Inquiry Based Learning Final

This class is coming to an end, but the great thing about learning is it has the ability to produce on going yield. Being spring time, I think about the kind of plants that survive winter and bloom again (perennials?). Teachers need to reemerge from a winter slumber with something fresh. Inquiry Based Learning has helped me in this way. Just when I needed a little jumpstart, this class helped me refresh on some important aspects of my teaching.

I have learned some invaluable lessons about how to do design a classroom that fosters questioning in the learning process. Where many times in the past I have forged ahead, I am seeing now that focusing more on the skills and abilities of my students will allow the content of my class to stick in a more productive way. Another great lesson has been using a backward approach to designing lessons. When I look more at where I want the students to end up, I see that much of what I have been doing does little to get us to our goal. This is allowing me to center more of my time and energy on activities that are meaningful. 

This summer I will be creating some Inquiry Based lessons for my classes. I hope to start the school year with one unit of inquiry for each of my classes. The ongoing goal will be to do at least one a month. Another goal I have is to spread the word. Part of my passion is to teach other teachers. If I can help others in the pursuit of excellence, that is one of my favorite ways to apply learning. 

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