EDIM-513 Inquiry Based Learning

EDIM-513 Inquiry Based Learning

 Week 1 - Initial blog post When I first started reading about Inquiry based learning I thought it could be very different than the current structure of teaching in my classroom. The first part is to create student interest (ASK). Next, is for students to INVESTIGATE or find background information and research the topic. Next, students should CREATE something such as a presentation or some type of product (brochure, Glogster Poster, Prezi presentation. Lastly, students PRESENT, DISCUSS and REFLECT. Most of the projects and activities in class already include similar components of class discussions and student reflections. When I looked back at the structure and also an example of an Inquiry Unit on careers I found that what exists in my classroom is not that different.

What new insights have I developed? I am hesitant to loosen the reigns of my class and have lessons be more students driven. I think that I am looking for certainty in each lesson. The students are programmed to look for certainty also. In many lessons students needs a specific desired outcome to achieve the level of expertise and grade that they want.

The questions that I have are how do you use and implement Inquiry based learning and also make sure that students are prepared for the assessments and exams? If the students drive the direction of the lessons how do you make sure that they are getting exactly what they need?