MOVING FROM A TRADITIONAL TO AN INQUIRY-BASED TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM: one instructor’s experience

WHO AM I?

AGENDA 1. DESCRIBE VIU’S PROGRAM MODEL 2. DESCRIBE MY PROCESS IN ADAPTING MY COURSE TO THE MODEL 3. DISCUSS A STAND ALONE COURSE There will be opportunities for discussion and Q and A following each section

FOCUS ON INQUIRY BRANCH & OBERG, (2004), ALBERTA LEARNING Inquiry-based learning is a process where students are involved in their learning, formulate questions, investigate widely and then build new understandings, meanings and knowledge. That knowledge is new to the students and may be used to answer a question, to develop a solution or to support a position or point of view. The knowledge is usually presented to others and may result in some sort of action.

WHAT IS INQUIRY For the purposes of our discussion I am qualifying inquiry-based learning as a process where students are involved in their learning by a formulating question, and then build new understandings as they seek to answer their question.

STAGES OF INQUIRY 1. Students need to have the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to engage in inquiry. Prior or infused into the process. 2. Students are given the context and criteria for their inquiry and then develop with assistance their inquiry question. 3. Driven by their question, students move through material and/or experiences to answer it. 4. The answer is presented or shared and reflected upon. - In our program, students present to a small group of peers. Students learn from their own inquiry as well as the inquiries of their peers. The reflection, which is a synopsis of their learning form the inquiry presentations, is what is handed in to the instructor.

WHAT INSPIRED THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION AT VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY  Faculty became increasingly aware that there was a disconnect between what we were telling students was good teaching practice and how we were actually teaching.  A group of faculty reviewed research and current models and began to create a semester of inquiry in each of our programs to better model innovative practice.

VIDEO

WE HAVE TWO PROGRAMS THAT ARE BOTH DONE IN A COHORT MODEL Bachelor of Education Have completed 2 years of prerequisites 3 rd year S1 3 rd year S2 4 th year S1 4 th year S2 5 th year S1 5 th year S2 Post Bach Degree Have a bachelor s degree 5 th year S1 5 th year S2 6 th year S1

POD SYSTEM  Pod groups are groups of 5 – 8 students who will work together  Each Pod is coupled with a mentor faculty member  These mentors are not necessarily instructors of a course  These mentors are not the students’ instructor, subject area specialist and do not formally evaluate the student

ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM 1. 4 COURSES THAT HAVE BOOKEND TRADITIONAL CLASSES AND A CYCLE OF INQUIRY 2. A WEEKLY BOOK CLUB THAT SERVES AS A PRE-READ FOR SUBJECT AREAS 3. A WEEKLY FILM AND SPEAKER SERIES 4. A WEEKLY SEMINAR CHOICE 5. TRADITION TAUGHT WEEKLY PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING AND LEARNING COURSE EACH WEEK FOR PRACTICUM PREPARATION 6. EACH POD ALSO COMPLETES A COMMUNITY ACTION PROJECT 7. EACH STUDENT DOES AN ADDITION INQUIRY INTO AN AREA OF THEIR PRACTICE IN THEIR PRACTICUM

THE COURSE WORK Traditional Subject Classes 1 week 4 Spirals of Inquiry: 4 weeks - One inquiry cycle per course Book club Seminars Film/speakers series Traditional Subject Classes 1 week

AN INQUIRY CYCLE 1. Meet in PODS for book club – begin thinking of inquiry question 2. Meet with subject teacher to contextualize inquiry and design inquiry question (in POD groups) 3. Work on their individual inquiry (instructors’ office hours) 4. Present their inquiry to their POD and possibly their mentor 5. Meet with subject teacher to debrief and reflect on inquiry presentations. 6. Hand in their inquiry cycle reflections to subject instructor

TYPICAL WEEKLY SCHEDULE DURING INQUIRY CYCLES MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday 8: Bookclub Inquiry Presentations Principles of Teaching and Learning class _____________ Speakers and Films Individual Inquiry Work 1- 4:30 Individual Inquiry Work Mentor Meeting debrief inquiry with subject Instructor ____________ Attend seminar of choice Individual Inquiry Work New subject inquiry question building with instructor

REFLECTION Consider  Are there elements of the program that are of interest or applicable to you and the program that you work in  Are their questions that you have? Pair Share  Turn to the person next to you and share your impressions Discussion  Is there anything you want to bring forward at this time?

