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I once read an interview with a hero of my early teaching days - Donald Graves. He was asked about the way people had misinterpreted his 'process writing' model and replied that sometimes he wished he'd never written it down! Years later I understand the frustration behind that sentiment. It's hard to do justice to the complexities and nuances of inquiry in writing. So much gets lost. Something that is rich, layered and multidimensional can come across as flat, linear and recipe-like. Over the years, I have published several books that share a 'cycle of inquiry' and the kinds of learning engagements that we might design within a cycle. I have seen hundreds of interpretations of this idea in classrooms. Many have been gratifying and exciting. Teachers who really 'get' the intention, understand the complexity and invite their students into the learning have blown me away with what they have done. And I have also seen (and heard) many bewildering versions or iterations of the cycle that are such a long way off the original conceptualization and intent! Ironically, I have seen slavish adherence to a cycle actually impede rather than enhance inquiry.
So why even 'have' such a cycle?
Articulating a model or framework for the process of inquiry is a helpful way to support and guide our practice. The intention of the 'cycle' is to guide the teacher's (and learner's ) thinking beyond simply coming up with 'activities' and towards a more thoughtful process that assists students to move from the known to the new. The need to 'name' some kind of process was first revealed to me as a young teacher by my fabulous mentors Marilyn Woolley and Keith Pigdon. They helped me move beyond thematic planning and into a more rigorous way of thinking about how to guide learning. Once I understood constructivism - it made sense to me to describe what was such a natural process of building understanding over time. My job as a teacher was to help design experiences for learners that would support the brain's best inclinations to wonder, look for patterns, seek new information, link to prior learning and transfer. While it has changed over time, the cycle I now use owes much to Woolley and Pigdon's visionary work.

Here are some of the more common misconceptions about 'the cycle' and my response to them. I hope it is as useful to read as it has been to write!!
Misconception 1: Inquiry is all about 'the cycle'. We DO the cycle....therefore, we DO inquiry.
Simply using an inquiry cycle does not make us inquiry teachers. As I have written before, inquiry is a 'way of being' in the classroom. Yes, there are planning frameworks that can support the ways in which we design learning experiences for and with students but this is only part of the inquiry story. An inquiry teacher knows how to question students in ways that enhance and deepen thinking, how to offer choice and honour voice, how to seize an unexpected moment for investigation and how to embed learning in purposeful context It's a pedagogy - not just a planning framework.
Misconception 2: The cycle is a recipe. We need to follow the stages in sequence for it to 'work out' in the end.
Nope. It's a flexible framework. Not a recipe. Essentially, inquiry cycles provide labels for a process that is common to many disciplines. Most people agree that inquiry : involves time to establish your current thinking, your needs and questions, some 'hunting and gathering' of information/ideas/ data, some sorting organizing and meaning making and some kind of creation/application/transfer/use. And most agree that this process is cyclical in nature. New discoveries lead to new questions and so on. But this process is much neater on paper than it is in practice. True inquiry is often messy and recursive. We gather and sort then realize we have new questions so we return to some more gathering. In the cycle I use, I place great emphasis on the role of 'tuning in' to students' thinking to establish pathways for investigation. While it often sits at the 'start' of the process - I return to 'tuning in' regularly. These are phases more than they are stages, elements more than they are steps. There is nothing contained, neat or particularly orderly about a lot of inquiry BUT having a relatively simple iteration of it in the form of this cycle can help us think more clearly and actually better manage the messiness without getting overwhelmed!
#Misconception 3: All inquiries go through the same phases over a similar time frame.
Much as it would be convenient, no two inquiries are the same. Although most journeys will contain elements of this cycle, starting points, emphases and time frames vary from context to context and depend on the group of students, their age level and what they bring to the journey in the first place. I have seen some beautiful inquiry journeys travelled within an hour. I have seen some that last a year. I have seen some that really don't involve much 'action' but are highly worthwhile and engaging and others that are really all about the action.
# Misconception 4: Using a 'cycle' as a guide, we can plan a complete unit of inquiry for students
I think this is the most troubling use of the cycle I see. The cycle should INFORM planning, guide it but it doesn't mean we can create the whole thing before we start. When I use a planner with the elements of the cycle in it - I see that planner as a guide throughout the process - not as a template to be filled in one sitting. The cycle is emergent....how kids 'sort out' the ideas information depends on what they gather - and that is not something we can determine in detail. The cycle unfolds.
#Misconception 5: The cycle is for teachers.
Students benefit from having some 'meta-language' to attach to processes they use as inquirers. Some kind of framework should be developed for and WITH students that helps everyone gain a shared language. Making this visible to students helps them think about how journeys of inquiry are both similar and different. It is really useful to display the cycle but only if it is referred to, analysed, played with and critiqued!
#Misconception 6: The cycle only applies to 'units of inquiry' in disciplines like science and social studies.
I see many examples of this cycle in action in a range of disciplines and contexts. Some 'tweaking' is needed at times to best fit the nature of the discipline but it is interesting to explore this kind of transfer. Check out for example - the great work done on http://www.iphys-ed.com about inquiry based PE or Bruce Ferrington's application of the cycle to math inquiry - http://authenticinquirymaths.blogspot.co.at/
# Misconception 7: It's my way or the highway or 'there is only one cycle'....
There are many versions of a 'cycle of inquiry'. The fact that there ARE many versions is healthy and affirming. I love the different emphases, language and uses of these cycles and think that, together, they help offer us lots to consider as we continue to clarify this intriguing process in our own minds . Explore various cycles. Look for patterns...where do they all agree? Find one that works for you and your students. Create your own - but be consistent. Shared language across a school has great benefits.

