Standard 7

Standard 7 - Students engage collaboratively in authentic inquiry during ongoing units of study. 

At Warren T. Jackson, student-led inquiry is the heart of our school's learning and culture. This begins with our teacher's thoughtful and detailed planning that goes into creating strong units of study that provide authentic inquiry while still being based on the Georgia Standards of Excellence. At the beginning every unit of study with a provocation to evoke students' questions and inquisitive nature. Next, we integrate all of our learning moments, project-based learnings, and extended inquiry around the unit of study's central idea. This gives students the opportunity to research, support their thoughts, hold authentic discussions, support their reasonings, and practice self-reflecting and assessment.  As students continue collaborating and discussing, the learning is  truly is authentic because they feel ownership and genuine thirst for learning. Students constantly refer back to the central idea and desire to solve the problem presented in the project-based learning.  

This inquiry process could not take place without our emphasis on the Engineering Design Process. By using this process, teachers become facilitators to student learning with the tools to collaboratively discuss and solve real-world issues. Through our STEAM focus, we have been able to enhance our students' desire to solve real-world issues.  Since we started to  focus on STEAM inquiry we have been able to infuse this process into our IB-PYP school's teaching philosophy, this has greatly enhanced our students ability to be passionate learners who are ready to change the world!