Wow-my final post for IBL! After completing this course, I understand MUCH more about what Inquiry-based learning means, and how it can be incorporated into my classroom. I also liked the clarifying of the meanings of formative and summative assessments-especially in the last reading (reference below). I'm excited to put some part of this content into every lesson plan I make from now until the end of the year. This has been a very valuable course for me.
Formative and Summative Assessments National Middle School Association:
Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom
http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/WebExclusive/Assessment/tabid/1120/Default.aspx
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Life got in the way this week, reminding me that questions arise in all aspects of life, and some are never really answered. I am starting to understand IBL more, but did not get the chance to concentrate on the readings for the week. I will be re-reading them before next week's assignment!
One assignment I did like was identifying the web 2.0 tools for each of the 5e themes. I am going to challenge myself to come up with more for each theme. I also created a template which will make it easier to write lesson plans based on the 5e premise.
Engage - Glogster, Pollsanywhere, Googledocs (or any real-time collaborative docs)
I believe anything that can grab a student's attention is a great tool. Collaborative tools such as Etherpad and Wallwisher are great for students to use for listing characteristics as well as recording questions to anwer throughout the process.
Explore - Discovery Education, Glogster, National Geographic, The Futures Channel, Schooltube
So many websites! I think this depends on what the theme is for the project. The Futures Channel is great because it has real-life math and science applications for the students to explore. Discovery Education has everything a student could wish for as a treasure trove of resources. Glogster has many samples created by students and teachers. National Geographic has many resources to address all content areas.
Explain - Glogster, Google Docs, spreadsheet, wikis and blogs
Explaining their thoughts through collaboraitve tools and presentation tools is an excellent way for students to collect their thoughts and data, and answer any questions they have formed in the process.
Elaborate - Glogster, wikis and blogs, Prezi
Students can continue to question, as well as solicit others' opinions, through wikis and blogs. Prezi and Glogster can help students start to compile their information and draw conclusions based on their data.
Evaluate - Glogster, Prezi, Voicethread
Final conclusions can be presented through a variety of tools, including interactive presentations (Glogster, Prezi) and podcast and recording tools such as Voicethread.
One assignment I did like was identifying the web 2.0 tools for each of the 5e themes. I am going to challenge myself to come up with more for each theme. I also created a template which will make it easier to write lesson plans based on the 5e premise.
Engage - Glogster, Pollsanywhere, Googledocs (or any real-time collaborative docs)
I believe anything that can grab a student's attention is a great tool. Collaborative tools such as Etherpad and Wallwisher are great for students to use for listing characteristics as well as recording questions to anwer throughout the process.
Explore - Discovery Education, Glogster, National Geographic, The Futures Channel, Schooltube
So many websites! I think this depends on what the theme is for the project. The Futures Channel is great because it has real-life math and science applications for the students to explore. Discovery Education has everything a student could wish for as a treasure trove of resources. Glogster has many samples created by students and teachers. National Geographic has many resources to address all content areas.
Explain - Glogster, Google Docs, spreadsheet, wikis and blogs
Explaining their thoughts through collaboraitve tools and presentation tools is an excellent way for students to collect their thoughts and data, and answer any questions they have formed in the process.
Elaborate - Glogster, wikis and blogs, Prezi
Students can continue to question, as well as solicit others' opinions, through wikis and blogs. Prezi and Glogster can help students start to compile their information and draw conclusions based on their data.
Evaluate - Glogster, Prezi, Voicethread
Final conclusions can be presented through a variety of tools, including interactive presentations (Glogster, Prezi) and podcast and recording tools such as Voicethread.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
IBL-week 5 My thoughts-it's clearing up a bit!
Assignment: Create a blog entry that describes how your thoughts about inquiry based learning have developed over the past week. What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?
I feel like the fog is lifting.I am starting to see how IBL can be used in all content areas, and how the Scientific Explanation can be written within a lesson plan format. I'm looking forward to writing the unit plan, so I can actually relate how I can use IBL with classes in the computer lab.
I also am thrilled to be investigating more Web 2.0 tools, and can see how these can be integrated into lessons and help promote IBL in the classroom and in projects. I am intrigued by the possibilities. I also love how the sharing of ideas in the class discussion forum is triggering the creative juices in me. I can't wait for the PSSA to be over so I can start with all of this in my classroom!