A cycle of inquiry helps us plan and teach with intention. When it is understood, it pushes us beyond simply coming up with 'activities' and challenges us to think about how skills and concepts can be developed and deepened over time. It gives us some shared 'meta' language to use with students and colleagues

How do YOU use a cycle of inquiry to inform your work as an inquiry teacher?
...Just wondering....

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Busting some myths about 'the inquiry cycle'....

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I once read an interview with a hero of my early teaching days - Donald Graves. He was asked about the way people had misinterpreted his 'process writing' model and replied that sometimes he wished he'd never written it down! Years later I understand the frustration behind that sentiment.

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Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority

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Planning with children in kindergarten: Small group example

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Lehmann said it's important to question whether alleged "personalized," "project-based," or "collaborative" learning efforts are actually helping students and teachers to "hold ourselves in a state of questioning."

"Inquiry means living in the soup. Inquiry means living in that uncomfortable space where we don't know the answer."

For example, adaptive software that leads students through English/language arts or mathematics on a pace set by their own abilities fails to force students to ask questions about that material, contextualize it in real life, or communicate about the concepts with others, Lehmann said. The same is true of collaborative projects where restrictive guidelines result in several, nearly-identical finished products across student groups.

In a true inquiry-based model, how learning happens isn't as important as whether that learning encourages students to try to learn even more. Lehmann compared the scenario to the plight of a two-year-old child who has graduated from "yes" and "no" and proceeded onto an endless string of "why's."

"To me it comes down to process," Lehmann said. "Inquiry means living in the soup. Inquiry means living in that uncomfortable space where we don't know the answer."
SIGNS YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Although nailing down inquiry-based learning is a bit like trying to define the human soul, there are some indicators Lehmann and his audience both agreed signaled progress down the right path.

To paraphrase one teacher, a classroom where students are empowered to direct and control their own learning is one sign. Feeling tension between the direction of a course and the material covered on a standardized final examination may be another, said a second teacher.

"Oh God, yeah," Lehmann said in response to the latter teacher. "There's a reason we don't offer [ Advanced Placement] Classes here. If we are a truly inquiry-based school, why would our highest-level classes end in a test?"

Increased collaboration between students and increasing student scrutiny of educational content were two other signs Lehmann and the group said signaled the right approach, even if they clashed with classroom norms. For example, collaboration can often lead to tricky discussions about what part of a students' work are his or her own and what part is recycled.

Lastly, good inquiry-based learning should include a means for publication and communication, whether through blogs, printed reports, multimedia packages, etc. But Lehmann also said, in some cases, students should have the right to decide whether to publish their work.

"One of the scariest things about inquiry-based learning is the blank page," Lehmann said. "When you're toying with the ideas at first, sometimes your ideas don't have to be social to the world."
ACCEPTING THE DRAWBACKS
Inquiry-based education should improve student engagement, critical thinking skills, and cross-disciplinary opportunities, Lehmann said. But it may also hinder lesson planning, covering content benchmarks, and assessing student progress.

In a school that asks students to seize some autonomy over the course of their studies, the teachers most comfortable at the Science Leadership Academy are often the teachers most capable of improvising and deviating from a lesson plan, or even entering a class period without a lesson plan at all.

Further, while Lehmann believes the approach leaves students with the analytical tools they need to succeed on English/language arts standardized tests, he acknowledges that both teaching mathematics in general, and teaching it so students succeed on state and national benchmarks, is harder to do in an inquiry-driven fashion.

