Download - Teaching as inquiry | An overview
Teaching as Inquiry
Karen Melhuish Spencer | | Te Toi Tupu & CORE Education
A journey of a thousand steps
Our learners – what do we know? • Where are they from? • What are they strong
in? • What can we build on? • What do they need
help with? • Where are there
potential barriers to progress in different contexts?
Who? | You! • How do you
prefer to manage your learning?
• What works well?
• What is challenging for you?
Why? | Adaptive experts “…inquiry should not be seen as an add-on or a project, but rather as a way of professional being for the educator of the 21st century.” - Reid, 2004, p. 8
How? Inquiry can be: • collaborative inquiry (such as data
analyses, discussions about best
practice, peer observations and peer
feedback)
• self review (programme reviews and
action research)
• documented personal reflections
(such as journals and portfolios)
• reflection in action.
“To strengthen performance management systems, data about student achievement needs to be the basis for the professional learning goals teachers set, and the reference point against which teachers and leaders measure the improvements that have been made with respect to professional growth and impacts for learners.”
Good habits for teachers • Clear, precise questions
focused on students’ needs, based on information
• Close observation of students feeding in all the time
• Quick response to learners’ needs as you discover what’s required
• On-going and continuous • Critical discussion about what
strategies are woring – and which need to change
Good systems for schools
• Inquiry as reflection in portfolios • Focus on reflection as part of
appraisal • PD that focused on inquiries • Research projects and self-review
that informed planning • Groups of teachers reviewing data
and discussing next steps together
What? | Frame a tight question based on data
1. How can I teach writing better using digital technologies?
2. What’s happening in other schools with e-learning?
3. How can I use a collaborative writing tool to engage those identified students who need support at the drafting stage?
What? | What’s going on for learners?
• Student data (qual/quant) • Observation • Video/photo/record ‘on the
fly’ • Discussion with the
students • Discussions with whānau/
community
What? | How can I learn more about what to do?
• Readings • PD • Connect to other schools/
teachers • Critical discussion with
colleagues • Lesson observation • Shared teaching
What? | What can I do differently? • Review why I do what I do now • Discuss with other colleagues • Open to learning
conversations
• Observe other teachers • Visit other schools • Research; connect
What? | Have we made enough of a difference?
• Student data (qual/quant) • Observation • Discussion with the students • Relationships with whānau/
community
Further reading… • ERO Reports on inquiry: http://www.ero.govt.nz/National-Reports • Leading inquiry at teacher level – Ed Leaders • Key Competencies and teaching as inquiry • Inquiry-based practice – INSTEP • NZC Online inquiry stories • Teaching as inquiry – Green Bay High • Teaching as inquiry – Noeline Wright • Teachers’ portfolios – Karen’s Pinterest page
Image credits by slide number. Sourced via CC Search 1. Image: http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1425/5183639345_65a12e56f8_o.jpg
2. http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/47/83/1478338_1968fd81.jpg
3. Timperley & Earle, 2012
4. Karen Melhuish Spencer adapted from Simon Sinek
5. Image: http://farm1.staticflickr.com/32/42542272_d2a781b838_o.jpg
6. Image: http://farm1.staticflickr.com/32/42542272_d2a781b838_o.jpg
7. Image http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Yemen_Chameleon.jpg
8. ImAge: http://www.aacu.org/ocww/volume40_3/images/OCWW_Cover_UPortland.jpg
9. http://www.edtalks.org/video/professional-learning-makes-difference-students
10. Image: http://www.iaa.ro/Articole/Opinii/7-motive-sa-te-intereseze-big-data/6272.html
11. Image: http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2677/4220139405_7c711a7111_o.jpg
12. Image http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Structure_Paris_les_Halles.jpg
13. http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4140/4767700249_9aec118657.jpg
14. Image: http://cdn0.cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/opportunistic%20science.jpg
15. ImAge: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/6941225411_b0b21a5f0d_o.jpg
16. Image: http://careergirlnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/life-changes.jpg
17. Image http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6136/5948710526_aebb479cac_o.jpg
18. http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/Articles/Article.aspx?ArticleId=7880