Three Weeks with Inquiry-Based Learning

As Week 3 comes to a close, it is time to reflect on the recent new understandings related to Inquiry-Based Learning.  Inquiry-Based Learning is a slippery idea; it is hard to define completely what Inquiry-Based Learning actually is. It takes a different shape in each classroom, so it is easier to define my its identifying characteristics.

Open Book with Question Mark — Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

One large fixture of Inquiry-Based Learning has been the Understandings About Inquiry.  These seven indicators identify what classrooms and lessons driven by inquiry ought to have.  Investigations are emphasized as well as advancing through inquiry in a rational, pragmatic way.  Students are encouraged to incorporate various technologies to gather information and analyze results under close scrutiny.  Although Inquiry-Based Learning is beyond a concise definition, it is good enough to have these observables. I am beginning to understand the start of Inquiry-Based Learning and the things the students should be doing.

Another idea that I learned is the Abilities Necessary to do Inquiry.  This is a similar list to the Understandings About Inquiry, but instead of a list of what the students should be doing, it functions more like a list of attributes that each student needs to have in order to be successful at inquiry-based learning.  Each ability begins with an action word like ‘recognize’, ‘design’, ‘think’, and ‘communicate.’ The Abilities Necessary to do Inquiry are a great roadmap for what students should be doing while they are doing inquiry.

Image used courtesy of Discovery Education

I still wonder how I am supposed to do Inquiry-Based Learning in my language arts classroom.  So many of the activities I see are concerned with making a hypothesis and testing it, having a curiosity and tracking down the answer.  It is very difficult for my to see how this looks in a language arts classroom. The lack of a solid definition for Inquiry-Based Learning really made me nervous.  I am more positive now, however. I recognize that there is a lack of language arts materials related to Inquiry-Based learning, but I cannot be the only person who desires these resources.  Identifying a need and fulfilling it is a great feeling, and I think that is what I will attempt to do. Lean in wholeheartedly to revolutionary ideas like Inquiry-Based Learning in a language arts classroom and boldly explore where little work is being done now.  My new outlook is quite exciting.

Image used courtesy of Discovery Education

I have two burning questions going forward:

1) Establishing a community for Inquiry-Based Learning is a key to success.  How can I establish an environment for inquiry in my own classroom? Is it just helping the students to feel comfortable with each other so they can work and share together?  My students seem to really flounder without a clear structure or pathway. I am afraid some of my students will falter because they get overwhelmed so easily. Learned helplessness is an epidemic where I teach, and I wonder how difficult that will be to break.

2) Most of the readings and videos I am seeing are focused on math and science classrooms.  How can Inquiry-Based Learning work in a language arts classroom? I hear it can be done, but I have not found many concrete examples.