How do you Inquire?

Inquiry based learning is such an important topic that we need to be focusing on in the classroom. I will be honest that I did not know much about the subject until this week. There are so many different aspects and avenues that go with inquiry based learning and with such a deep topic it is hard to focus in on what is the biggest take aways.

"Inquiry based learning is a process in which students answer research questions through data analysis"

Myth Busters:

• Students can not use data that they did not collect; inquiry can happen with data collected by other sources 
• All inquiry is equal; there are 3 levels of inquiry identified by Schwab Herron, more recently a 4 level model has been developed.  

Fun Facts:

•  You don't have to give students the questions; you let students discover the questions for the problem at hand
• The complexity of the inquiry activity can vary depending on  how open the class is
• Curiosity of students and the method can enhance the development of critical thinking skills as the students are learning about science
• The 5 steps of inquiry based learning are questions, investigation, using evidence, connecting evidence, and sharing findings. 

So what do you need to know about inquiry based learning? Well, you need to know the importance this teaching technique can play in your classroom. You also need to understand how to apply the technique as well as how you can implement it into your classroom to bring it to your fullest advantage. You also need to stress the importance to your administration and parents, with their support you can apply this wonderful teaching tool into your classroom. 





There are so many resources out there to better understand inquiry based learning and teaching, and sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words...National FFA has a lot of resources out there!