Hunter Warner

Journal 3

C&T 100

1 March 2015

Inquiry-Based Learning

The role of a teacher in an inquiry-based classroom is looked at in a different way from the role of a teacher in a traditional classroom. For instance, in a traditional classroom, a teachers aim is to teach a set of basic skills to the students. They try to hand this information over to the students with the goal being that the students master the proposed content. On the other hand, a teacher in an inquiry-based classroom aims to develop skill development and critical thinking, or habits of the mind. Instead of questioning students about particular facts or ideas, the teacher instead asks more open-ended questions that allow the students to build upon their perceptions and ideas in a guided manner. Ultimately, the goal of a teacher in this kind of classroom is to provide students teaching plans with a sense of purpose and inquiry, while providing resources and engagement to facilitate the learning. Inquiry-based learning is extremely beneficial for students because, like mentioned before, it allows the students to actually develop the skills, knowledge, and depth of thinking that will allow them to succeed. By actually involving students in learning, they will actually look forward to learning, exhibit curiosity, ask and use questions, carry out their own learning activities, learn to express their ideas, and ultimately critique their learning. Instead of learning outcomes, students learn to conceptualize material and make connections between their material and other subjects.

I looked at the Social Studies Facilitation Plan on thirteen.org to evaluate what makes a lesson plan inquiry-based. One of the first things I noticed was the amount of resources provided. Instead of just using a provided textbook or handout, students were asked to research on the Internet and use a wide variety of local artifacts to complete their project. The teacher guided them with their resources by providing some recommended sites to check out and examples of local resources. With the major concepts and key history skills, the teacher hoped to develop understanding and skills by allowing students to independently research, record, and communicate their knowledge. The focusing questions for the lesson were also very open ended, such as, What are the symbols, monuments, and attractions in my community, and what are the stories behind them? Since this question really relies on personal perception, it requires the student to think and express their individual ideas. The teacher also facilitates the project through initiating experiences to help participants reflect on experiences, and he/she encourages communication by eventually having the students teach the class about their own inquiry studies. Overall, I can definitely see how this is an inquiry-based lesson plan. Instead of going over a few key concepts, this teacher has created a dynamic plan that involves students in their learning in a thinking-based interesting and fun activity.