As I look into the inquiry
standards I am using with my students I realize I already do some of this. I
really like the purpose of the inquiry standards because it involves the
students in a bigger role during the learning process. The students don’t just
listen and learn a new concept, the inquiry standards allow the students to
analyze their interest by questioning it and helps them to come up with a theory
taking the learning process into their own hands. I used the following inquiry
standards during reading time (especially shared reading time).
Standard
1: Formulate relevant, self-generated questions based on interests and/or needs
that can be investigated.
1.1 Translate
“wonderings” into questions that lead to group conversations, explorations, and
investigations.
Standard
2: Transact with texts to formulate questions, propose explanations, and
consider alternative views and multiple perspectives.
2.1 Engage in daily explorations of texts to make
connections to personal experiences, other texts, and the environment.
During shared reading time, I always
ask my students to predict what is going to happen. They begin to “wonder” and I
tell them to answer me with a question so they can investigate the answer as we
read. The students then take the opportunity to conference among each other
what their theory is and they compare their questions and why they have that
question. They get really excited when they are finally able to answer their
inquiries whether their prediction was correct or not. They then have the
opportunity to communicate to each other on how their hypothesis was correct or
incorrect and if they can relate it to their own life experience. My students
have limited communication skills so using inquiry based lessons allows me to
teach them how to put together their ideas in a thoughtful manner by gathering
information based on their interest and process their theories involving new
facts that may also have a link to their personal life lessons.
When I think logically about my own life and my own learning, I realize that I stay more engaged in something if I have questions. When I am reading a novel, I have a hard time putting it down if there is suspense and I don't know what is going to happen . . . I have questions about how it will turn out. It is the same where student learning is concerned. If we can facilitate a learning environment that is organized around THEIR questions . . . THEIR thinking . . . they are more likely to stay engaged. When we stand in front of students and feed them information, they are more likely to forget it. That's not what we want! :)
ReplyDeleteG, I love, love, love your sentence: "I really like the purpose of the inquiry standards because it involves the students in a bigger role during the learning process." You phrased it beautifully. Inquiry does allow us to engage in the bigger process of learning by asking our own questions and seeking our own information!
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