After reading all of this week's information about the inquiry process, I am worried that in my environment I will not be able to pull off a pure
Inquiry-Based model of learning. My
students have IEP’s that ask for accommodations such as highly structured
activities, and a predictable environment.
While topic C and D both explain that there is a structure to inquiry,
and that inquiry is not a “free for all,” I am concerned that my students, who
unravel even when there is a predictable learning routine, might lose whole
days of instruction to their anxiety over the ambiguity of the end result.
My students have
many project opportunities in a grading period. For example, today they started a project on
the Geologic Time Scale. They will each
become an expert in a particular time period and era of Earth’s history. First I had them complete a survey to see
what they already knew about Earth’s history, and then they read from their
online text about fossil evidence. They
had a reading guide that I made that asked them to define key vocabulary and
answer some content questions as they read. They were able to choose to work
with a partner or to work individually. I divided up the time periods, and had
them randomly pick. Then, after we
watched a brief video that provided a general overview of Earth’s history, the
students were given 5 minutes to swap with each other for a an era that
interested them more. Starting next week,
they will use a list of resources and links that I put together using Discovery
Education’s assignment builder, to explore their time period, and gather
information. They have a note-taking
guide to insure that they learn some of the most basic information, and also to
make sure that they are approaching their grade level state standards. There
are also some more open-ended prompts that ask students to describe what they
think is the main attraction of their time period, what dangers human’s might
face if they had lived during that time period, and what features of Earth
during your time period are still observable today? Ultimately students will use their
information to construct a class Geologic Time scale using the individual
“snapshots” that they create of their selected time period.
This project has
many, but not all, of the characteristics of other projects that I organize for
my students. I always provide some sort
of visually structured note guide, a rubric and a project checklist to guide students
through the process. I usually provide
some broad background information either through a group reading or a video,
and then the students are responsible for exploring and researching topics more
deeply using a research guide and provided resources. Students always create some sort
of a product, and they almost always present the product to the class. While
many of the features of the projects I design could be components of the
inquiry process, I know after reading this week, that I am missing the mark.
While I include opportunities for choice, I think that I am controlling too
much of the process for anyone to call it inquiry.
In topic D it
states, “When first starting out down the inquiry path,
it feels different. This is a change, and change can be uncomfortable and
messy. Stay the course.” I am of a mind
that change is good, but I am worried that when I actually take this on and do
it the way I am supposed to, that I will stay the course and never accomplish
the learning objectives that I am accountable for teaching.
So some of my burning questions include:
What are some good strategies for managing IEP
goals and grade level standards while facilitating an inquiry based learning
experience?
What are some strategies that I can use to maintain a highly structured and controlled environment, while engaging in inquiry based learning activities?
My students often come in, or leave, mid-year
depending on their medical and mental health situations. What are some strategies for differentiating
assessment for students who are unable to complete, or bring an inquiry
activity to conclusion?
I see so much potential for using an inquiry model with students who have individualized learning goals, but the population that I work with is volatile, and I need to plan mindfully for their learning.
