Inquiry Newb? No Problem!

Here is how you can scaffold the process if you have leaners who are new to inquiry, these are some ideas to help in Kindergarten-Grade 3 classrooms:

1. Learners choose from teacher selected, concrete topics
2. Learners begin work on the project by relating it to their personal experiences
3. Teacher provides carefully selected resources, including internet sites, for learners
4. Learners talk to others, using appropriate guidelines, to gather information about their topic
5. Learners are taught skills for reading simple informational texts
6. Learners are taught note-taking skills to record their information, using different graphic organizers that are provided by the teacher
7. Learners begin to use technology to locate, organize and document learning
8. Learners create a basic project based on specific guidelines
9. Learners share their final project with small groups within the classroom (and/or their family)
10. Learners talk about their feelings and progress each class through check ins
11. Teacher identifies and shares evaluation criteria for the process and the product
12. Learners can play a role in setting evaluation criteria for the process and the product
13. Learners understand evaluation criteria for the process and product
14. Teacher monitors progress at the end of each class
15. Learners talk about what went well and what was challenging

What helps you scaffold an inquiry based environment?

-Kathleen

5 Tips for Successful Inquiry

I decided to compile what I think makes inquiry successful in primary classrooms into 5 tips for educators.

Please watch and share!

What tips do you have for teachers interested in inquiry based learning?

-Kathleen

Documenting Inquiry

Is there an app for that?

Yes! And it’s free! Let me tell you all about one of my favourites in my classroom:

Adobe Voice

“There’s power in your voice, turn your story into a stunning animated video, in minutes.” -Adobe Voice

Image: http://news.en.softonic.com/adobe-voice-slideshow-narration

Here’s a review of the app I made last summer :

Why Adobe Voice?

I love Adobe Voice for primary classrooms because it is easy to use and it gives my learners another way to document their learning! As an educator, I like Adobe Voice because it is accessible for users of different abilities and I like how it scaffolds the story telling process. My learners say:

“I like it because it’s easy, I just hold my finger down to record my voice.” -Grade 2 boy

“I like it because I get to take my own photos or use theirs.” -Grade 2 girl

“I like it because I don’t have to worry about my spelling.” -Grade 2 girl

So why not give it a try!

What other apps do you use to document learning?

-Kathleen

 

Why Inquiry & Wonder Journals

So…Why inquiry?

Research has shown that there are higher achievement levels for students in hands on inquiry-based programs compared with more textbook-oriented programs (Barell, 2007).

Does this surprise you?

Being a teacher today means meeting learner needs and interests, while building 21st century skills that will allow them to be successful. It is through an inquiry based approach that teachers can engage and motivate learners.

I found a great visual from educatorstechnology.com that shared who our 21st century learners are:

What other skills and attributes would you add?

Wonder Journals

Inquiry in the classroom is not something new, it has been around for a while. Many of you are already implementing inquiry into the classroom probably without realizing it. Something I find really important in my classroom is to model my own inquisitiveness for my learners, also known as a think a loud. Observation is the key to fostering our learner’s inquisitiveness. One way you can do this is through a wonder journal. What you do with a wonder journal is up to you!

Here is my popplet for what to do with a Wonder Journal:

How do you document and capture your inquiry journeys?

-Kathleen

 

 

Books to Help Learners Wonder

I wanted to share 3 of my favourite books which encourage learners to wonder, take chances, and discover knowledge.

Here they are:

1. What Do You Do With An Idea-by: Kobi Yamada (Link)
2. The Most Magnificent Thing-by: Ashley Spires (Link)
3. Going Places-by: Peter & Paul Reynolds (Link)

What is so great about these books?

Kobi Yamada’s book, What Do You Do With An Idea, is a book to help your learner’s build confidence in their ideas and to learn that their ideas matter! This read-aloud allows your learners to see a young boy bring his idea to the world and the importance of giving it space to grow.

