LookLike

=**What does Inquiry look like, sound like, and feel like?**=

**What Does an Inquiry-Based Learning Classroom Look Like?**
As mentioned earlier, Inquiry-based learning within a classroom is really about seeing a change take place in the way students learn and work together. The focus is on content, process, product, and interaction. The approach with which content is presented, the process students will work through, the choice of product to demonstrate learning, and how the teacher interacts with students are made meaningful and relevant for the learners, as compared to the traditional presenting of information and testing using knowledge questions. An interesting article entitled [|If I Teach This Way, Am I Doing My Job?] by Debra Sprague and Christopher Dede, takes a look at a variety of classroom situations that provide insight into this constructivist idea of Inquiry.



**An inquiry-based classroom encourages:**

 * 1) authentic, realistic, and engaging problems and explorations that are directly linked to our curriculum and that have relevance to the real world outside the school walls.
 * 2) students taking ownership of the learning process by being curious and asking meaningful and relevant questions that result in excitement, engagement, and enthusiasm for future learning, and becoming involved with the assessment process for themselves and their peers.
 * 3) student findings to be discussed, reflected upon, and interpreted.
 * 4) teachers acting as learners also, where they collaborate right along with the students and interact more often on an individual or small group basis. Everyone learns together within this process.
 * 5) teachers facilitate the learning process through discussion, further questioning, support, guidance, observational assessment, providing feedback, and monitoring. As Carol Ann Tomlinson once said, “a teacher should be the guide on the side, rather than the sage on the stage”.
 * 6) experts from the community can become involved with the inquiry, either by the request of the student or the teacher. Who are your local experts and how can you bring them into your classroom?
 * 7) students can use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to approach or solve a problem.
 * 8) Students can display or represent their learning and findings in a variety of different ways. From utilizing Web 2.0 tools to learning modalities that are considered to be their strong suit.
 * 9) assessment is used as a tool throughout (for, as, and of) to increase learning, allowing students to create evaluation rubric criteria, set goals, reflect upon the process, and re-evaluate.
 * 10) learning may go in an entirely different direction than first thought of at the beginning of the inquiry and “that is OK” if it is student driven and teacher guided/supported.

In his recent blog posting entitled [|Technology-Transformed Learning Environments], David Warlick, educational consultant, innovator, and author, has has outlined what technology-infused learning would look like within a classroom. As you read through his list of 5 different suggestions it is very easy to see that he is describing Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning. The commonalities to the list we have provided you with above are uncanny.

Classroom Video: Chapter 5 - Guided Inquiry incorporating Media Literacy Chapter 6 - Multiple Learning Styles & Co-operative Learning media type="youtube" key="DOTn7FS_VKU" height="295" width="480"

Classroom Video: Chapter 8 - Experiential Learning, Scientific Inquiry, Guiding Questions, and Metacognition**
 * Chapter 7 - Socratic Inquiry, Discussion Roles & Responsibilities, Use of Evidence, and Peer Assessment

media type="youtube" key="ouio5gADdDU" height="295" width="480"

Classroom Videos demonstrating many of the criteria listed above: //Journey North: Children Practice Real Science by Monitoring Monarchs// Thousands of students track migration patterns of butterflies and other species as part of this online project. http://www.edutopia.org/journey-north media type="custom" key="5610417" align="center"

//Applying Math Skills to a Real-World Problem// Students in Eeva Reeder's geometry class design schools for 2050 http://www.edutopia.org/mountlake-terrace-high-school

media type="custom" key="5610421" align="center"

//Overview: Technology Empowers Student Fieldwork// Fourth-grade students make meaningful contributions to science through the nationwide NatureMapping program. http://www.edutopia.org/toad-tracking media type="custom" key="5610425" align="center"

//The Geo-Literacy Project: Students Use Technology to Explore Their World// Teacher Eva La Mar's third graders become historians, writers, and videographers as they explore the geography and geology of their community. http://www.edutopia.org/geo-literacy-project media type="custom" key="5610433" align="center"

//A Community Collaborates in Education// C.P. Squires Elementary School harnesses parents, businesspeople, and retirees for academic and financial support and to staff after-school programs. http://www.edutopia.org/las-vegas-c-p-squires-elementary

media type="custom" key="5610437" align="center"

//Overview: The Build SF Institute's School-to-Career Program// Architectural projects and internships integrate real-life math, science, design, and technology skills for San Francisco high school students. http://www.edutopia.org/learning-design

media type="custom" key="5610441" align="center"

//Collaborating to Compete: Teens Come Together to Put Robots Together// Participation on their high school robotics team provides Colorado students with valuable lessons in applied mathematics and engineering -- and in the importance of teamwork http://www.edutopia.org/poudre-high-school-robotics

media type="custom" key="5610447" align="center"

//Kids Represent Their Work Through Tech// A school uses technology to help provide top-of-the-line education for all students http://www.edutopia.org/expeditionary-learning-maine-video