Inquiry Based Learning: Division Meeting

In December just prior to our winter/holiday break, the Middle School Division considered Inquiry-Based Learning, taking time in a Division meeting to reflect on current practices in the classroom that fall somewhere within the cycle of inquiry. Follow the link above to read about all that was workshopped during this forty-five-minute mini-seminar. After a brief but important consideration of "why" we are focusing on inquiry as a culture and community of learners, teachers were asked to look at the Stripling Model of Inquiry: Connect, Wonder, Investigate, Construct, Express, ReflectTalk with table partners. Teachers were asked to:

1. Discuss the practices in the Guided Inquiry Model shown above. 
2. Which elements do you routinely incorporate and feel enhance your current teaching practice?  Write these on a post-it and place it on the grid at the front of the room. 
3. Based on discussions and practices shared on the grid, which Inquiry practices would you most like to focus on next and why?

Lively discussions ensued as the table partners appreciated an opportunity to talk with teaching colleagues about their understanding of IBL. Most were able to identify elements of their daily practice somewhere in the model with the greatest number falling into the wonder/questioning or reflection spaces on the grid. Participants were asked to create a FlipGrid video reflection. The hope is that this reflection practice will become a habit and will help each individual consider their own question formulation practice relative to the topic of Inquiry-Based Learning. What do they still need or want to know about Inquiry-Based Learning?

The next few workshop opportunities in Divison meetings will be framed by this introductory work. We want this to be useful with a goal in mind of developing a clearer understanding of the differences between IBL and "a research project" and implementing this higher level, critical thinking model as part of their curriculum. The teachers were asked to use the FlipGrid reflection to consider who they might like to work with as part of a Learning Team. How might they develop and implement an IBL or PBL opportunity for their students?  Participants were asked to share Inquiry ideas they would like to pursue and identify the best way to bring those ideas to fruition. We will continue to offer Focus on Inquiry during electives for teachers to use as a studio/workshop time along with Learning Team members to further their understanding of IBL and foster greater student engagement with the inquiry learning process. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for January 22nd.
To read more about developing a culture of inquiry in our community of learners read our blog called A Culture of Inquiry: Asking the Right Questions