"Math is a little harder, and I own that," said Lehmann.

Creating teacher-administered assessments that accurately measure progress, in an environment where the path is often long and winding, is also difficult.

"That could probably be 10 sessions of EduCon," Lehmann quipped. "'What are we authentically assessing when we assess?'"

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Why Inquiry Learning is Worth the Trouble

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Lehmann said it's important to question whether alleged "personalized," "project-based," or "collaborative" learning efforts are actually helping students and teachers to "hold ourselves in a state of questioning." "Inquiry means living in the soup. Inquiry means living in that uncomfortable space where we don't know the answer."

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10 Benefits Of Inquiry-Based Learning
by TeachThought Staff

Inquiry-based learning is a term that educators and parents alike hear bandied about without a clear sense of exactly what it is, why it's effective, how it works, and what its benefits are.

For now, let's define inquiry-based learning simply as an open-ended approach to learning guided by students through questions, research, and/or curiosity.

Sketch-noter Sylvia Duckworth took Trevor MacKenzie's ideas on the benefits on inquiry-based learning and put together the image above. We've linked to a few of our resources on some of the highlights below for extended learning and reflection.

What benefits of inquiry-based learning do you see in your classroom? Let us know in the comments section below.
10 Benefits Of Inquiry-Based Learning
1. Nurture student passions and talents

(See 25 Ways to Promote Passion-Based Learning In Your Classroom)

2. Empower student voice and honor student choice

(See 4 Principles Of Student-Centered Learning)

3. Increase motivation and engagement

(See 27 Ways to Promote Intrinsic Motivation In The Classroom)

4. Foster curiosity and a love of learning

(See 4 Stages of Curiosity)

5. Teach grit, perseverance, growth mindset, and self-regulation

(See 4 Strategies to Promote Smarter Grit)

6. Make research meaningful and develop research skills

(See 8 Reasons Why Students Should Still Write Research Papers)

7. Deepen understanding to go beyond facts and content

(See 6 Tips & 18 Resources To Extend Learning Beyond The Classroom)

8. Fortify the importance of asking good questions

(See 7 Strategies To Help Students Ask Great Questions)

9. Enable students to take ownership of their learning and to reach their goals

(See 60 Ways to Help Students Think For Themselves)

10. Solve the problems of tomorrow in the classrooms of today

(See 12 Principles for Modern Learning)
10 Benefits Of Inquiry-Based Learning; 10 Reasons To Use Inquiry-Based Learning

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10 Benefits Of Inquiry-Based Learning by TeachThought Staff Inquiry-based learning is a term that educators and parents alike hear bandied about without a clear sense of exactly what it is, why it's effective, how it works, and what its benefits are.

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"Children have an innate sense of wonder and awe and a natural desire for inquiry" (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2010).

Resource Type: Video

The Kindergarten GAINS site, developed by the Ontario Ministry of Education, provides an online video series for educators wishing to reflect and extend on their practices within the early childhood classroom. The video on "Inquiry" shows classroom teachers as they are rethinking abstract, theme-based planning and repeating inquiry-based planning that is focused on expectations (Ontario Ministry of Education, n.d.). One teacher in the video states that because the ideas for exploration are coming from the children, they are more interested and motivated to participate (Ontario Ministry of Education, n.d.). This aligns with best practices for inquiry, as subjects should be concrete rather than abstract, developmentally and culturally appropriate, and reflect the ideas and interests of children (ETFO, 2010b, p. 26).

A viewing guide for the video can be accessed at: http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesKIN/Video/Guides/ELK-VideoGuide_Inquiry.pdf

Resource Type: Book Excerpt
Author: ETFO

Taken from the ETFO resource, "Primarily Play", this chapter discusses children's need for inquiry and their natural curiosity about the world around them. The article recognizes the benefits of inquiry-based learning, as it allows children to develop a variety of skills such as questioning, planning, observing and collaborating - all skills that are vital for life-long learning (ETFO, 2010b, p. 13).

The article also states that, "Inquiry is born of play" which makes play a natural vehicle for teaching inquiry skills. Inquiry skills should not be taught in isolation or out of context, and through play rich inquiry and investigations can take place (ETFO, 2010b, p. 25).
Independent Inquiry: Play in the Primary Grades

Resource Type: Blog

A creative teacher with a sense of humour, " Teacher Tom" blogs about his daily adventures with preschool students, and his approach to inquiry-based learning. His posts demonstrate how inquiry-based learning, or an emergent curriculum, unfolds through the conversations and actions of his students.

