EDIM 513 Initial Thoughts on Inquiry Based Learning (u01a1)

When I first heard the term inquiry-based learning two years ago, my mind immediately went to chaos in the classroom. My apprehension stemmed from my view that inquiry-based learning had to involve every student picking different topics and presenting in a million different ways, all while I “guided” them in the least intrusive way possible. While in an ideal situation this is how inquiry-based learning would look, many of us know that this is not always the case. Coming into this class, I had some background knowledge of inquiry-based learning thanks to my district’s emphasis on the topic in the last two years. Thankfully this has helped transform my view on inquiry-based learning to a more manageable system of front-loading students with direct instruction, which gives them the base knowledge they need to succeed. I have also learned that giving students choice, does not have to be a free for all. A lot of student choice can be controlled by setting parameters that do not change the benefits for students of inquiry-based learning. After reading about inquiry-based learning this week, I have also realized that in many ways it ties in very well with project-based learning, which I took a class on in the spring. I look forward to learning about ways in which I can incorporate both of these ideas into my classroom in the coming year. 


Most of these views have not changed after completing the readings for this week. I still believe that inquiry-based learning is important to help engage students in the learning process, while at the same time setting parameters in order to keep myself sane throughout the process. One insight I did gain from the readings is that students need to reflect on more than just the answer to their question. According to Heather Wolpert-Gawron (2016), it is just important for them to reflect on the process they used to get their answer. 


Two burning questions I have, that I hope can be answered during this class, are “how can I use inquiry-based learning in a rigidly structured curriculum?” With my district’s adoption of CPM, I feel like students’ engagement has declined and I hope I can learn some strategies for changing that trend. The second question I have is, “how can inquiry-based learning be used in an online setting?”  As no one knows what education will look like in the fall, I feel that this is an important topic to consider. 


-Kyle


References 

Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2016, August 11). What the Heck Is Inquiry-Based Learning? Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-heck-inquiry-based-learning-heather-wolpert-gawron

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