MY COURSE: SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS  Moving my course from a traditional model to a inquiry model

THE PARAMETERS Old format  Nine 3 1/2 hour classes  Each class had a group presentation on a textbook chapter  Generally my classes had some lecture, 3-4 group activities, reflection and discussion New format  Two traditional classes and an inquiry cycle  Each POD had a book club meeting  Each week there were optional seminars I could offer  A session for each POD on contextualizing and building the inquiry question  Debriefing and reflecting the inquiry cycle

DECREASED TIME SPENT Decrease of time planning what I would do and say Decrease in time spent presenting to large groups of students

INCREASED TIME Developing and finding resources for students Collaborating with collegues Supporting small groups and one on one time with students Focus on what they are doing and supporting them

BIGGEST CHALLENGE How can I condense my course into two classes and an inquiry cycle?

WHAT DO I NEED? Barron and Darling Hammond (2010) believe that individual and small group inquiry approaches have the potential to be extremely powerful for learning. To be effective, however, they need to be guided by teachers using thoughtful curriculum with clearly defined learning goals, well-developed inquiry scaffolds, ongoing formative assessments and rich informational resources.

REALLY LOOKING AT MY PRACTICE Although I felt good that I had covered material in my course had the students really learned it? Did they truly have a deep understanding of every pearl of wisdom I had dropped on them and were they able to apply it?

I HAD TO DECREASE THE BREADTH OF MY COURSE AND INCREASE THE DEPTH

GETTING CLEAR ABOUT MY LEARNING INTENTIONS I had to really take a step back and ask myself “what are the big important conceptual learnings that I need these students to leave with”?  Can you take a variety of conceptual competencies (big ideas) and use them to explore various content in Social Studies?  Can you employ variety of appropriate teaching strategies to engage students in Social Studies?  Can you utilize a variety of methods for students to demonstrate their understanding of theSocial Studies curriculum?

FLIP MY CLASSROOM  What elements of the course can students acquire on their own through readings, videos or other resources I can make available?  I had to build resources for my students to access and ensure that they knew how to access and how to utilize them

WHAT CAN I SCAFFOLD ONTO THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY LEARNED ELSEWHERE?  I took a good look at the other course work they had done to ensure there wasn’t redundancy and recognize what could be built on.  I worked closely with my colleagues to identify connections that could inform my course.

BUILDING MY INQUIRY QUESTION  What context could I infuse into the inquiry question to structure the learning?

THIS WAS THEIR BOOK CLUB SELECTION Teaching about Historical Thinking Authors: Mike Denos, Roland Case Editors: Peter Seixas, Penney Clark

STRUCTURING THEIR INQUIRY  Each student had to identify an area of interest connected to teaching Social Studies  Increasing student engagement, teaching Kindergarten, teaching in a diverse classroom  Each student had to chose a historical way of thinking as a lens to examine their inquiry question  How can I use historical significance to increase student engagement?  What elements of cause and consequence are relevant to SSK and how can I teach it?  What are some strategies I can use to deal with a diverse classroom using the ethical dimension ?  Each POD had to include all six historical ways of thinking

STRUCTURING THEIR PRESENTATION  To develop an understanding of alternative methods of summative assessment, each member of the POD used one of the following methods as part of their inquiry presentation. No two POD members (in the same POD) could use the same method. Students could also supplement their method of presentation. For example, using can use a commercial and a discussion  The summative assessment methods: a brochure, a commercial, a role play, a poster/flyer, a newspaper article, a letter, a mock Facebook page, a video

IN THEIR INQUIRY EACH STUDENT  Chose a relevant area of interest to explore  Became familiar with a historical way of thinking as a conceptual lens to view content  Demonstrated their learning through an alternative summative assessment method  Were exposed to an included in their reflection their own and those of their POD members: area of interest, historical way of thinking, and alternative summative assessment techniques

NOTE The other content area instructors did not impose such a structured inquiry question and allowed students to design their inquiries in a much more open ended fashion Special Ed. – dyslexia –”  What resources are available to help me tach someone with dyslexia? or  What is dyslexia and how does effect students?

WHAT ABOUT ASSESSMENT?  Look back at the learning intentions and decide what criteria you need to apply to your assessment

POINTS OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT  Book club  Designing inquiry question  Inquiry presentations – peers and possible instructor and/or mentor  Inquiry debrief

POINTS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT  Reflection on book club  Presentation evidence  Synopsis of learning for each inquiry cycle – after presentation and debrief

PROGRAM ASSESSMENT POINTS  Develop an e-portfolio  Develop a mind map  Answer an overarching inquiry question in an exit interview with their mentor

Take a moment and jot down:  any ideas you have for your own course work based on this model  Any questions you have Turn to a partner and share these What comments and questions do you have for me?