He frequently takes advantage of his students' spontaneous desire for exploration, while guiding them to become more focused in their investigations - a key role of educators within the inquiry-based model (ETFO, 2010b, p. 25).

Resource Type: Blog

A Kindergarten teacher with the York District School Board uses her blog to document her adventure into inquiry-based learning. Photographs explore how her classroom environment has been transformed from teacher-created spaces, to an environment that allows for small group inquiry-spaces and co-constructed centres (her art space features beautiful jars of found materials that students helped to sort and display!). Through the work of the children, it is clear the connections to learning centre experiences are natural and meaningful (ETFO, 2010a, p. 6).

Reggio Emilia is an approach to early childhood education that was developed in Italy by Loris Malaguzzi. It is based on the belief that children have the ability and desire to construct their own knowledge (Early Childhood Today, 2001). The approach facilitates learning through exploration and discovery, and has no set guide of curriculum. Instead, the learning follows the interests of the children within the classroom.

The Reggio Emilia approach is grounded in inquiry-based learning, and therefore has gained popularity as educators in North America begin to understand the need for play-based, child-directed learning. Resources on the Reggio Emilia approach can be useful for educators wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the inquiry and project-based approach to learning.

The Ontario Reggio Association

The Ontario Reggio Association is a collective of educators, parents and other individuals interested in furthering their knowledge on the work of the Reggio Emilia schools in Italy. The association holds professional development events and conferences throughout the year to enhance professional practice.

"The Arts, in their many forms, provide a natural vehicle through which children express their interpretation of our world. Therefore, the Arts play an important role in the development of children's communication and thinking skills" (ETFO, 2010a, p. 32)

Early childhood educators in Hamilton, Ontario, certainly understand the value of the Arts in early childhood learning, and are currently exploring the Reggio approach to deliver Arts education. "Artists at the Centre" is a means to document their learning and implementation process. To further children's experiences with the Reggio approach, the group has professional artists visit daycare and early learning centres to play, explore and learn together. Documentation of various art inquiries is available on their site.

The North American Reggio Alliance is a network of educators, parents and advocates inspired by the work of the early childhood (0-6) schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The site offers a wide range of resources for those looking to learn more about the Reggio approach, including information about the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, upcoming conferences, and related articles.

A large number of books related to the Reggio approach and child-centred curriculum are featured on the site of Parent Books, an educational and parenting bookstore based in Toronto, Ontario.

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"Children have an innate sense of wonder and awe and a natural desire for inquiry" (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2010).

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ASCD EDge - Busting 5 Myths of Inquiry-Based Learning #HackingPBL

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www.gemsworldacademy-switzerland.com The classroom. PYP. MasterClass. Kath Murdoch engage with the students of Grade2 to inquire.

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Little Wonders Learning Center: Reggio Emilia approach

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Little Wonders Learning Center: Reggio Emilia approach

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Tips & Strategies for Effective Differentiation & Instruction

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10 tips for launching inquiry based classroom

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10 tips for launching inquiry based classroom

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"At the end of it they may have consumed less content, but remember more of the sum total," Laufenberg said. "And they end up in a better place."
2. Don't tell students what they should know; create the structure for them to experience it on their own.
"Inquiry at its best happens when the teacher is doing very little other than creating the architecture for the experience to happen," Laufenberg said. "It's asking the first question, putting up the provocative primary document or playing the two minute video." After that, the room should be full of kid questions. And if a student gets truly stumped and asks for help from the teacher, her job is to ask another question that pushes the students' thinking forward or raises new questions for the student to investigate.

Laufenberg has worked with well-intentioned, hard working teachers all over the country to infuse more inquiry into their teaching. Many of them find this model destabilizing because for a long time they believed their job was to teach content. To make inquiry-based learning work, teachers have to instead become experts at listening to how a student is thinking and then ask the one question that will "un-stick" the students' thinking and set them off and running again.

"You know it's happening when there's very little telling of things, but rather leading of questions and experiences so the students discover those on their own," Laufenberg said.

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3. Use class time to make connections between pieces of information.
Especially with AP classes, students are motivated or else they wouldn't be there. So give them a list of questions, tell them what to study and let them do so outside of class. They can use the textbook, the Internet and many other sources to find that information more efficiently and effectively than a lecture.

