Over the course of the quarter I have felt like I have learned, so much about inquiry and how to use it in other disciplines. My first exposure to inquiry-based learning was through math, but now I feel like I really understand the methods behind it and how to work in that type of classroom. The first quarter I worked with inquiry was kind of a struggle for me, but after the learning curve I understood why it works especially after this class. Using inquiry is such a great way to integrate different subjects and to make learning active for students. Students will be familiar with primary sources at a younger age instead of junior high and they are able to think critically about a question using the resources given over the unit.

I feel like this quarter was filled with methods and ideas for teaching. Before this quarter I feel like we have just been focusing on the content and how students think, however we haven’t talked much about the structure of the classroom. This quarter was a crash course about lesson planning and how to structure the classroom. During the quarter I was able to be a part of some great lessons that I will use and be inspired by. I think the culture fair is such a great way for students to introduce themselves during the beginning of the year. The lesson with the civil war is great way to provide with a simulation of an event and make it come to life.

Finally, it was nice to get a sense of what students are learning in the classroom and the standards that are used in social studies. The foundational elements assignment really helped me understand how form a compelling question then come up with the supporting questions. This assignment made me think more about how to tie the compelling question to both of the standards.

For most schools I feel like the emphasis gets put on math, English and science since those are typically the subjects that get state tested. As a teacher I can seem like this subject along with the performance arts often get put aside and gets little thought. My concern would be trying to find resources or support for project-based learning.