Since first hearing about inquiry-based learning last semester in my "Supporting Science and Health-Based Inquiry" class, I have found this method of teaching very intriguing. I have never used it as a student or a teacher, but I would like to try it someday when I have my own classroom. I know from my experience that kids love doing hands-on activities and prefer them over traditional lecture and reading-based lessons. While inquiry-based lessons definitely take a lot of time for the teacher to carefully plan and prepare, I think it is worth it. Kids learn so much more when they're engaged and connected to the material because their learning is fueled by their natural sense of curiousity.
Inquiry-based learning would be great to use for teaching science. I have seen a great example of it done by 5th graders at Two Rivers Magnet School in East Hartford recorded on DVD for the "Dig In" Curriculum Embedded Performance Task. In it, the kids dug up their own soil and studied its properties guided by their own questions. The kids worked well together and stayed on task despite little teacher input. Throughout the whole process, technology was integrated seamlessly through the use of computers, SmartBoards, and PowerPoint presentations. I found the whole process fascinating and would love to be able to try something like it. It would be difficult for me to do now, especially with my second-graders, but it is a new way of thinking about teaching that I will definitely keep in mind for the future. I could see myself using it not only for science, but also in language arts and other subjects.
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Yes, it's amazing how inquiry is so natural for children, yet they can be so unaccustomed to using inquiry in the classroom that they need to "relearn" how to be curious.
Thanks for sharing the "Dig In" example, it sounds very interesting!
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