Inquiry-Based Instruction

During the last couple of weeks, we’ve been focusing on Chapter 5 (Howe’s book) entitled ‘Teaching Science as Inquiry’. The author explains that inquiry-based instruction leads to deeper understanding, and that “the National Research Council recommends this method for teaching science at all levels” (p.108). She explains that "The rationale for inquiry is that learning is more meaningful and lasting if children are given opportunities to ask questions, explore materials, gather data, come to conclusions, and discuss results" (p.108).

My question is: Do you think inquiry-based instruction can be used to teach other content areas besides science? If so, would it be as effective? If not, why not? And is inquiry-based instruction appropriate for teaching all students (all learning intelligences) equally? Why or why not?

REGINA'S POST

Is this OK? I am creating a new post by copying Regina's question from the comment section of Yesenia's post.... That way we can separate the two discussions. I am also copying Ana Stefany's comment as a new comment. If Regina and Ana Stefany want to delete their comments on Yesenia's post, that would also clean things up a little. (from Jeanne)

Regina said...

Sorry I had to do this as a comment, I couldn't find where to post an original question!

I had a different question in mind for today until about ten minutes ago when I went to check on the babies I nanny for. They are twin boys who will be two in a little over a month. I put the boys to bed a little earlier, and had to go wake them to take tylenol. When I got up there, both of them were sound asleep with a book open acorss their chests, and still clenched in their little fists. It brought to mind a question I have been asking myself ever since I began teaching in the inner-city schools of Brooklyn.

These boys are still not talking in sentences, but one of their first words was "book," and they know how to open a book, turn the pages, and point to things on the page, stating what they see. They mimic exactly what they see us doing when we read to the older sisters or to them. This is one of the early stages of reading. To many of us, that is nothing unusual, I know that was the case with my younger brother when he was their age, and I know many of the children I have babysat were familiar with reading long before they could talk. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many homes. Some children aren't exposed to literature until they begin kindergarten. I know that students enter at many different academic levels, but I can't help but feel worried when the majority of students in a school are starting school with little to no experience with reading.

My question is this- although we know these students are at a disadvantage when their exposure to literature starts late, but how much of a disadvantage are they at? How long will these students be in school before they can start to feel equal to the rest of the students? How would you handle a classroom where the background is so different from child to child? The overlying question is how we should handle an atmosphere in which the support from home varies so drastically... Is it fair to expect the same from students who have no academic background and students who are raised valuing literature as part of their everyday life?

In my multicultural class we talked a lot about equality and fairness- Do you think it is fair to treat students equally? Do you intend to treat all of your students equally regardless of their backgrounds?

7:56 PM

Coopertive Learning

I am a big fan of group work and therefore am asking you to reflect upon possible misconceptions and/or concerns you may have about cooperative learning? What challenges have you encountered with having students engage in cooperative learning? Do you think that there is such a thing as having too much group work and not enough independent work? If so, how as educators balance cooperative learning and independent learning?

Conceptual Misunderstanding

As we viewed in Dr. Han's class, conservation is a concept that many children need to be exposed toin order to understand. As teachers, we have to be prepared for concept misunderstanding and how to both prevent and help our students through them. Do you remember any misconceptions you held as a child? How were you able to understand that concept? How do you think this memory will help you with your students in regards to student misunderstandings? How do you think your knowledge of development and developmental stages will help you teach abstract concepts?

Differentiating Instruction

Griffin talked about how it's "challenging for classroom teachers to "accommodate the developmental needs of individual child (or groups of children) in their classroom." (Griffin, 175) Students come to our classroom with different levels of knowledge. As a classroom teacher, I find it difficult to create multi-leveled lessons that will benefit all the students in my class. I tried to create lessons that are appropriate to most of my students. However, I sometimes feel frustrated because the work might be too easy for few students, and I feel it's pointless for them to work on things that they already knew.
How do we build upon children's current knowledge through differentiating Instruction? What're some activities you've experienced or taught in a classroom that you would recommend?

Question - Maria Salazar

As Nieto suggests, we must validate our student’s experiences/background and embrace their “funds of knowledge” (Sleeter). Do you believe the notion of “cultural competence” will partake into the relationship you will be able to develop with your student(s)? Although we would all like to NOT use our “biases” in the classroom, how in turn will we as educators, “connect” and further develop our student’s learning and motivation? How will you make that “connection” with your students if you are not familiar to his/her culture? In what ways can our perceptions of “what they know” be underrepresented by our judgment (if we do not speak their language)?

Praise -- too much of a good thing?

Praise is effective when it is genuine, appropriate, not overly dramatic, and directed to specific tasks or skills.... Several research studies have revealed that praise is often given for incorrect answers, especially when directed to low achievers. (130)

Pupils in a classroom in which a great deal of praise is used are discouraged from learning to think for themselves. The primary payoff for the pupils becomes more praise; thus the probability of developing interest in the subject for intrinsic reasons is reduced. (131)

-- Ann Howe, "Teaching Science as Inquiry," Engaging Children in Science

Howe's section on praise as being counterproductive to encouraging higher order, independent thinking stood out to me because it made me reflect on the feedback I have given to students in the past. In trying to encourage my students, especially those who are low achievers and easily discouraged, I perhaps gave too much general praise for effort and downplayed the errors. On reflection, I believe I developed this habit because I used to grade homework rather harshly and correct frequently, which of course intimidated some of the lower achieving students.

Finding a balance between the two extremes of praising too much and praising too little is probably difficult and may take a good deal of trial and error. On the one hand, a teacher is in danger of discouraging students and reducing motivation; on the other, a teacher may be conditioning students to win praise rather than to actually learn the subject matter. What are your thoughts on the idea of praise being counterproductive? What have been your experiences with this in the classroom, as a teacher and/or as a student? What do you think is a good example of giving effective/ineffective praise?

Here goes nothing...

Probably an incredibly huge question but I thought it might be interesting: One of the readings for Tori's class this week focuses on designing curriculum by working backwards. First we should decided what we want the children to learn, what skills they should come away with, etc. and then create activities that coincide with those goals. Think of the desired end goal first and then ask ourselves what steps will get us their most effectively. Soooo...

What if we thought of designed schools using the same bakwards technique? If we started by identifying what our main objectives are for students' education and then created a system that most effectively accomplishes those goals, what would schools look like? Do the schools that are currently in place fit our objectives for student learning?