"Inside of class, use that time to make connections between information," Laufenberg said. After all, what good are facts if they aren't connected to anything else? "Give them [students] compelling things to do that have them analyze and talk to each other, and grapple with the difficulty of what's going on in whatever it is you happen to be teaching. But stop using your minutes in class to just tell them things." Teachers have the tremendously important role of helping students make sense of the facts they've learned and see connections to other issues.
4. Many kids struggle with reading, so hook them with the non-written word.
When Laufenberg taught at Science Leadership Academy she had a student in her class who was an advanced analytical processor, a great critical thinker and a wonderful problem solver, but she struggled to read and write because of learning differences. Laufenberg wanted her to be able to engage with the class content at the high level of which she was capable, and not be limited by her second grade reading level. She developed the habit of introducing lessons with something visual so the student wouldn't be left out.

"I needed to do this because there was an acute situation I wanted to handle, but what it was doing was inviting all the kids to the table with a level playing field of comprehension, not putting the barrier in front of them to start with, which is the written word for comprehension," Laufenberg said. She would show students something interesting or puzzling, even using 90 second videos to grab their attention. This strategy got students wondering and gave them a little background so that even if they were doing the reading Laufenberg assigned, they came to it with their own questions.

"Your reluctant readers are more likely to make an attempt," Laufenberg said, because they are curious to find the answer to their questions. Laufenberg would often try to give students the baseline information they need to know in the quickest way possible. "We would background build, but it wouldn't be, 'I'm going to tell you a few things today,'" Laufenberg said.

If a complex idea can be imparted through a short video or other means, Laufenberg uses it so the majority of class time can be spent diving into deeper questions and analysis. Laufenberg always got at the background information through questions; she never just told students information.

"It isn't less reading; it's less reading of the least interesting information to yield the more in-depth reading and invested reading," Laufenberg said. She still requires students to read, but if they aren't reading for the background information then they can be engaging more complex and interesting texts.
5. Stop giving struggling kids the most boring version of the work to repeat over and over again.
"We do a really interesting thing in American education; when kids are struggling with something, we just give them the most boring version of it and more of it, over and over and over again," Laufenberg said. There's no way that tactic is going to get students excited about the subject they struggle to understand.

Math teachers commonly say they have to get through some basics in order to get to the interesting content. But if students aren't interested in knowing, they'll never get to the good stuff. "Getting kids to understand that math is not just computation, that math is this whole other thought process and way of thinking about the world, and really trying to understand the bigger picture of math," is the key Laufenberg said. Kids have to care. "Give them a puzzle to figure out to then lead them towards the math that they need to know," Laufenberg said. They need to figure it out on their own, or at least grapple with it to care.

She doesn't think it's that different from history. If the goal of teaching history is for kids to chronologically place events on a timeline, we've missed the full potential for the learning experience. If the purpose of math is only to compute, we've missed something.

And with reading, don't give reluctant readers boring passages to read. Let them read whatever they want. No one wants to read things that are boring to them.
6. Surprise students.
Laufenberg would often start class by putting a primary source document up on the screen with no context. Students would come in and immediately get to work trying to figure out what the document was and where it came from. She says it was a great window into their thinking and questioning skills.

"Sometimes you can use really little projects to get their minds spinning on all the ways of knowing, and then model those for each other," Laufenberg said. Not all the students will find the answer, but they'll be curious to know how others did. Laufenberg calls activities like this "micro bursts of inquiry."
7. The traditional model of imparting knowledge isn't working very well, so don't be afraid to try out inquiry.
"When people don't want to do it I always tell them to pick the unit you know always falls flat," Laufenberg said. "You're not going to lose; they're already not with you." It's a safe place to start because it can't get worse and maybe some learnings will come out of the experiment that can inform other lessons.
8. Find the "bend" in the outcomes and abandon the prescriptive path.
Laufenberg recommends finding "the bend" by paring down the content to the most essential pieces and focusing on them thematically. That will help open up as many paths as possible for students to arrive at the big ideas that kids need to learn. When teachers assign a "project" that follows the pacing guide, has a definable outcome and which results in 30 assignments that all look the same, it's not inquiry. SLA principal Chris Lehmann calls that "the recipe." In a true inquiry-based assignment students will travel different paths to and produce different products, but learn along the way.

"In a non-inquiry classroom the kids will all walk the same path because the teacher has decided where everybody is going and nothing that anybody says all day long will alter that," Laufenberg said.
9. Indulge interesting student questions even if it doesn't fit the pacing guide.
Laufenberg has seen classrooms where a student asks a fascinating question that the teacher brushes off because there's not enough time. Kids know when there's nothing they can do to influence the direction of the lesson, a distinctly disempowering experience.

"Who that child is isn't informing the path and that's the most devastating part," Laufenberg said. Listening to student questions and validating them by asking them of the whole group has the added value of building student confidence and highlighting the value of wondering.
10. Approach the practice of teaching with inquiry and use that meta-practice to improve.

