1. Student interest-driven

2. The teacher guides, provides resources, and facilitates

3. Teachers plan learning in response to student needs

I'd like to learn more about:

2. co-constructed experience

3. How to plan in response to student needs while still meeting required timelines

Question We Still Have:

1. What recommendations do you have for teachers who struggle with inquiry-based learning?

1) Students are central to the learning process.

2) Moving away from scripted lessons and instruction.

3) Move toward collaboration, open-ended questions and student exploration.

2 Things We Want the Learn More About

1) How to make lessons interdisciplinary and inquiry based?

2) How to structure inquiry-based learning in other subjects?

1 Question We Have

1) How can I have students provide meaningful feedback to help with future planning?

3 things we learned: students should be active partners through the learning process, assessments can take on different forms, make connections between previous learning before starting a new unit.

2 things we want to learn more about: creating more open ended questions to promote discussions, getting parents more involved in the inquiry process.

Our question: how do we get students more engaged and become active participants in their learning?

1. Kelsey introduced me to several research-based resources that support an inquiry-based classroom. (Ex. Gloria Ladson-Billings, Richard Ingersoll, and Sugata Mitra).

2. I learned how to teach students how to craft effective questions. (Ex. show students a picture and have students come up with questions about the picture. Then have students sort the questions into "thick or thin" questions.

3. I learned how to utilize the learner profiles to co-create an essential agreement as a class.

4. *Inquiry process, not a cycle.

Learn more about:

1. Strategies for creating open-ended questions to cultivate deeper understanding.

2. Retraining my approach to teaching/thinking that doesn't expect a pre-determined answer.

Question:

1. How do you determine if students are ready to dive into open-ended inquiry versus when they need more support and direct instruction?

• I learned ways to facilitate better inquiry based learning environments; for example, when introducing a new concept or unit start with a provocation to gather prior knowledge.  

• I learned that checking on our practices can help us to identify how to move forward within a unit. 

• I learned that changing the ways we collaborate, facilitate, or spend time in an inquiry-rich environment, students can make deeper connections based on how we approach the subject at hand. 

2 Things I Want to Learn: 

• I want to learn how to get students to work collaboratively and stay focused on the topic. 

• I want to learn how to get students to ask meaningful questions that relate to the unit. 

1 Question that I Have: 

• How do I make students responsible for their own actions? So that they can take control of their own learning inside and outside of the classroom. 

A.

1. Using what you have learned to build an action plan is building open inquiry.

2. Teachers play vital role in creating a flexible environment to enhance their inquiry based learning and understanding. (questions, reflecting, challenging)

3. Asking questions and exploring to develop a deeper understanding.

B.

1. We would like to learn how to structure inquiry in core special classes for assessment purposes.

2. We would like to learn better ways to have meaningful reflections with students to understand their learning/comprehension.

C.

1. How can we make meaningful connections with students who we only see once a week?

1. Gloria Ladson-Billings- She discussed culturally relevant pedagogy. I enjoyed learning about different activities and connections she uses to teach her learners.

2. I learned about a new way of teaching multiplication. Ms. Kelsey shared an image on the Padlet of students cutting out squares and forming different squares of a factor. The sides of the shapes of the image are the multiples of that factor. This is very visual, allows students to work together, and encourages students to decode patterns on their own.

3. Teaching Writing genres- I learned how to teach a particular style of writing without giving the title of it to the students and instead, offering samples of each style. Students will independently look for patterns and adjectives to try to identify what type of style of writing it is. After they find commonalities, I would then explain what type of genre this is.

   2 things I would like to learn

   1. I would still like more information on how to engage students who are illiterate and unable to independently complete tasks during activities such as Wonder Walls.

   2. I would like more resources or suggestions on assessing writing/rubrics for varying leveled students.

      1 question I have is how to teach math (or any new concept) with less direct instruction.

A connection I saw within the text is forming positive relationships to build self-efficacy and agency.

2) Challenges

A challenge I noticed was allowing time for conceptual inquiry.

3) Concepts

The concept most important is differentiation because it allows for a reflective pathway to make sure you have equitable learning.

4) Changes

The biggest change in attitude is being very broad and not being rigid with teaching allowing for Inquiry to happen in the classroom naturally.

Challenges: One of the challenges of designing an inquiry is designing one that is engaging and well-intentioned in a limited and confined space and time-limit. 

Concepts: The role of the teacher is becoming more of a facilitator and guiding them instead of just telling them what to do. 
Changes: The approach to inquiry learning and how we can introduce a provocation to get students excited about their learning.

The connections are purposeful and authentic. Students are engaged because their learned and lived experiences create a better connection for learning and understanding.

CHALLENGE:

Time is a huge challenge in our classes, where, weather, activities, field trips, standards, state expectations, absences, language barriers to name a few of the challenges we face.

CONCEPTS:

Some of the Key Concepts from the text were reflection and that different views and perspectives are valued.

CHANGES:

Moving from a timeline of learning to a more open ended learning through inquiry. Flexible process for inquiry based learning.

Challenges-Challenges that we see are time constraints, students have limited experiences to make connections with and minimal language skills.

Concepts-Allowing for more student driven questions in order to allow more collaboration, student driven learning and engagement.

Changes-Moving from teacher led instruction to providing provocations and opportunities for open ended questions. Moving towards setting high expectations and trusting students to answer questions on their own and with their peers.

When students are able to make connections to their lives, they are more engaged and invested in their learning. This creates student buy-in.

-Inquirers work to challenge and extend their ideas

Students are responsible for their own learning. They are able to explore topics that spark their curiosity.

-Use of concepts and questions as a means to construct new understanding

Teachers are able to put the learning back in the students' hands when they approach teaching in this way.

-changes to be made in thinking or actions suggested by what you are learning or from others

Teachers should be willing to step back and allow students to drive their own learning. They need to be flexible and plan in response to student needs.