Empowering professional practice

SECONDARY CPD DAY- MAY 23RD2014South Island School

INQUIRY- EMERGING

Samantha Rodgers

Learning IntentionsKnow: the components of an inquiry cycle and the common myths associated with inquiry Do: learn through a guided inquiry model in this workshop so you have both knowledge and process to build understanding on Be: a more confident user of inquiry

Workshop timings

Session 1: 8.30-10.15• Break: 10.15-10.40Session 2: 10.45- 12.30 • Lunch: 12.30-1.05Session 3: 1.10- 2.10• Short break: 2.10-2.25Session 4: 2.30- 3.30

Framework

TUNING IN 

Connecting real life experiences to new

learningSense of purpose

 What do I know about this

topic?What do I need to know?What are some possible

topics I am interested in? 

Your own learning

• Think of a time where you learned something new.

• What was it?• Why did you learn it?• What factors were involved in the learning

process?

Share and Compare

Share this to look for the common elements/ areas that were different• What elements make for memorable learning?

Circles of viewpointI am thinking about ……‘What is the purpose of using inquiry in the classroom?’From the viewpoint of a) a teacher b) a studenta) I think my role as a teacher would be to…b) As a student I think I would be able to …A question from this viewpoint is……

FINDING OUT 

Gathering information from a range of sources

 What kind of resources

might help?Where do I find them?

 

What do the experts say…

What do you think?

• Word • Phrase • Sentence

• Implications• Questions

The Learning- Teaching Continuum

Discovery Learning

Unguided Inquiry

Guided Inquiry

Didactic Teaching

Children discover that

butterflies can’t fly

when their wings are damaged.

The teacher asks the

students to hypothesise

the question – does a

butterfly need wings to fly?

The teacher draws attention to the size of a

butterfly’s wings and uses

questions to help students

develop an explanation.

The teacher tells the

student that butterflies need wings

to fly.

From: Babin and Rhoades- IB workshop

Learning according to inquiry characteristics

High Teacher Control

Low studentInitiative

STRUCTURED LEARNING

GUIDED INQUIRY High

Student Initiative

LAISSEZ-FAIRE/ ANYTHING GOES

OPEN INQUIRY/ FREE INQUIRY

Low Teacher Control

Comparing models

Using the 8 models, list the common features and differences.• What makes up ‘inquiry’?

Myths about Inquiry: Kath Murdoch

• Misconception 1: Inquiry is all about ‘the cycle’. We DO the cycle….therefore, we DO inquiry

• Misconception 2: The cycle is a recipe. We need to follow the stages in sequence for it to ‘work out’ in the end.

• Misconception 3: All inquiries go through the same phases over a similar time frame.

• Misconception 4: Using a ‘cycle’ as a guide, we can plan a complete unit of inquiry for students

• Misconception 5: The cycle is for teachers.• Misconception 6: The cycle only applies to

‘units of inquiry’ in disciplines like science and social studies.

What do you need to do now to be able to create an inquiry?

• Questioning techniques• Deeper knowledge of an inquiry cycle• Template to create an inquiry• How to monitor student learning during an

inquiry• ??

SORTING OUT 

Reviewing thinking,making meaning,

analysing information 

What information is relevant to my inquiry?

 

GOING FURTHER 

Personalising information,

Taking learning further 

How might I organise my information?

What is important to know about the

presentation format I am using?

 MAKING

CONCLUSIONS 

Synthesising and reflecting

 What is the main point I

want to make? How does it connect to what

we are studying?

Your student’s inquiry

What is the area/ topic you want your

students to learn about?

How can you tune them in?

What do you want them to know as a

starting point?How will you structure

it?

What scaffolding will they need to have to sort the information they need?

How will you monitor their deeper research?

How will they work: class,individually,

groups?

How do you want them to share their

learning?To all, to a few, to

you?What presentational

constraints are there?

Will any action take place because of the inquiry? What can it

lead to, in your subject and others?

TAKING ACTION 

What did I learn from my inquiry?

What can I apply to other areas?

What were the highlights of the inquiry?

Reflections

• I used to think, now I think…