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What is open-inquiry pedagogy?

 

In the model of open-inquiry, let me pose a the following questions to you:

  • What does inquiry mean to you?
  • How have you or how would you like to use inquiry-based education in your classroom?
  • What other concerns or thoughts do you have regarding inquiry and its role in education?

 

Post your answers in the forum below. (To post immediately, please sign into Serendip Exchange at the bottom of the right hand column. Sign in with Firstname Lastname, password = summer2009).

 

 

Some other thoughts on inquiry in science and beyond.

Portal webpage on Inquiry-Based Education 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

Diane OFee-Powers's picture

Inquiry and Listening

I am reading many articles & specific chapters in preparation for 'the Philadelphia Writing Project", which starts next week. One of the chapters called "Listening to Know Particular Students" makes the statement " She could not presume to know how to teach her students without taking an INQUIRY stance and carefully listening to them." This chapter is about listening to students, to help them become better writers.

This statement struck me because I never thought of inquiry from the teacher's point. I always thought of getting the kids to improve their inquiry. This statement demonstrates the need for teachers to use our inquiring minds to study our students and to learn their stories, and assist them in their changing stories.

Judith Lucas-Odom's picture

What Inquiry means to me

Inquiry is a process of questioning what you think is the cause to something and finding out that the answer leads to more questions. I use inquiry learning in my classroom. It is fun and it takes some time for the students to realize that the questions keep coming and some possible solutions are not always found immediately.
Cynthia Henderson's picture

intro

My interest is to create an inquisitiveness in my students fom an inquiry based model.As a first grade teacher I intend to take advantage of their natural curiosity about life and some of it's components.
Cynthia Henderson's picture

intro

My interest is to create an inquisitiveness in my students fom an inquiry based model.As a first grade teacher I intend to take advantage of their natural curiosity about life and some of it's components.
Cynthia Henderson's picture

introduction

I am a first grade teacher who is animated and would like to know more about inquiry-based education as it relates toyounger students. I  would   like to increase the inquisitveness factor related to brain and behavior in my students' skills and abilities.
LuisanaT's picture

Inquiry; Life and Me

Hello, just for introductory's sake, my name is Luisana Taveras and I am an upcoming sophomore here at Bryn Mawr College. This summer I am one of Professor Grobstein's interns for the Brain and Behavior Institute that just past as well an assistant for the remaining institutes including this Science as Inquiry institute.

Seeing as to how I am not teacher, my thoughts on inquirycomes from my experience as a student who (I feel) did not recieve a sufficient inquiry-based education. My pre-college education was a mile wide and an inch deep because non-inquiry based lessons just do not matter to a student; it does not stick in his/her mind.

Incorporating interactive interdisciplinary-based learning improves a student’s inquiry skills and is a valuable tool (please see successive post) for people at any and every point of his/her life which is why it should be implemented in all levels of education.

Babtunde A Oronti's picture

Inquiry

The word inquiry is coined from inquisitive. To me, being inquisitive is to be constantly making investigations about what is going on around us and trying to use problem solving approach in whatever situation we face in life.

Another important attribute of anyone who is inquisitive is that they must be observant and be analytical about what’s going on around them.

In my class, students are really encouraged to be constantly observant and ask questions about what’s going on in the classroom. As a result it’s not unusual for many mini-lessons to pop up as the main lesson progresses.

For the incoming school year and the future in general, I intend to turn my classroom into a learning environment where I’m not the only teacher but with a whole bunch of "teachers" (students) whom I’m going to challenge to instruct the class based on how they understand the lesson.

RecycleJack Marine's picture

Inquiry Based Education

Inquiry is looking at science through hands on learning experiences. Apparently, students need to touch what they are studying if they are to make a brain connection. The brain makes sense of what is studied if the hands can actually feel what physical objects are being studied.

Since I began teaching a mere ten years ago, I have always emphasized using hands-on learning as my teaching style. I was a nature counselor at two camps in Pennsylvania and all of these lessons were centered around the exploration of the scienctific world that surrounds us. All activities were student centered utilizing artifacts and specimens which helped students make brain connections. In the classroom, I use many of these same artifacts to extend the lesson which is also an opportunity for urban children to experience nature in a way unfamiliar to them because of their environment.

Two years ago at my school, I utilized several FOSS science kits to teach science through Inquiry Based science. This past year, we were involved in Governor Rendell's "Science It's Elementary", which lends science modules to schools. We received training in the use of FOSS and STC kits, all of which were created with a hands-on science as inquiry model. Theoretically, each trained classroom teacher will use their assigned module to teach science to their students. In many classes I actually taught for them, but some teachers taught too.

