate creative solutions) and I use authentic pieces during the last 6 weeks, where the typical YAG places more research TEKS, when I've had more time to front load a unit, when students are more comfortable with expectations, when testing is over, and because the end of the year is a great time to reflect.
-Landa Jacobo

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If anything can be done to ensure success, I need to plan the heck out of this. I will be setting small goals, check points, chunking information and steps to help everyone remain on track. We already know our learning styles and struggles, so reasonable products and expectations can be set together. Integration of technology will definitely help everyone's process from communication, to collaboration  to product and presentation.
-Landa Jacobo

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How will I find/make the time to set everything up and implement all the suggestions and mandates I've received? Sometimes starting something new requires using an 'example' mini version first to get your feet wet, but we don't have time! I even feel like I'm reinventing the wheel; I love to make things, but surely there's a more efficient option already out there.
-Landa Jacobo

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Since I am in an elementary setting students are not well aware of the technology and programs used to create some types of pieces.  Students would need time and support to develop these skills for their final product.
Jennifer Lundquist

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Students would have freedom for creativity in their final product so their personalities will shine through.  Students would also develop their technology skills.
Jennifer Lundquist

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Start small and offer LOTS of support.  Elementary students needs reassurance they are on the right path and plenty of time for one on one meetings.
Jennifer Lundquist

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Time is always a concern.  So much has to be done in such a small amount of time.
I am still wondering what this would look like in kinder through 2nd grade.
Jennifer Lundquist

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Using an authentic piece other than visual seems out of reach in a kindergarten setting. There are not enough resources for each student to use technology and not everyone is able to complete pieces like writing, dance, etc. independently.
Esther Navarrete

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Students would be able to express themselves in a way that best fits their personality/ability. It would also increase engagement because it is based on their interest.
Esther Navarrete

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Introduce one authentic piece at a time and fully explain how to complete it. Once they have seen them all and have an understanding of them they may be able to choose one independently.
Esther Navarrete

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I am still not sure how to effectively implement this in a kindergarten classroom with students who are unable to read/write.
Esther Navarrete

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With each student or group of students doing something different it will be important for the teacher to help guide the time management aspect. Likewise, students at the middle school age, at times, have a false sense of time and can tend to procrastinate or become so involved in one aspect of a project that they lose valuable time ruminating.

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This type of learning can provide full engagement which is something that aids in propelling students to learn above and beyond. Likewise, it can make for a very passionate and energizing learning environment that spills out to others, not to mention the teacher as well.

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Teachers should meet with students to collaborate on a timeline. Knowing the due date for a project and working backwards can help to "beat" the time management challenge. It also helps to provide checkpoints and meeting dates for additional teacher/student collaboration.

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How do I effectively guide the learning?

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How do I effectively guide the learning?

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I am hoping that there are some guiding questions to ask students so that the end goal is reached and that there is not a time when a teacher thinks that time was wasted on a project that didn't meet the intended goals.

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How can I use this in math where everything is already laid out for us from the beginning of the year? Is there room for utilizing this in my content...for example, would the people in charge be open to it? Is it possible to use this style for a shorter unit as opposed to the entire year?
Stephanie Marsteller