Inquiry requires that students (and their teachers) believe in their abilities to learn for themselves. True learning is messy as students learn to make sense of the world for themselves, with their varying background knowledge, abilities, and skill sets. As I ponder the opportunity gaps that exist in education, I worry that I can't do enough to teach all of my students all of the skills they need for an unknown and global future. To this end, I frequently tell my students that my job is not to "teach" them, but to "make sure they learn." Sure, they give questioning looks, but as we discuss the difference between my role as facilitator and their role as learners, they quickly understand that they are responsible for their education and that they need to show their own understanding of the knowledge and skills at hand. This way, I can support ALL of my students in learning problem-solving skills, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and how to reflect on their own learning. This opens up the space needed for our students to take responsibility for their own learning, for them to engage meaningfully with learning experiences, and ensures that their academic foundations will be strong and their 21st century learning will continue to grow exponentially.
As I have analyzed the learning processes involved for student inquiry in my classroom, I've seen my students repeatedly get stuck in similar places - usually at the beginning of their research. I've tried so many different ways to help prevent frustration and distraction through teaching note-taking, questioning, and analyzing skills. I didn't want to go to structured or controlled inquiry, though, because my intentions have always been to help my students become more autonomous in their learning. As I began my action research for this Innovative Learning program, I learned that the hinge-point of my students' struggles was in finding reliable sources. So, instead of teaching my students what they "should" do, together we looked at what they naturally did and then tried some new strategies that are explained in the Learn More section of this Capstone Project.
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Megan BurtonInnovative Learning Archives
June 2020
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