Since my introduction to Inquiry Based Learning I’ve gathered a greater understanding of the process. One of the most powerful reflections was through the case studies and video examples. One can learn about the overarching idea of Inquiry Based Learning through articles, but true understanding comes from seeing it in action. Given we compared a teacher directed, teacher-student shared and student directed classroom, we saw various perspectives. These critiques were a powerful experience as I dissected abilities necessary to do inquiry, along with understandings about inquiry through three classrooms. As we watched the unfolding of a multiple day science unit, I differentiated between teacher and student tasks as they fit into Inquiry Based Learning. Plus, the essential features of the classroom allowed me to see how our exemplary teacher and students were executing these skills.
Any chance I have to visit other classrooms and observe, I jump at the opportunity. For me there is no better way of learning through student and teacher interactions. Our district has worked on a professional development portal that showcases example strategies being used in the classroom. This is not only a great resource for new teachers, but others looking to add new strategies to their toolkit.
Having taught science, I began to think of how often I spent time as a teacher directed classroom like we saw in this part of the video. It's safe to say this rarely happened as we are comparing primary to secondary school age.
Seen below is an example of a student centered classroom exploring content together. After reflecting, I felt that with every lab my students had time to investigate the necessary materials. Given this was my intention at the time, I'm happy to say they had these opportunities. Every class had hands-on rotations where I would travel around the room prompting students much like we saw in our video: The Physics of Optics. I often miss the time spent as a science teacher working with Kindergartners through third graders, while attempting the inquiry style approach.
Through continued research, I’ve found a resource I plan to revisit this school year. As I focus on mobile technology in my classroom, I'm looking for ways to infuse Inquiry Based Learning into science. Thanks to Agents of Change, they have outlined apps that meet each stage of the inquiry process. Having reviewed the site, I have most of the apps already on my devices, so now I need to review how they are intended to be used during: wondering, planning, gathering, forming, sharing, and reflecting. It should be an exciting journey and I look forward to introducing this in our first matter unit in October.
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