Inquiry Learning: Learning how to inquire according to Einstein

Inquiry Learning in my classroom and school environment is welcomed by my gifted learners.  Here is what they said, "Class is no longer BORING! "

The gifted standards: HOTS (higher order thinking skills), CPS (creative problem-solving), ARS (advanced research skills), and ACS (advanced communication skills) are incorporated into our lessons.  We get it!  We can explore, discover and use our multiple intelligences or strengths to complete performance tasks or to express our understanding or to guide our hypothesis' for an experiment. 

Oh, yes indeed! Science experiments are exciting and interesting.  The Steps of the Scientific Method make sense to us.  We know how to ask probing questions, digitally document our perspectives and reflect on our learning.  All of this is done using iPads, Flip cameras, green screens, and laptops-independently! 

PART TWO: PRINCIPLE #5 TECHNOLOGY EXTENDED

According the Principle #5 Technology-Appropriate Use of Technology Rubric, I see my classroom falling into the Developing quadrant, slowly crossing over to the Accomplished.  Based on my school’s demographics and socio-economic status, students are limited with “take-home” technology.  Many of our students cannot afford to have the internet in their homes.  A very small percentage of those lacking, will make an effort to visit the public library to complete technology-ladened homework.  Inquiry-based learning in the classroom, using technological tools, can be limited when the student population dictates otherwise. 

There is a bright side to the technological journey.  Our school district has partnered with Microsoft Bing and myBackpack Cloud platform.  This provides some flexibility with the use of technology outside of the school and beyond one classroom. 

Although we are limited, I have an advantage as a gifted resource teacher.  My schedule permits me to serve a specific grade level once per week for 300 minutes, focusing on a specific topic.  Therefore, I have the opportunity to offer a plethora of technological tools (personal and school property) to the gifted learners.  

Thinking aloud, I ask myself: “How can I engage my students, enhance my lessons and extend the technological use to where it is meaningful?” 

Science Exploration Class: Students can use the Web 2.0 tool Glogster or Infographics to reinforce  and display their understanding of The Steps of the Scientific Method.

• Students can use digital cameras to record their group experiments and team think-alouds.  This allows the students to review their comments and to capture images of the experiment.
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• Students use iPhoto and iMovie to upload, create and demonstrate their entire inquiry-based learning experience with the Steps of the Scientific Method.
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• Students use Excel for data analysis and to display results
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• Students use www.cueprompter.com along with the class iPads to type their Science experiment video diary script.  Their team will collaborate and record themselves in front of a green screen, using the digital camera.
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• Students will use Google, Bing and other Search engines to research royalty-free images that can be inserted as a background to their video diary (green screen).
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• Students and entire class are authors of a PBWorks wiki space; we upload our findings, videos and reflections; 

Learning Goals Revisited and Reloaded!

In an earlier blog, I posted three major learning goals for the FRIT 7234 course.  The learning goals have become professional goals that transcend all areas of my professional journey. The learning goals are as follows:

• Learning Goal #1: To effectively keep my PLN (Personal Learning Network) "fresh", refreshed and up-to-date or current.  In addition, I would like to learn how to identify relevant and beneficial articles to post and share.  
• Learning Goal #2: To become fluent in the use of research-based, learner-centered strategies, especially in the area of diversity.

• Learning Goal #3: To effectively identify and use research-based best practices in instructional design; collaborating with online classmates and worksite colleagues;

As I initially established the above goals, I thought to myself, "These are pretty hefty goals.  How will I accomplish these in a semester?"

Well....

I have made major progress with Learning Goal #1.  There is a true awareness of my PLN as an essential digital tool.  I am giving more consistent attention to maintaining and keeping it current.  In order to accomplish this task, I established a "topic suggestion" box for the PLN that has a date filter.  This allows me to keep my curating up-to-date.  In addition, I added a topic filter to curate specific topics relevant to the course and my professional interests.  

Modifying my goals is a non-negotiable, right now.  Currently, I am attempting to master Learning Goal #2 and Learning Goal #3.  Many opportunities have surfaced, giving me ample practice to effectively identify and use research-based best practices to share with colleagues.

Digital Fluency...My growth mindset...

A pastor of a global church once said, "If you do not know the purpose of something, abuse is inevitable."  If we and our learners do not know the purpose of Digital Information Fluency Skills, we will end up in the Land of the Doldrums, asleep at the wheel  (Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster).  

Digital information fluency is a safe guard for both the instructor and learner.  It is a guide, a map, a charted course that one should follow with minimal detours.  Teaching the self and others how to navigate through online research with purpose is essential.   As I familiarize myself with the Digital Information Fluency model, my awareness of quality surfing and online researching has taken shape.  Locating information efficiently: translating natural questions into a search query is a characteristic that was never relevant to me until now.  After viewing the Digital fluency model, it all makes perfect sense.  Mastery of Learning Goal #2 is not a distant goal.  

I have a clear and growing mindset. 

Digital Citizenship in Schools - Dr Mike Ribble

I was pleased when I landed upon this YouTube video.  I purchased the Digital Citizenship book last year.  This is an outstanding resource for all teachers and homeschool teachers.  Thanks, Dr. Mike Ribble.

Letting Go

As my students record their lesson reflections in front of the classroom green screen, using an iPad for the teleprompter and the Flip or Samsung digital camera to film each other, I ask myself this question: “Is this great teaching?” My students seem to think that class is exciting and interesting.  Is an exciting and interesting class evidence of great teaching? Maybe.  

In my opinion, inquiry learning can be a respite from the mundane, monotonous lectures for both the learner and instructor; instructional technology marries inquiry learning by addressing the individual needs of the learner and incorporating their multiple intelligences or learning modalities; and great teaching attempts to breathe life into the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in order to justify the relevance of inquiry learning and instructional technology in the classroom.  

It was refreshing to listen to Chris Lehman’s Inquiry: the first step in the learning process webinar.  I was encouraged and impressed with his vast knowledge and optimistic view of public education.   Mr. Lehman is pro-productivity for all schools.  While viewing the webinar, I recalled a short-lived, but excellent learning model entitled: The Leonard Bernstein Artful Learning Model.  The model had various entry points, with one being Inquiry.  It was designed to take students through an enriching experience of a learning unit, using a Masterwork such as: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons or Tchaikovsky's March Slave.  A Phenomenal Model that encouraged students to take ownership of their learning, while having fun.  Hmmm....I wonder is this the beginning of Grant Wiggins' idea of "Letting go?"

Grant Wiggins' authored a blog entitled, Great Teaching means Letting Go.  This is very good information however comparing a montessori experience and soccer epiphany to public schools in an urban district, especially in a low socioeconomically depressed area is a challenge.   Inquiry is great and It Can Be Done!  Yes, WE will have to deprogram and reprogram...and this takes time.  Preparing a foundation of fertile ground requires labor, sunshine, water and patience.  If 'asking questions', inquiry, and discovery were not cultivated at home during the first five to seven years of a child's life, the inquiry journey will take longer than expected.

It starts at home, when the parents are cooking, cleaning or working around the house and allows the child to enter into the project by answering his or her gradual, methodic questions. 

Great Teaching, Inquiry Learning and Instructional Technology: three main ingredients for a successful class.  Don’t forget, along with these three main ingredients, we need mentoring, compassion, empathy and a culture of momentous growth.