The Inquiry Learning Process ‘A Timeline For Semester Two 2009 and Beyond’

1. The Inquiry Learning Process ‘A Timeline For Semester Two 2009 and Beyond’ ‘Engage Students with what is relevant to their lives at the moment.’

2. Learning how to learn Student involvement What to teach and How to teach it Interdisciplinary tasks and activities Co-operative learning Success needs to be celebrated Change needs to be given time and needs to be prioritised in order to be effective THE INQUIRY LEARNING PROCESS... Staff Responses From Specific Readings Clarity of purpose Real Places real opportunity Higher stakes learning when student has responsibility for learning Transfer across the curriculum Clarity is the key to preparing a quality unit Reality is the key to engagement

3. 21st century literacy Literacy is the ability to use language to understand and communicate ideas in society. So what skills do our students require to take part in today’s ICT-rich society?

4. The process so far: Session 1 – Being Literate In the 21st Century Tuning In... Shift Happens Presentation – participants complete a graphic organiser: ‘Connect’ - what connected your thinking? ‘Extend’ - what extended your thinking? ‘Challenge’ - what challenged your thinking? Sorting Out / Finding Out Place Mat Strategy – Each person has a section of the place mat to place their post-it notes on. As a group they decide on the best five which are written in the centre of the place mat. Going Further / Action ‘What do you think the Inquiry Method is?’ Individually staff brainstorm this question. They write their responses on a thinking mat and bring it with them to the next session. www.thinkingmats.com

5. The process so far: • Session 2 – Being Literate In the 21st Century • Tuning In... • We Think Presentation – participants complete a graphic organiser: • Compass Point Organiser • Discuss participants responses • Sorting Out / Finding Out • Some Learning Strategies for Your Teaching Sessions - Booklet • 10 Word Strategy– Participants read through an article on 21st Century Literacy and produce a 10 Word Summary of the article. • Going Further / Action • Wikispace - participants are invited to join the Assumption Inquiry Wikispace Page and post their 10 word summary. • They are also encouraged to comment on each other's post.

6. Some Learning Strategies for Your Teaching Sessions Literacy is the ability to use language to understand and communicate ideas in society. So what skills do our students require to take part in today’s ICT-rich society?

7. Compare / Contrast Strategy Compare / Contrast Charts do just about what you'd expect them to with a name like that: they're useful for looking at two quantities and determining in what ways they are similar and in what ways they are different. The chart pictured here is one way to approach this comparison. First you look at the similarities. Then you consider the differences, making sure to indicate on what criteria you are drawing out the dissimilarities. Concept Spiral Strategy A concept spiral is a useful device for helping students to develop conceptual knowledge at a number of levels. It incorporates visual and written text types. A concept spiral consists of 3 cardboard circles of different sizes that, when placed one on top of the other, are fixed in the centre with a spilt pin. This allows each of the circles to rotate freely. Each of the circles can be divided into equal portions- that is, divided into pieces of pie according to the number of concepts under investigation.

8. Graphic Organisers A graphic organiser is any visual tool used to represent a student’s knowledge or investigation of a topic. Graphic organisers are intended to assist students to gather and record information in a structured way. They are a means to an end not an end in themselves. There is a wide range of graphic organisers. This page depicts a small selection. Network Tree Used to show causal information (causes of poverty), a hierarchy (types of insects), or branching procedures (the circulatory system). Key frame questions: What is the superordinate category? What are the subordinate categories? How are they related? How many levels are there? Fishbone Map Used to show the causal interaction of a complex event or complex phenomenon. Key frame questions: What are the factors that cause X? How do they interrelate? Are the factors that cause X the same as those that cause X to persist? Compare/Contrast Matrix Used to show similarities and differences between two things (people, places, events, ideas, etc.). Key frame question: What things are being compared? How are they similar? How are they different? Continuum Scale Used for time lines showing historical events or ages (grade levels in school), degrees of something (weight), shades of meaning, or ratings scales (achievement in school). Key frame questions: What is being scaled? What are the end points?

9. The process so far: Session 3 – Being Literate In the 21st Century Tuning In... Short Media Presentation: Sir Ken Robinson 7:30 Report Sorting Out / Finding Out What is in an Inquiry Unit? Reference: A basic overview of the Integrated Inquiry planning model (Kath Murdoch) 2007. Read through the article. Ensure that the components are understood. Participants in groups are given a cut up Inquiry Unit. They must work out which area of the planner the activities belong and paste them into the appropriate place. Discuss the choices made by each group and then reveal the actual planner. Staff work in smaller groups to cut and paste our current units into an Inquiry Planner. Look at what is missing. Going Further / Action Develop our current units to include all necessary components to create Rich and Engaging Inquiry Units that will assist our Children to become ‘Literate in the 21st Century.

10. Example of an Inquiry Planner Energy For Life Inquiry Unit.doc