For reference:
Components
Definitions
Qualities of the communication
McNeill, K. L., Lizotte, D. J., Krajcik, J., & Marx, R. W. (2006). Supporting Students' Construction of
I feel like the fog is lifting.I am starting to see how IBL can be used in all content areas, and how the Scientific Explanation can be written within a lesson plan format. I'm looking forward to writing the unit plan, so I can actually relate how I can use IBL with classes in the computer lab.
I also am thrilled to be investigating more Web 2.0 tools, and can see how these can be integrated into lessons and help promote IBL in the classroom and in projects. I am intrigued by the possibilities. I also love how the sharing of ideas in the class discussion forum is triggering the creative juices in me. I can't wait for the PSSA to be over so I can start with all of this in my classroom!
For reference:
How to Write a Scientific Explanation
Components
- Make a claim about the problem.
- Provide evidence for the claim.
- Provide reasoning that links the evidence to the claim.
Definitions
- Claim: An assertion or conclusion that answers the original question
- Evidence: Scientific data that support the student's claim that must be appropriate and sufficient. Can come from an investigation or other sources, such as observations, reading material, archived date, etc.
- Reasoning: Justification that links the claim and evidence. Shows why the data counts as evidence to support the claim, using appropriate scientific principles.
Qualities of the communication
- Write the explanation so others can understand it.
- Use precise and accurate scientific language.
- Write clearly so that anyone interested in the explanation can understand it.
- Articulate your logic.
McNeill, K. L., Lizotte, D. J., Krajcik, J., & Marx, R. W. (2006). Supporting Students' Construction of
Scientific Explanations by Fading Scaffolds in Instructional Materials. Journal Of The Learning
Sciences, 15(2), 153-191.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
IBL-week 4 Now I'm confused again!!
I struggled a bit this week. I am still not sure if I can explain, or distinguish, the differences between investigable and non-investigable questions. I even have been confusing myself when trying to identify, as well as define, why questions are either investigable or non-investigable!
I am hoping that the readings this week will clear some of this up for me. I am pleased that I was able to see how IBL could be addressed in any content area, not juts science. I also got a chance to use the new Pennsylvania Dept. Of Education page and am looking forward to using it in my actual classroom planning!
Standards Aligned Systems website at www.pdesas.org
Sunday, February 12, 2012
IBL-I'm learning more! Week 3
Create a blog entry that describes how your thoughts about inquiry based learning have developed over the past week. What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?
I really have learned a lot this week! I'm finding that I am starting to look at the Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry and trying to ensure I work them into my weekly lessons. I understand more about the differences in IBL, and what teacher directed inquiry and student directed inquiry truly means. I am interested in finding out how to use these in all content areas, and in all types of lessons that can be modified.
FYI:
Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry:
Teacher-Directed (structured inquiry)- In this type of inquiry teachers craft high quality tasks. These tasks should target a student's "celebration of understanding." This is where students are expected to apply and use information in some way. The tasks are fully supported by quality resources at levels appropriate to the students' skills. Students who have worked through a number of such tasks, been supported with extensive scaffolding, have developed their own understanding of "good inquiry," will have built and developed some foundational inquiry skills and will have experienced success.
Teacher-Student Shared (guided inquiry)- This type of inquiry based learning puts the student (who have demonstrated a range of foundational skills) in a position to move into tasks that they negotiate with the teacher. These tasks will bring with them more issues in terms of availability and suitability of information, less scaffolding support, and require skills at a more advanced level. Students will be supported to negotiate high quality tasks that target application of information.
Student-Directed (open inquiry)- This type of inquiry based learning is the ultimate goal of "good inquiry." Here students who have developed a sound set of learning and information skills are equipped to work as independent learners.
I really have learned a lot this week! I'm finding that I am starting to look at the Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry and trying to ensure I work them into my weekly lessons. I understand more about the differences in IBL, and what teacher directed inquiry and student directed inquiry truly means. I am interested in finding out how to use these in all content areas, and in all types of lessons that can be modified.
FYI:
Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry:
- The learner engages in questions that can be investigated.
- The learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions.
- The learner formulates explanations from evidence.
- The learner connects explanations to knowledge.
- The learner communicates and justifies explanations.
Teacher-Directed (structured inquiry)- In this type of inquiry teachers craft high quality tasks. These tasks should target a student's "celebration of understanding." This is where students are expected to apply and use information in some way. The tasks are fully supported by quality resources at levels appropriate to the students' skills. Students who have worked through a number of such tasks, been supported with extensive scaffolding, have developed their own understanding of "good inquiry," will have built and developed some foundational inquiry skills and will have experienced success.
