In our last blog, we promoted the practice of inquiry as a process for learning that aligns with how humans learn about the world around them. There are MANY inquiry cycles, processes, plans available to teachers that can be used to frame the learning experience. We would like to offer up the following inquiry process (based on Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels work on Inquiry Circles) as a suggestion for organizing you and your learners’ thinking around any learning experience you develop this year. (Thank you to Kristin Kobriger for sharing her visual with us.)
As a planning tool, your team should think through what each of these phases could look like in your learning community. There will be opportunities for learner choice along the way, and each learner will find their own path to the learning, but as the facilitator, you input and guidance along the way is essential to ensure the learners are acquiring accurate information and making meaning. Struggle is inevitable, and an important part of the experience, but learners need scaffolds to find their way back on track.
Teams often launch an inquiry experience with an entry event during the Immerse Phase. This event ties the inquiry to the Go Public stage and sets the stage for a common experience at the end. Thinking with the end in minds gives the teacher the opportunity to establish the purpose for the learning, a “need to know and share”, as well as grow the community that wants to learn together.
We will meet to work through this planning tool at STEM PD at Hawthorne STEM tomorrow (7:30 in the library). STEM Randall, this would be a great planning tool to discuss in your level PLCs next week.
Take care,
Talk soon,
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