Inquiry as a Way of Life

Audience: STEM Waukesha Teachers

How do we learn? Learning is an incredibly complex process that results in an actual, physical change in the brain.  When we learn, we are transformed.  Our lives, perspectives and actions change for the remainder of our lives.  So how do we provide rich learning experiences that ensure both understanding and transfer of the concepts, skills and strategies that support our navigation through the world around us?

First, it is important to understand what actually happens in the brain during learner.  In Jame Zull’s book, The Art of Changing the Brain, Zull outlines a learning process (or learning cycle) that employs the biology of the brain and gives us insight into the conditions that need to be present for learning to take place. (We highly recommend reading this book!)

This first stage of learning, the gathering, begins with a feeling or emotion.  There is a motivation or need to know ignited within the learner.  When we consider ways to personalize learning, beginning with learner interests and passions is an important way to ensure engagement and ownership of learning.  From here, the teacher crafts an inquiry experience, based on what we have learned about what motivates our learners, that guides them through the remainder of Zull’s cycle of learning.  

Inquiry is so important to personalizing learning, we believe it should have it’s own cell in the The Institute’s Learning and Teaching Practices within the Honeycomb. This is also why Process Thinking is one of our Big Rocks at STEM. Within this Big Rock, we also engage learners in Design Thinking and that will be a focus of a future blog post.

From the moment we are born, we begin to engage in inquiry as a process for learning. Take a look at this video of a baby learning to walk. As you watch, consider the following questions:

-How does Zull’s theory fit with this learner’s accomplishment?

-What is the role of the learner (baby)?

-What is the role of the facilitator (parent)?

-What is the role of the community (brother, sister, grandma)?

Hawthorne STEM Teachers: This week in STEM PD (Wednesday, September 28th) we will view the video of a baby learning to walk together and have a conversation about what we notice. Then, you will have an opportunity to work in level teams to reflect on the same questions in regards to the inquiry experience you are developing. Please bring anything you need to work on developing your inquiry experience to STEM PD with you.

STEM Randall Teachers: This would be a wonderful activity to engage in during level PLCs.

Take care,
Talk soon,