 

Diane OFee-Powers's picture

Model of Inquiry

Inquiry means to me:

-students and teachers learning together

-inquiry can also be student driven

-inquiry is a more interesting way of learning for the students

- is a way of learning concepts utilizing higher order thinking skill

 

I do not have a great deal of experience with inquiry because of the Core Curriculum. There are opportunities in labs for inquiry, although we sometimes gear the kids towards the outcomes that we ( or the curriculum) expects. The science core curriculum does offer a few inquiry opportunutues, but it's really up to the teacher to figure out how to implement inquiry based activities while staying in the time line.

After this program, I would expect to use inquiry based education in my classroom throughout the whole lesson, epecially before the lesson as a HOOK to get the students excited! The inquiry could continue through the lesson into the labs or activities, and continue through to the end of the lesson, topic, or unit.

Ayotola Oronti's picture

INQUIRY

Inquiry is finding out some information about something. This means trying to know more about that thing. I believe when students use inquiry-based learning they get to pull information out themselves. There is usually a chance to use prior knowledge and students get involved / engaged. Also there is a feeling of ownership as they get to open the treasures of knowledge.

My experience with inquiry-based education has been limited to my personal knowledge and ideas about it. I have not had any formal training or professional development in that area.

I intend to use the knowledge and experience I get from this institute in my class room to further enhance my students' learning. My students will get the opportunity to show what they have {prior knowledge} and will find out more with my guidance. They will be involved and engaged and most likely will be able to claim ownership of their own learning experiences.

 

Tola

bronstein's picture

What's my idea of Inquiry-based education?

Inquiry-based education means that we create situations in which the students are placed so that they create, find, and/or construct the knowledge we want them to have on their own or in teams. I believe that knowledge acquired in this manner will be imbedded more deeply and retained for a longer period than knowledge gained through the more commonly accepted methods.

I have limited experience with inquiry-based education b/c I haven't found a way to use it extensively and still get through the mandated curriculum.

Ideally, I would like to use it exclusively to teach my chemistry course. However, since it took several hundred years to amass the current body of chemical knowledge through inquiry, I have to question if our students have that kind of time . . . or whether the administration would approve such a curriculum design.

Susan Dorfman's picture

Pre-Institute Thoughts about Inquiry

Pre-Institute Thoughts about Inquiry

The first day of the 2008 Science as Interactive, Interdisciplinary Inquiry

I think of inquiry as a thoughtful question based on an observation of interest, possibly the result of a discrepant event, followed by an attempt to answer the question either by researching similar events in printed materials or by setting up a controlled experiment. Either of these methods assumes a point of view that may change according to the results.

In my experience as a teacher, I assume a pivotal role in the inquiry for my students, perhaps involving myself too much. Often, I pose the question and provide the background information. Then, I ask the students to help design the approach to an answer. This short cut permits more me to include more content in the course. I have used this approach in both biology courses I teach, Grade 7Biology and AP Biology.

I guess we are all capable of posing questions, but it seems to be the great intellects who are able to pose the important questions. As with most endeavors, practice helps to elevate the level of questioning, although I continue to be impressed with the questions posed by both my Middle School and Upper School students. The ability to ask the important questions seems not to be age related. As with so many other talents, practice helps but the starting point varies among people. Genetics and environment both contribute. Therein lies the job of educators. We can provide the environment for the enhancement of the talent.

I hope this Institute of Science as Interactive, Interdisciplinary Inquiry will help me to provide more practice time with inquiry for the students in the classes I teach.

Susan Dorfman

bronstein's picture

What's my idea of Inquiry-based education?

Inquiry-based education means that we create situations in which the students are placed so that they create, find, and/or construct the knowledge we want them to have on their own or in teams. I believe that knowledge acquired in this manner will be imbedded more deeply and retained for a longer period than knowledge gained through the more commonly accepted methods.

I have limited experience with inquiry-based education b/c I haven't found a way to use it extensively and still get through the mandated curriculum.

Ideally, I would like to use it exclusively to teach my chemistry course. However, since it took several hundred years to amass the current body of chemical knowledge through inquiry, I have to question if our students have that kind of time . . . or whether the administration would approve such a curriculum design.

Barbara Kauffman's picture

Inquiry Learning

Inquiry means asking specific questions related to a topic of discussion. I have probably used inquiry based education in my class, however, not in using that term. My students are continually engaged in asking questions and they enjoy challenging me all the time. When I don't have answers,
I tell them that we'll need to research the topic on the Internet. They are excited about using computers and I am, too.

Teresa Albers's picture

Inquiry means to freely

Inquiry means to freely investigate one's natural curiosity, questions, and ponderings on a matter. Inquiry-based education in my classroom includes using manipulatives and materials to explore concepts. For instance, magnetism involves working with several activiites that employ magnets and objects. Inquiry of this manner is generally done on an individual basis. Whole classroom inquiry involves much less hands-on experience and is grounded instead in mostly observation and discussion.

I would like to develop and offer a broader range of activities for children to have hands-on, self-directed inquiry based exposure to science concepts. I would like to explore the beneficial balance\threshold, for any given science concept, between unstructured (totally self-generated exploration) activities and structured (modelled exploration) activities.

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