Blog #6

I used Wordle to create my visual representation of a definition for inquiry learning:

Think Aloud regarding Mini-Lessons

I am planning on using a book club format for my mini-lessons.  I will let groups of students select their own books to read.  I will do one lesson on reading comprehension and one lesson on copyright.  I want my 3^rd lesson to be the students creating a story trailer of their book.  I want to incorporate book discussions on Edmodo.  I will emphasize the process, instead of the end result.  I will keep in mind the idea of “praiseworthy failure.”

8 principles of inquiry learning:

Authenticity– “Authenticity includes tasks, activities or work that is associated with a result or outcome that has clear meaning and value to the student.”- Schletchy.  For my mini-lessons, I will attempt to create lessons that are authentic for the students, which hold genuine meaning for them.  For my book club, the students will choose their own book, which will provide authenticity for them.

Deep understanding– Educators must think through how the knowledge and skills they are teaching students fit into the “big picture” of the topic.  The teach inquiry website states “the challenge for educators is to make use of the engagement that is made possible through authentic, hands-on learning in ways that develop deep understanding of the subject at hand.”  Through this study, I want my students to understand the value of reading literature, understand what they read, and appreciate the use of technology.

Performances of understanding– The Harvard Graduate School of Education is quoted on the Teach Inquiry as saying, “Instead of rehearsing or recreating knowledge produced by others, performances of understanding engage students in creating their own understandings.”  To me, this says that students will show more understanding through performing or demonstrating their knowledge than in taking a traditional paper and pencil test.  For my lessons, students will demonstrate an understanding through a performance, or creating their story trailer for the book they selected.

Assessment– Assessment should be on-going and provide students with frequent feedback.  I believe formative assessments are more useful than summative assessments.  As Linda Darling Hammond notes on the Teach Inquiry website states, “frequently use formative assessments to improve student learning and guide teachers’ instructional practices throughout the process.”  For this project, students will be provided a rubric for assessment.  For the reading comprehension lesson, I will have the students develop their own questions to show their understanding.  Finally, I will have students explain what they learned at the conclusion of the lessons.

Appropriate use of technology– According to the Teach Inquiry website, effective technology integration including collaboration, sharing of ideas, and open access.  This project will include curated resources for each lesson, the use of web 2.0 tools for creating a story trailer and book discussions.  Liz Karen-Kolb’s article discusses engagement, enhancement, and extension.  I will attempt to engage students in this project by motivating students through their choice of books.  She notes that “enhancement is the use of technology to develop understanding of learning goals that could not have been accomplished without tools.”  The story trailer and the use of Edmodo for book discussions meet this enhancement criteria.  These lessons extend the use of technology by allowing students to use Edmodo throughout the day, and at home, to conduct book discussions.

Connecting with experts– Experts are an important aspect of inquiry learning.  The Teach Inquiry website points to three areas experts can impact inquiry learning include the introduction to current and accurate information, data, and questions, can provide standards of excellence, and can show how student work mirrors work in the “real world.”  These lessons will connect with experts using technology.  The students can research their books and authors online to get their expert knowledge of the subject.  They can also locate expert information on creating their story trailer.

Student success for all– In inquiry learning, it is important to incorporate the tenets of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).  In my lessons, students will be able to work in groups.  They will be able to self-pace their group’s reading of their book.  They will be able to select web 2.0 tools to use.  The students will have the opportunity to demonstrate learning in multiple ways.

Ethical citizenship– It is important to teach students to be ethical digital citizens.  This project will include a lesson on copyright laws and the internet.  This lesson will be conducted prior to the book trailer lesson.  Particularly, the copyright lesson will emphasize ethical use of images, pictures, music, sounds, and videos.