Getting There: First Steps Toward Developing a Culture of Inquiry in an Elementary School

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Getting There First Steps Toward Developing a
Culture of Inquiry in an Elementary School

• Anita Ko and Jean Prevost

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Getting there . . .

• An overview of 3 Inquiry cycles outlining our
  journey toward developing a culture of inquiry in
  our school which explore the questions How did
  we start?  How did we sustain interest? What did
  we learn?  What are our new questions?
• Some concrete examples of what inquiry learning
  looks like at different levels in our elementary
  school. 

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Getting Started. . .
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September 2009 - March 2010Connect and Wonder

• A few people in our school began hearing about
  IBL
• What is Inquiry Based Learning?
• Why should we use it?
• How can we use it?

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Investigate

• Jean (TL) began using Inquiry based learning with
  two classes and their teachers (Science centered
  Spiders and Solar System)
• Anita joined a group working on a teacher inquiry
  project on Assessment for Learning (AFL)

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Construct

• We connected what we were doing to the learning
  process outlined in the Alberta Learning Inquiry
  Model, Focus on Inquiry (2004)
• We identified similarities in the process to our
  current practice
• We identified the main differences to be
• RECURSIVE
• REFLECTIVE
• COLLABORATIVE

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Express

• Jean and the collaborating teachers shared with
  administration and with colleagues, both
  informally and at staff meetings, how the inquiry
  process was engaging students
• Anita and other teachers on her team shared the
  results of their inquiry at the district
  Professional Growth Council meeting

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Reflect

• We had many discussions on what worked and what
  we would do differently next time
• Jean wondered how she could get more teachers
  interested in trying IBL
• Anita wondered how to apply the inquiry process
  with her grade 2 students
• We noticed and increased level of engagement in
  both teachers and students
• New question How can we begin to build a
  culture of inquiry in our school?

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Building a Culture . . .
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March 2010 June 2010Connect and Wonder

• How can we begin to build a culture of inquiry in
  our school?
• How can IBL fit with our school plan?

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Investigate

• More successes with IBL were shared with staff
• TL shared Inquiry models with staff
• TL shared articles with teachers and
  administration, formally and informally
• Resources on IBL were purchased for the library
• Staff watched videos on 21st century learning
  like
• Stephen Heppell (21st Century Learning and Death
  of Education
• Learning to Change, Changing to Learn
• Shift Happens

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Construct

• In March our School Planning Council (parents,
  teachers and administrators) met to begin
  discussing our school plan
• Administrators and teachers shared learning
  around IBL and student engagement
• Everyone expressed interest in including IBL in
  our school plan
• Discussion followed and debate centered around
  whether IBL would be a goal or a strategy for
  increasing student engagement

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Express

• Our collaboratively developed school plan for
  2010/2011 included the main goal To improve
  student engagement
• The use of Inquiry-based Learning to enhance
  teaching and learning was listed in the school
  plan as a strategy for improving student
  engagement

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Reflect

• With IBL part of the collaboratively developed
  school plan, parents, teachers and administrators
  now had a connection to IBL
• We hoped this connection would help with time and
  money for professional development around IBL
• New Question How do we develop and sustain
  commitment to the use of the IBL process in our
  school?

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Developing and Sustaining IBL
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June 2010 June 2011Connect and Wonder

• Now that IBL is part of our School Plan . . .
• Where do we find the time for Pro-D?
• Where do we find the money?
• How do we sustain interest?

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Investigate

• How to organize school-based NIDs to include
  effective Pro-D on IBL
• How to apply for Pro-D grants from Local
  Teachers Association to assist with funds
• How to organize a Collaborative Apprenticeship
  where teachers are learning together and from
  each other, creating support and encouraging
  ownership

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Construct

• The Collaborative Apprenticeship team was
  established.
• We applied and received a Priority Funds grant of
  3000 to support the Collaborative Apprenticeship
• We began the school year with the first
  school-based NID centered around Inquiry
• -using an Inquiry model, staff pursued their
  own inquiry, exploring a variety of resources
  for a better understanding of What is IBL and
  how can I use it with my students?
• -grade teams made plans for their inquiry
  unit(s)
• continued

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Construct (continued)

• In advance of the second school-based NID, we
  used grant money to fund release time for the CA
  team so they could further explore IBL in
  preparation for sharing their learning on the
  second school-based NID
• The C/A team met for a second time in the Spring
  and shared learning with grade partners in an
  afterschool session
• Staff began to develop the wiki
• We developed a personalized model for our school
  based on a combination of the Alberta Learning
  model and the Points of Inquiry model
• 95 of staff tried IBL units with their students

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Express

• The CA team members shared their learning with
  their grade group partners
• All teachers contributed reflections to the wiki
• Students shared their Inquiry projects with
  parents at Parent Nights, with buddy classes, and
  on class wikis
• We shared parts of our journey with the PAC and
  made the wiki available for the School Plan
  Evaluation Meeting
• continued

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Express (continued)

• We gave an overview of our Inquiry into IBL at
  the District Professional Growth Council meeting
• Jean shared our learning with the District
  Teacher Librarians
• We shared our learning with the Minister of
  Education, the honorable George Abbott, when he
  visited our school
• We are here sharing with you!

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Reflect

• IBL works! We notice a definite increase in
  student engagement when we use IBL
• Support from administration is key
• Using the process ourselves helped us to better
  understand how to use it with students
• We needed to personalize the model
• IBL looks different at different levels
• continued

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Reflect (continued)

• Different styles of IBL accommodate different
  needs of both teachers and students
• We like how we can integrate curricular strands
  into IBL
• Collaboration is necessary
• IBL is not predictable or tidy
• Technology supports IBL, providing tools for
  learning
• New Question How do we assess IBL?

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Books

• Comprehension and Collaboration Inquiry Circles
  in Action. Harvey, S. and Daniels, H. (2009)
• Engaging Readers and Writers with Inquiry.
  Wilhelm, J. (2007)
• Guided Inquiry Learning in the 21st Century.
  Kuhlthau, C., Maniotes, L., Caspari, A. (2007)
• A Place for Wonder Reading and Writing
  Nonfiction in the Primary Grades. Heard, G.
  McDonough, J. (2009)

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Sites

• http//cbayinquirylessons.pbworks.com/w/page/30273
  195/FrontPage
• http//goldrushfurtrade.pbworks.com/w/page/3869178
  9/FrontPage
• http//cordovabaysocials4.pbworks.com/w/page/36437
  627/FrontPage
• http//gradethreeinquiry.pbworks.com/w/page/352017
  94/FrontPage
• http//grade2inquiry2011.pbworks.com/w/page/351856
  09/Polar20bear20Inquiry
• http//groundhogs.pbworks.com/w/page/35193188/Grou
  ndhog20Inquiry20Project

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Keeping it Green

• Rather than providing handouts, we would be
  happy to email this Powerpoint presentation to
  you. Please leave your email address with us.
  Thank you,
• Anita and Jean