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10 Tips For Launching An Inquiry-Based Classroom | KQED

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"At the end of it they may have consumed less content, but remember more of the sum total," Laufenberg said. "And they end up in a better place." 2. Don't tell students what they should know; create the structure for them to experience it on their own.

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2. FOSTER INQUIRY BY SCAFFOLDING CURIOSITY.
Teachers always come up to Laufenberg wanting to learn more about her progressive pedagogy -- and they invariably ask, "But when do you just tell them things? Don't you have to just tell them sometimes?"

Laufenberg's answer: Get them curious enough in the subject to do research on their own.
"Kids don't come to class just burning to know about the War of 1812," she said. "And you just saying they have to know the facts is not good enough. But here's your chance to bring them along as a person and get them to learn about it."

For example, in exploring the subject of American identity with her history students, Laufenberg asked them to come up with words that convey to them the abstract idea of America, or what it means to be American. Many of her students came up with the words "greedy" and "ignorant" -- a trend she saw echoed throughout many of her classes during her years teaching at SLA. "I got a clear vision of where my students were," she said.

She asked her students to find images that epitomized America, then asked them to talk about their ideas with their peers, studying data about immigration, taking the American citizenship test themselves (most received an average score of 3, across the board regardless of age), so they could understand the processes and become personally invested in the subject.

"Rather than saying, 'We're going to study immigration,' I took them through a process where they become interested in it themselves," she said.

3. DESIGN ARCHITECTURE FOR PARTICIPATION.
"There are so many ways that kids can be active in their learning, beyond the standard call-and-respond business," Laufenberg said. It may be hard to do with 140 students, but if you consider all the available tools at your disposal, ideas can start to take shape.

Example: Laufenberg asked her students to watch President Obama's State of the Union address and respond to what they watched and heard. She gave her students the option to either post comments on Twitter (fully public), Facebook (semi-public), Moodle (walled garden) or for low-tech participants, play Bingo with key words the students anticipated they might hear.

Though some goofed around a bit with comments ("Our school is so cool, we're tweeting the State of the Union"), at the end of the speech, students had posted a total of 438 tweets and 18 pages of Moodle chat. (Interestingly, no one went on Facebook, though she had set up a separate conversation on the school's Facebook page.)

Laufenberg was not surprised with the high quality of responses she saw from her students. "Does Obama have the power to reform and adjust how the other branches work?" one student tweeted. "He's not touching on Iran issue... not a good sign," another posted. "High school dropout laws, rebuilding jobs in our country, and more equipment in schools... me gusta," wrote yet another.

"I could have them face off against any pundit the next day," she said. "They understood it. None of it went over their head -- they were making meaning of it. They were offering their own opinions, participating in the conversation."

Laufenberg used every tool she had at her disposal as a framework for her students to build their learning around.

4. TEACHERS TEACH KIDS, NOT SUBJECTS.
As most teachers know, when students recognize that teachers are personally invested in their success, they do better, and that affirmation of students' disposition can help students achieve more. "You can't ask kids to take risks if they don't trust that you care about them," Laufenberg said.

5. PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.
During the weeks and months that led up to the election, Laufenberg's students got into the neighborhoods and brought back stories from voters at the polls. Though they didn't always feel comfortable asking strangers questions, they went ahead with their assignments anyway. "If none of it is ever real to them, if it's only in books, it lacks interest," she said. "They want to do real stuff, but we are perpetually underestimating what kids can do."

6. EMBRACE FAILURE.
Laufenberg made a point of defining the difference between "blameworthy" and "praiseworthy" failure. Blameworthy failure is when the student just decided not to participate in a project. But praiseworthy failure is quite different: kids take risks and experiments knowing that they might not get it right the first time.

"No one talks about cancer research as blameworthy failure," she said. "We don't expect a five-year-old to be able to shoot free-throws immediately. It's a process, and we value it in other things, but not when it comes to school. Kids are not coming in as perfect little products or machines -- they're human beings in the process of becoming."

In the engineering industry, for example, there are "failure festivals" and "failure reports" during which engineers discuss the processes they've tried that didn't work. "We need to have kids do that with their own learning," she said. "Be self-aware enough to do something with that information."

7. DON'T BE BORING.
"I always told my kids, if I got boring, they should let me know, and if they got boring, I'd let them know," Laufenberg said. But here's the twist: kids may actually choose boring because it's easier, it's known, it's quantifiable. "They know what they need to do to get a good score," she said. When it's not boring, when the answer is not predictable, that's when kids are actually challenged more.