Teacher-Student Shared (guided inquiry)- This type of inquiry based learning puts the student (who have demonstrated a range of foundational skills) in a position to move into tasks that they negotiate with the teacher. These tasks will bring with them more issues in terms of availability and suitability of information, less scaffolding support, and require skills at a more advanced level. Students will be supported to negotiate high quality tasks that target application of information.
Student-Directed (open inquiry)- This type of inquiry based learning is the ultimate goal of "good inquiry." Here students who have developed a sound set of learning and information skills are equipped to work as independent learners.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
The evolution of my understanding of IBL-week 1!
Create a blog entry that describes how your thoughts about inquiry based learning have developed over the past week. What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?
After reading the assigned documents, and then compiling the assigned paper, I am finding that I understand a little more about what inquiry-based learning is. It's not just based on questioning, but it is a process of research and investigating and discovery. This is such a "let's think out of the box" type of teaching and learning, and I love it!
I am finding that I unconsciously include some format of the 21st century skills in every lesson I teach. What I need to work on is including the questioning, as well as more options for students to compile, evaluate, and use information that they have found in a relevant matter to the content I am teaching. I suppose that will come with experience. I am anxious to learn more about how to correlate the IBL objectives into my everyday lessons.
The readings for the week:
SCANS Report Appendix B and C: http://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/whatwork/whatwork.pdf
Understanding University Success- Introduction: https://www.epiconline.org/files/pdf/UUS_Complete.pdf
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills and their Route 21 http://route21.p21.org
** LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!**
Indicators of Development of Process Skills- available at http://msclifescienceinstitute.wikispaces.com/Day+3
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Inquiry-based Learning-my thoughts
First assignment for my new course on Inquiry-based Learning (513)!
Create a blog entry that describes how your thoughts about inquiry based learning have developed over the past week. What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?
I've been thinking a lot about what I think Inquiry-based Learning means, and how I can relate it to what is happening in my computer lab. I attended Educon this weekend, and many of the conversations were, in my opinion, Inquiry-based. We would start out with broad questions, and share what we already knew, and then share what we thought, and how we could solve these problems, or come up with other solutions. The process, as described on The Inquiry Page, was followed through all of the conversations. A question was asked, and then we would investigate through discussions among small groups, or the larger groups as a whole. Next we would create, by brainstorming for new ideas that were generated by the topic. Discussion was paramount to all of the sessions, generating even more ideas and solutions. We would reflect by reviewing what we had discussed, and personalizing the topic so it applied to our situation at our school. This occurred in every session I was in, from Using Art to Investigate Social Justice Issues to Google Earth and More, and all of the sessions in-between!
I did not-and still don't to an extent-understand the process to plan lessons based in Inquiry. I am a big fan of improvisation and conversations that generate more questions, and have thought of Inquiry as mostly composed of these two elements. I am finding out that it is not! I am anxious to learn how to "plan" lessons around our mandated curriculum, using Inquiry-based instruction models. This should be not only challenging, but, I think, invigorating for me as a technology teacher!
I would love to hear your thoughts on this-not only the process of Inquiry, but also how you already use it within your lesson plan structure for your classroom. Thoughts????
Create a blog entry that describes how your thoughts about inquiry based learning have developed over the past week. What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?
I've been thinking a lot about what I think Inquiry-based Learning means, and how I can relate it to what is happening in my computer lab. I attended Educon this weekend, and many of the conversations were, in my opinion, Inquiry-based. We would start out with broad questions, and share what we already knew, and then share what we thought, and how we could solve these problems, or come up with other solutions. The process, as described on The Inquiry Page, was followed through all of the conversations. A question was asked, and then we would investigate through discussions among small groups, or the larger groups as a whole. Next we would create, by brainstorming for new ideas that were generated by the topic. Discussion was paramount to all of the sessions, generating even more ideas and solutions. We would reflect by reviewing what we had discussed, and personalizing the topic so it applied to our situation at our school. This occurred in every session I was in, from Using Art to Investigate Social Justice Issues to Google Earth and More, and all of the sessions in-between!
I did not-and still don't to an extent-understand the process to plan lessons based in Inquiry. I am a big fan of improvisation and conversations that generate more questions, and have thought of Inquiry as mostly composed of these two elements. I am finding out that it is not! I am anxious to learn how to "plan" lessons around our mandated curriculum, using Inquiry-based instruction models. This should be not only challenging, but, I think, invigorating for me as a technology teacher!
I would love to hear your thoughts on this-not only the process of Inquiry, but also how you already use it within your lesson plan structure for your classroom. Thoughts????
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