Date Taken: Fall 2011 | Grade: A+ | GPA: 4.0
Highlighted Class Work:
Archive of work from class:
Examples of Practical Use Outside of Class:
Class Readings:
UVM Description:
This course engages educators in a student-centered, active learning experience using technology resources and tools to promote questioning, critical thinking and problem solving skills. During this inquiry-based course, educators will have an opportunity to learn about technology resources & tools that support inquiry-based learning in all disciplines and design an activity for the students or teachers they teach.
ID: EDCI 200 OL2
Instructor: Sandy Lathem
Syllabus: click here
What? So What? Now What? Reflection Script:
My name is Bjorn Behrendt and this is my course reflection for Technology and Inquiry-Based Learning, that I took the Fall of 2011
Inquiry based learning, Project-based learning and Problem based learning are all great concepts that were covered in this class. We read Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss’s Reinventing Project-Based Learning (Boss & Krauss, 2007), John Savery’s Overview of Problem-based Learning (Savery, 2006) and several other articles on inquiry-based learning.
These three concepts have a lot of overlap like having a focus on learning goals and to establish essential questions. But they are different in how knowledge and understanding is obtained, and the ownership of the learning. Problem-based Learning is focused on solving a problem and depending on how it is presented it may also be inquiry-based. Project-based learning uses the act of creation to develop understanding and Inquiry puts the student in-charge of how they learn. The teachers role varies some, but mostly they act as a guide and provider of information.
The class is primarily focused on Inquiry-based learning and is the learning strategy that is probably the most foreign to classes today. Students take ownership of the learning and are in-charge of the process. This means that the teacher presents them with a learning goal, essential question, or big idea, and the students then decides how they accomplish understanding. In this strategy the teacher no longer presents the information or even plans the activities, however they will help students develop a strategy for how they go about learning and provide information only when asked for. This approach allows students to personalize and really connect with the concept, thus gaining a much deeper appreciation and understanding.
I applied this concept to a publications class I taught. The students were to build a Virtual tour of the school. At the very start of the class the students decided how they were to be graded. They built a timeline and looked at other tours to get an ideas.
I found the hardest part of teaching this way was to keep the students motivated to work. I think students have gotten so use to being told what to do and so when presented with freedom to learn on their own, it was awkward and easily abused. That said there were times when students were very engaged in completing the process and really accepted the challenge. Overall I think it was a great experience and the tour can be seen on the MSJ homepage.
I did enjoy teaching using an inquiry-based style and hope to continue to develop how I integrate it into the classroom.
Thank you very much and have a good day.
References: