Inquiry Based Learning

As lead teachers we attended a workshop presented by Jan-Marie Kellow.

Full presentation notes can be accessed from :

http://icwc@wikispaces.com

The workshop confirmed the direction we are heading. It also identified some aspects of our Inquiry that may need tweaking or further discussion and development.

We need to cater for a changing staff base to ensure that:

• Staff have full ownership and understanding.
• There is consistency throughout the school.

A suggestion for achieving this might be to have a staff retreat at the start of the school year. However, this would not cater for new teachers joining staff throughout the year.

Below are some thoughts we would like to explore further with the rest of our staff:

• Students working just outside what they know.
• Think of the reading process-shared, guided and independent process.
• Students, especially the younger children need the support.
• 2-4 inquiries a year...not all concepts would need to be covered under the inquiry windmill.
• Not all concepts/topics would need the deeper/ higher order thinking that we look for/expect in an 'inquiry'.
• Not always looking for children to create knowledge. We are looking at understanding existing concepts.
• A natural social action...some inquiry topics do not lend themselves to this...the action should not be contrived!
• Think about low level questions...sometimes it is totally appropriate to go out and bring in information about a topic.
• Inquiry concepts do not always have to come from the students. They can be introduced by the teacher. Students can take ownership through the questioning/wondering process.
• Students don't know what they don't know!