Ashley Spires book, The Most Magnificent Thing, is a book to help your learner’s learn the rewards of perseverance and creativity! This read-aloud allows learners to see a young girl go through the challenges and failures of trying to make the most magnificent thing. It reminds our learners how to work through these problems and not give up when it gets hard.

Peter and Paul Reynold’s book, Going Places, is a book to help your learner’s understand the importance of exploring your imagination and thinking outside of the box! This read-aloud allows your learners to see a young girl model creativity and out of the box thinking. It reminds our learners that thinking leads to the greatest inventions and adventures.

I hope you will check these books out, I have also included the websites for these authors which have more wonderful books and ideas for your classroom.

Peter Reynolds 

Ashley Spires

What books have inspired your learners?

-Kathleen

 

Activities for Building Wonder

“The important thing is not to stop questioning; curiosity has its own reason for existing.” –Albert Einstein

Worried about where to start? In my last post I dove into how to develop good questions with your learners through play. My Wonder Wall and Wonder Centre allow me observe and better understand what my learners are interested in and what they are curious about. This helps us narrow down where we will go with our next inquiry study. Another way I guide questioning in my classroom is through KWL Charts and Gallery Walks. By having a combination of activities at the beginning of a topic I am more likely to reach more students and spark curiosity.

KWL Charts:

What does it stand for?

K: What we know

W: What we want to know

L: What we learned

This begins with the learners brainstorming what they know about a topic presented to them. The “W” is where the wonder and questioning comes in. This guides learners to ask questions based on what they already know. As a teacher this helps to guide us to know what students are interested in and how we can facilitate their learning. In my classroom, we often use KWL charts for science. Here is an example of a KWL chart filled in by a Grade 2 student about “liquids.”

  
Gallery Walks:

This begins with setting up stations around the classroom. These stations may include post its and chart paper or it may include something for the learners to observe with their senses. Either way the students use the materials to write down questions and what they already know. In my classroom, we use gallery walks for a lot of subjects. My last gallery walk was set up with 5 stations, which included a chart paper and smelly markers (they love when I put these out). On each chart paper was one of the 5 food groups. My learners broke off into 5 groups and had a few minutes at each station to list all the foods they thought fit under that food group. Approaching learning this way allows learners to guide their own learning experiences and discover knowledge.

I hope this gives you a couple of activities you can try with your learners. Let me know if you have any questions.

What activities do you do?

-Kathleen

 

Keep Calm and Wonder On

How to keep wonder alive in your classroom…

This week I am focusing on how to keep your learner’s natural wonder alive. A huge part of the inquiry process is asking questions and sharing knowledge. In my grade two classroom, we begin the year focusing on questioning skills. Naturally, young learners can ask quite complex, interesting, and challenging questions, but with teacher support and guidance, collaboratively we can teach learners to ask better questions.

Here is my top list for developing good questions:

1. Have learners analyze data or information

2. Have learners relate their questions to a framework of possible questions

3. Have learners play with the things they are learning about

The combination of playing with ideas is one of my favourite ways to develop questioning skills with my learners. In my classroom we have a Wonder Centre and a Wonder Wall. 

Wonder Centre: Every week I bring in a new item for my learners to “wonder” about. This relates to what we are learning about and begins the process of learners discovering knowledge. The classroom “buzzes” every Monday, as they are curious about what they will find at the centre. They quickly grab the magnifying glasses and begin to wonder about these items. This centre encourages easy conversation and leads into questions as they begin to fill in their “see, think, and wonder sheets” or post their questions on the “Wonder Wall.”

Wonder Wall: This is a wall in my classroom that guides our learning. My learners post questions they have about the item in the Wonder Centre or about something else they wonder about. As a teacher it leads into successful inquiries because from the beginning students are guiding their learning. The photo in this post is what my board looked like at the beginning of the year, I will post what my board looks like now after I return from Spring Break.

“Never lose your sense of wonder.”- Anonymous

How do you keep wonder alive in your classroom?

-Kathleen