Judy

This information comes from the link on the home page. Inquiry learning is: measured in terms of outcomes - developing independent learners - students sharing outcomes:celebrating solutions, decisions, thinking, outcomes, and understanding - 'good' implementation of inquiry learning deliberately ensures students have access to sound sources of information at appropriate levels of difficulty - a step process: teacher directed, negotiated, and student directed - wonderings and wanderings - tangents that students can go on (difficulty may be in what is allowed and what is not)

Inquiry learning is not: a way of integrating curriculum -not working in isolation [|Explanation] What is the definition: seeking info. by questioning (seems reasonable) - a complex process to convert information and data into useful knowledge - well-designed inquiry learning produces knowledge formation that can be widely applied - it is seeking appropriate resolutions to questions and issues

Application: context for questions, framework for questions, focus for questions, and different levels of questions.

My Quickwrite: More questions come up all the time. How do we get students excited about this? Especially those who don't like to be on computers (yes, that seems strange, doesn't it)? My brain is off and running in one hundred different directions. Learning how to use technology well is a major step and then how do I transfer that knowledge to my students so that they become adept at using all the tools on their own? From reading articles this morning, I understand that we have used inquiry from the time of birth so why have we stopped now? Students need to be more involved in their learning and see a real purpose for what they are studying. If this is going to help them with that then I am really excited about sharing with them and helping them become independent learners. December 3 Quickwrite: Wow! My head is really full, but is it full of really good ideas or a lot of things that I don't understand? Some of the tools that can be used from the internet are a bit confusing for me right now. I feel like I need a manual for step by step instructions to remember what and how to do some of these things. I am concerned that I may not have the time needed to play with these tools and will not be able to include them in the unit appropriately. Thank goodness I am not writing this all by myself. I think that the more technology that can be used by the students will enhance their love of learning. As I mentioned earlier today, many students are already using wikis in other disciplines in our school and are really enjoying them. My hope is that I can utilize these in my classes as well and really interest and engage my students.
 * Essential question for "Doing the Right Thing"**
 * What causes conflict and how do we know what is the right thing to do based on individual, group and/or societal needs?

March 20 Quickwrite from last writing day: The process of inquiry still has me somewhat confused. I find it difficult to pull myself back from giving the students the method and process to finding the answers. The biggest problem, I think, is coming up with the best way to get students engaged and finding the answers within an assessment and evaluation schema/rubric. I am getting more comfortable with the technological aspects but am still in need of assistance for some things. This has been a great learning experience and I have enjoyed being together with others of like minds. The collegiality has been very beneficial. I was discussing the inquiry method with another teacher from my school and we touched on Socrates and his method of teaching. He was all about inquiry; maybe we should take a few lessons from him. All in all I am excited about the unit and am anticipating sharing it with my students.**