8. FOSTER JOY.
For a government history teacher, this last directive has been a tall order. But Laufenberg made a point of trying to create a space where her students were valued, where creativity was paramount, and their voices were allowed to shine through.

"It's incredibly taxing work, but one of the most exciting and meaningful ways to create transformative spaces," she said.

Above all, what she wants to instill in her students is a sense of self-sufficiency.

"If by the end of the year, they still need me, I haven't done my job," she said. "I'm not coming with them to college. They have to be self-driven, independent thinkers."

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Creating Classrooms We Need: 8 Ways Into Inquiry Learning

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2. FOSTER INQUIRY BY SCAFFOLDING CURIOSITY. Teachers always come up to Laufenberg wanting to learn more about her progressive pedagogy -- and they invariably ask, "But when do you just tell them things? Don't you have to just tell them sometimes?" Laufenberg's answer: Get them curious enough in the subject to do research on their own.

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How to start an inquiry process in Kindy

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How to start an inquiry process in Kindy

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Project/Inquiry Based Learning has been a passion of mine ever since I discovered it about 5 years ago. Since then, I have stepped out of my comfort zone and transformed the way I teach from a typical Thematic Based style through baby steps taken each year and with the help of an amazing on-line community of teachers with the same passion (you all know who you are!). My first baby step was taking themes and science/social studies standards and making them more student lead and project based. I got rid of the two week time limit each theme had in the past and allowed more time for students to dig deeper. I found that students would take my broad theme (oceans) and desire to dig deeper into more specific parts of the theme (sharks, jellyfish, ect.). As time went on, I was able to take the biggest step and totally let go of my themes and allowed the children's interests drive my instruction, incorporating the standards through those interests.

I am blessed enough to also teach in a district that does not mandate the curriculum I use. Curriculum programs are purchased to use as tools for our toolbox but not required. Us teachers are trusted and encouraged by our superintendent to write our own curriculum as long as the standards are met. My building principle also has that kind of faith in us as professionals! They know that when it comes to children learning what they need to learn, we are the experts! Project/Inquiry Based Learning is highly encouraged in all grades Pre-K through 12.

Some wonder how I plan for this style of teaching and how it flows. Here are some of the tools that I use.

Once I notice an interest from the students (usually found out through experiences set up for them to explore during play) , I find out what their knowledge and misconceptions are about the subject. Kind of like a KWL chart! I list all that they know about the subject we will dive into. Then I ask what they wonder. I list all of their questions. NOW I can plan!

I take their wonderings and create a web map showing the different directions they want to take the inquiry and possible experiences that will help them find answers to their wonderings. I got this web map from the amazing Joanne Babalis and her amazing blog http://myclassroomtransformation.blogspot.com. On the back I have all of the Literacy and Math Standards listed so that I can highlight the ones we will focus on through the inquiry and project. I add any Science and Social Studies Standards to the bottom of the web map. Here is the link to the web map if you would like it: Web Organizer

Once I organize my thoughts, I create my inquiry plan using a template I created based on one I found from a Texas school district. It was so long ago I have no memory of which district but if I find out I will add them to give them credit. Their form was 3 pages long. I tweaked it to fit it all on one page. I use this to show the objectives and vocabulary, plan the investigations and materials I will need, show how they will organize the data about what they have learned, possible projects that could result from the inquiry and how we will present the project to the community.

The next step is to start the investigation phase. In early childhood I set out experiences for them to explore and document what they notice. We also do whole group and small group investigations through books, videos and hands-on experiences. As we answer questions, we add the answers to our wonder chart to show our new learning. We organize this data in a web map format for all to see.

Once we have investigated we use organizational maps to show what we learn. In kindergarten it usually consists of web maps, circle maps, tree charts (can/have/are maps), and brace maps (to show part to whole). We will chose one or two to organize our data.

The next step is the project. We take what we learn and create something to show it! The projects can be individual, small group, or whole group.
Some examples of projects in our room have been turning an area of our room into an ocean, forest and sky to show how animals adapt in the winter. The kids signed up to be on the migration team, adaption team or hibernation team. They each became experts on their part during the investigation and worked on their part of the project.

Another project was our The Sound Exploration Area created for our school. They saw a need (an area to explore sound) investigated different ways of creating sound, organized the data and designed a Sound Exploration Area!

They have also turned the inside of our room into a great hall and medeival kitchen and the outside of our room into a castle wall complete with moat and drawbridge after investigating castles!

They have created murals and big books to show their learning also.

