DBI Squared Institute:
Democracy Building Instruction through Document-Based Inquries
Essential Question:
How do we create learning experiences that support, challenge, and inspire our students to create a more perfect union in Idaho and in America?
Overview of Institute
In this institute and beyond- we will work and think together to honestly inquire into contended issues of American history and culture in order to promote the civic behaviors necessary to continuously move towards--as the Constitution promises--"a more perfect union". We will do this by creating and sharing units that support our students and colleagues as they learn to engage in and embody the dispositions of democracy
At the DBI Squared Institute Follow Up Day 1, educators:
gained an understanding of the conditions of the NEH grant and what they were committing to as a participant in the DBI institute.
built community by sharing of themselves.
participated in a Narrative 4 Story Exchange and considered the power of story exchanges and how these can be used in the classroom.
learned about resources for bringing indigenous voices into the classroom and gained an understanding of how these voices have shaped American culture or have been silenced.
learned about the mental model of EMPOWER for planning powerful instruction at the lesson and unit level.
developed an understanding of document-based inquiries (DBIs) and reflected on the purposes and payoffs of these in classroom instruction.
considered possible unit and DBI topics and were set up for success in preparing for the summer institute.
During Day 1 of the DBI Squared Institute, educators:
built community by sharing of themselves and their ideas.
used the mental model of EMPOWER to envision and map the plan for their unit of instruction.
brainstormed how to prime and orient the topic of their DBI and developed an essential question to guide the learning.
engaged with “texts that get you thinking” and considered how to select and use these texts within their unit.
engaged in essential skills to develop social emotional imagination and considered transfer to their contexts.
envisioned and mapped the plan for their DBI by considering their goals, the stages of a DBI, and the principles of sequencing and scaffolding.
applied their learning to their unit and DBI plan with the support of thinking partners and coaches.
explored strategies for diving deep and developing understanding through the reading of texts.
During Day 2 of the DBI Squared Institute, educators:
built community by sharing of themselves and their ideas.
explored priming and orienting for their unit plan and considered how to position their learners as citizen historians.
applied their learning to their unit and DBI plan with the support of thinking partners and coaches.
engaged in essential skills to develop social emotional imagination and considered transfer to your context.
considered our students’ identities and how to plan and sequence instruction to meet their needs.
explored strategies for diving deep and developing understanding through the reading of texts.
During Day 3 of the DBI Squared Institute, educators:
built community by sharing of themselves and their ideas.
explored the what, why, and how of walking students through learning.
explored various notecatchers and synthesis ideas for DBIs.
discussed how to address critical issues in classrooms and explored strategies for teaching critical awareness.
applied their learning to their unit and DBI plan with the support of thinking partners and coaches.
explored strategies for diving deep and developing understanding through the reading of texts.
recognized the value of art and artifacts as texts and considered ways to support students in reading and understanding them.
During Day 4 of the DBI Squared Institute, educators:
built community by sharing of themselves and their ideas.
explored opportunities for extending the learning through culminating tasks.
considered extension and ways to move students forward towards A More Perfect Union.
considered and added in opportunities for reflection throughout their DBI and unit.
applied their learning to their DBI plan with the support of thinking partners and coaches.
grappled with how to deal with information pollution through COR questioning.
engaged in essential skills to develop social emotional imagination and considered transfer to your context.
explored inquiry with distinguished teacher, author, and speaker, Jim Burke.
enjoyed an awesome picnic in the park with our friends.
During Day 5 of the DBI Squared Institute, educators:
built community by sharing of themselves and their ideas.
engaged in essential skills to develop social emotional imagination and considered transfer to your context.
finalized their DBI plan with the support of thinking partners and coaches.
shared their DBI presentation and received feedback and feedforward from thinking partners.
engaged in DBIs of their fellow teachers and offered procedural feedback and feedforward.
celebrated our great work this week by engaging in a Narrative 4 Story Exchange.
learned about next steps and the plan for sharing their knowledge and document-based inquiries with others.
At the DBI Squared Institute Follow Up Day 1, educators:
built community by sharing of themselves and their ideas.
explored the power of action and drama strategies and considered applications for their classrooms.
considered how to engage in better, more powerful, and productive conversations.
brainstormed new ways to implement Narrative 4 story exchanges in their classrooms.
reflected on and celebrated their journey thus far this year.
discussed and collectively problem-solved challenges they are facing in their practice.
contributed resources to our national demonstration site for creating a more perfect union.
considered next steps and were empowered for the work ahead.
At the DBI Squared Institute Follow Up Day 2, educators:
built community by sharing of themselves and their ideas.
considered what the research says about resilience and why it is so critical.
participated in several resilience building strategies and considered how to help their students build resilience too.
explored information pollution and considered the best ways to support students in navigating fake news.
engaged in a brief story exchange to reflect on their learning and teaching.
gained an understanding of the conference logistics and plans.
empathized with our conference audience, considered adult learning principles, and began designing their conference session.
shared their conference ideas and received feedback and feed forward from partners.
celebrated their time in the DBI Squared Institute.
How do we teach to meet our deepest commitments, hopes and values for ourselves, our students and society? Statewide conferences presented by K-13 educators who participated in the Boise State Writing Project's DBI Squared Institute provided an opportunity for Idaho educators to gain insights, strategies, and lessons to engage students in the dispositions of democracy and in respectful dialogue around contended issues of American history and culture.
At the conferences, educators:
Learned about using guided inquiry models of teaching, e.g. through EMPOWER.
Learned about how to teach their learners dispositions of democracy in the context of what they already teach.
Brainstormed ways to implement their learning in their classrooms and schools as part of an action plan.