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1. I think Open Ended Transactional Inquiry is a great opportunity for engagement. I think it's important to use the science textbook to introduce important concepts that have been discovered and have set the stage for what students "need" to know to be effective citizens. But educators must offer opportunity to discover facts in a non-harnessed environment too. I have spent too many years as an educator who could not manage his classroom. This year I am 100% committed to have classroom control so I can effectively allow my students to explore concepts in an unconventional setting which they will use to explore their world. I think we have to engage our students in this way, and then challenge them to talk about their findings. It's a process that I want to utilize this year.

2. I think it takes more than a commitment to make it work. I will have to have complete control of my classes before I can have them begin any "free" explorations. This year I opened up my instruction to include open ended explorations. But I didn't have any assessment of how it worked, and my students weren't committed to the engagement either. So students have to be held accountable too, because the only way for this to work is if both teacher and student are interested in the introductory discussions, the process, and the evaluation. Then it can succeed.

3. Can I use it in my classroom? I am starting a new job in 45 days. I will achieve total classroom control, by hook or by crook, and then I will use this inquiry as a positive process to engage these learners, to help them ponder their relationship to their environment, and to evaluate what they've learned.

4. I am READY to try it out on my institute colleagues. You will be my guinea pigs! But I haven't chosen the topic as of yet...