The last step is the presentation to show what they had learned. The kids LOVE this part and I've never had a child refuse to present! They are so confident of what they have learned and proud of what they have done that they cannot wait to share it! I am always so impress with their speaking and listening skills during these presentations! Sometimes small groups go to other classrooms and present what they learned, sometimes we invite parents or other classes to our room to see our presentation, and sometimes we create a video to share with others. They create maps, big books, and, get to show off the projects created at this time! Showing what they have learned through these projects gives the projects an even bigger sense of purpose! They can't wait to show others what they have learned and done!

I have never had so much fun teaching in my 22 years as I have he past four years! I could never go back to the way I had done it I the past. The benefits of this way of teaching are not only meeting the standards (the old way did that too) but the 21st Century Skills they are forced to develope when they learn in this type of environment. When inquiring, investigating and creating within thier own interest, they are motivated to collaborate, problem solve, handle frustration, persist if things don't work the first time, and learn from their mistakes. They have to use critical thinking skills and develope research skills. When kids develop these skills, they can learn ANYTHING!

My new passion that I am learning to incorporate in my classroom is Playbased Learning! I have been amazed by the learning taking place in this way also....but that's another post!

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How I Plan and Implement Project/Inquiry Based Learning In My Class

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Project/Inquiry Based Learning has been a passion of mine ever since I discovered it about 5 years ago. Since then, I have stepped out of my comfort zone and transformed the way I teach from a typical Thematic Based style through baby steps taken each year and with the help of an amazing on-line community of teachers with the same passion (you all know who you are!).

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Posts about Music Unit of Inquiry written by mrsburgy

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" How can I use an inquiry approach when I have such short sessions with the children? (some specialist teachers have as little as 30 minutes per lesson) How can we use inquiry when we have no time for collaborative planning with generalist classroom teachers? How can we help

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Additional Language learning through Inquiry (IB)

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Additional Language learning through Inquiry (IB)

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https://www.ibo.org/contentassets/71f2f66b529f48a8a61223070887373a/inquiry-and-language-teaching-embracing-a-conceptual-shift---lorna-caputo.pdf

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Inquiry through project based learning in Additional language

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Inquiry through project based learning in Additional language

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Insight on Inquiry: Starting the Year in Kindergarten

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Welcome to Inspiring Inquiry. The purpose of Inspiring Inquiry is to support educators in developing an inspiring inquiry-based culture of thinking and learning that embraces the development of a growth mindset, 21st century skills/dispositions, learner agency and an environment in which it is

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I am fortunate to be able to spend a lot of time in the natural environment. It is the source of my well-being and the sustenance of my curiosity. As has been noted by many, being in nature also helps keep our ego in check. It literally puts us in our place.

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What the Heck Is Inquiry-Based Learning?

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Teachers use inquiry-based learning to combat the “dunno” -- a chronic problem in student engagement. Check out these four steps for creating inquiry-based curriculum.

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Learning through Inquiry with Kath Murdoch

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Opal School Children on Play and Learning

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EtonHouse Broadrick Early Years Inquiry-Based Learning ‘Sharing the Planet’

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Exploring Limitless Growth: On Math, Mindset and Metacognition [Jo Boaler] Run Time: 52:32 - May, 2023 Tap/Click for more information

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Reggio Emilia Project Inquiry | Mulberry Learning Preschool

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The Reggio Inspired Project Inquiry approach is where we value children as strong, capable, eager, and resilient learners!

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Recently I collaborated with colleague and author of Leading with a Lens of Inquiry Jessica Vance on a resource to help cultivate moves, decisions, and responses in schools that are founded in curiosity. In our work with schools supporting them in implementing inquiry, curiosity is of critical importance. We often say that if we want curious kids, we need curious adults. In the face of the many decisions teachers make in a given day, we sat down and thought about how we could create some reflective space to make decisions rooted in curiosity.

With this in mind, have a look at the Planning with Learner Curiosity in Mind Flowchart. The prompts are designed to help you pause, reflect, and move forward in your work with soft steps of curiosity, invitation, and intention. Consider downloading it and keeping it close-by as you plan for learning and reflect on your school context. We would love to hear how this goes so please comment below or tag us in you socials.

Enjoy!

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Planning with Learner Curiosity in Mind Flowchart - Trevor MacKenzie

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Recently I collaborated with colleague and author of Leading with a Lens of Inquiry Jessica Vance on a resource to help cultivate moves, decisions, and responses in schools that are founded in curiosity. In our work with schools supporting them in implementing inquiry, curiosity is of critical i