Submitted by Ben Johnson <author> (not verified) on March 22, 2008 - 21:44.
Jessica:
All I can say is: Way to go! That is what engaging students is all about! You have taken the plunge where many teachers still totter on the precipice. As I ready your response, it is obvious that you didn't simply throw your students into the water and told them to swim. Rather you were in the water with them and grappled with new teaching and learning mode as they grappled with them. Sometimes we do not give our students credit for what they really can do, especially in the early grades.
I had a great experience with inquiry learning while I ran a summer program for the University of Texas at San Antonio. We used the Ford Pas curriculum, which is entirely inquiry-based, on 30 high school freshmen (http://www.fordpas.org). At first these students did not know how to handle themselves. They were quiet for the first week and had to be shown how to work in groups and how to "inquire". After six weeks, however, we could give these students any problem and they would come up with a creative and collaborative solution. The transformation was dramatic.
When we as educators understand that learning cannot be accomplished by sawing open a student's skull and pouring in knowledge and skills, then we can begin to see the true potential of these students. We need to know in our soul of souls that learning is a process that the student has to undertake deliberately and methodically. The process can't be shortcut, and it can't be skipped. In order for a student to really acquire knowledge and skills, they are both the teacher and the learner. The classroom teacher creates the environment for learning, sets the stage for learning, provides motivation and encouragement for learning, models the learning, and holds the students accountable for learning. That is what you did, Jessica. Congratulations!
Inquiry Learning
Submitted by Ben Johnson <author> (not verified) on March 22, 2008 - 21:44.
Jessica:
All I can say is: Way to go! That is what engaging students is all about! You have taken the plunge where many teachers still totter on the precipice. As I ready your response, it is obvious that you didn't simply throw your students into the water and told them to swim. Rather you were in the water with them and grappled with new teaching and learning mode as they grappled with them. Sometimes we do not give our students credit for what they really can do, especially in the early grades.
I had a great experience with inquiry learning while I ran a summer program for the University of Texas at San Antonio. We used the Ford Pas curriculum, which is entirely inquiry-based, on 30 high school freshmen (http://www.fordpas.org). At first these students did not know how to handle themselves. They were quiet for the first week and had to be shown how to work in groups and how to "inquire". After six weeks, however, we could give these students any problem and they would come up with a creative and collaborative solution. The transformation was dramatic.
When we as educators understand that learning cannot be accomplished by sawing open a student's skull and pouring in knowledge and skills, then we can begin to see the true potential of these students. We need to know in our soul of souls that learning is a process that the student has to undertake deliberately and methodically. The process can't be shortcut, and it can't be skipped. In order for a student to really acquire knowledge and skills, they are both the teacher and the learner. The classroom teacher creates the environment for learning, sets the stage for learning, provides motivation and encouragement for learning, models the learning, and holds the students accountable for learning. That is what you did, Jessica. Congratulations!
Ben Johnson Natalia, TX.