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.
Mary-
ReplyDeleteIt is great that this course helped you shape what you have previously learned about inquiry based teaching. I also enjoyed this quarter for the fact we talked a lot more about the methods of teaching. It has been a very beneficial quarter. I feel like this has made me feel a lot more prepared to actually be in a placement and in a classroom setting. Would you say you feel the same way?
Hi Ashley, this quarter has helped me understand so much about how I might structure my classroom and the ways I might teach that information. All of the lessons that I have learned this quarter has helped my lessons so much.
DeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteI also thought that the culture festival was such a great idea to do in class. I thought that it was a great way to help students get to know more about each other in a fun way. It was also a lot more interesting and fun than just a normal ice breaker activity that is usually done in classes. I would love to do this in my future classroom. Do you see yourself doing anything like this in your future class?
I would love to do a similar activity probably done in a slightly different way since it will be in person.
DeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteThis quarter also helped me to get a full understanding of what inquiry-based learning is and how to use it in the classroom. This strategy has so many benefits for student learning that it is easily one of the best things we’ve learned so far. Being able to take away ideas that you would like to use in future classroom is such a great help for beginning teachers since it allows them to go into teacher with a lot of different strategies. I agree that the culture festival and civil war lessons are some of the best examples of this and are ideas I also would like to incorporate into future lessons.
Glad to hear how this quarter has also built your understanding of inquiry and provide you with activities that you would use in the classroom.
ReplyDelete