Creating Effective Inquiry-Based Learning Activities that Increase Student Achievement

1. Creating Effective Inquiry-Based Learning Activities that Increase Student Achievement

2. Things to Do Before the Next Slide • Print the Teacher Guide(click link) – Get logon information for eLibrary Teacher Editionfrom your librarian or coordinator • Use the Teacher Guide to supplement this presentation and to write any notes and reminders • Use the worksheets included in the Teacher Guide to write your answers to assessment questions and to submit print outs of BookCart models • Submit your completed worksheets to the coordinator in charge of this professional development activity • Click the links in this presentation to access the learning resources for each module • Bookmark the links to the learning resources in event that you need use them later

3. Professional Development Modules • Why Create and Assign Inquiry-Based Learning Activities? • How to Create Essential Questions that Increase Student Critical Thinking • Create Custom Lesson Plans Using ProQuest Model BookCarts and Templates • Use ProQuest Models for Reports and Presentations • Evaluate Student Projects with a Flexible Rubrics Model

4. 1. Why Inquiry-Based Learning? Key Points • Scientific research proves inquiry-based learning is more effective than traditional textbook learning and rote assessment • Integrates state and ISTE standards for research and information literacy in all major curriculum areas • Student reports and presentations develop essential writingskills for State Language Arts tests, the SATs, and higher education • Develops 21st Century skills as an individualized way of learning • Integrates technology in all phases of student work and projects • Connects students to current and historic primary sources about real-world events and issues • Integrates current events and issues into learningbeyond the textbook

5. 1. Why Inquiry-Based Learning? Assessment Activities with Links to Learning Resources (Use the Teacher Guide to Write and Submit Your Answers) Scientific research -- Summarize why inquiry-based learning works in your subject area. Click this linkto get the information. Integrates state standards – Write a paragraph summarizing the standards that correlate your subject area to inquiry-based learning (research activities). Click this linkto learn how to access your state and subject in eLibrary. Integrates ISTE standards for teachers – Summarize in 50-100 words how ISTE standards affect you. Click this linkto access the ISTE standards Develops 21st Century skills – Summarize in 50-100 words how 21st Century skills and knowledge will impact your teaching strategies. Click this linkto get the information. ProQuest versus Google for teaching and learning – Click to open--watch this short video. Summarize in 50-100 words why Google should not be the major resource for student research.

6. 2. Why Essential Questions for Critical Thinking? Key Points • Most teachers assign students shorter mini-researchactivities that are topical and focused on facts only • Topical assignments don’t motivate or generate critical thinking and original thought • Scientific research on learning indicates that critical thinking is necessary for motivation and permanent vs. rote learning • All effectiveinquiry-based learning activities integrateessentialquestions for critical thinking • The best guide for teachers to use in creating critical thinking strategies and questions is theBloom Taxonomy • Bloom Taxonomy and essential questions for critical thinking are integrated into allProQuest models and guides

7. 2. Why Essential Questions for Critical Thinking? Assessment Activities with Links to Learning Resources (Use the Teacher Guide to Write and Submit Your Answers) What’s wrong with topical research?– Summarize in 50-100 words why topical research is ineffective for learning. Click this linkto learn more. Bloom’s Taxonomy and critical thinking–Summarize all the Bloom‘s Taxonomy strategies associated with inquiry-based learning. Click this linkfor more information. Essential Questions for Critical Thinking–Select a significant topic in your curriculum area and create 3 essential questions for students that integrate Bloom’s Taxonomy. ProQuest Models for Essential Questions–Summarize ProQuestquestioning models for the topic “Global Warming.”To get more information,click this link (pages 8-9).

8. Brainstorming Essential Questions for Team Reports What is global warming? What more needs to be done? What are the causes? What problems are caused by global warming? Topic = Global Warming What barriers are there to solving the problem? How effective are the present prevention strategies? How do we know global warming exists? What would you do about it andwhy? What is the government doing about it? Note: Each student in a team can be assigned one of the essential questions.

9. 3. Why eLibrary & BookCarts? Key Points • Integrates learning resources links with teacher directions and essential questions in a complete digital lesson plan • Customizes resources for ALL student ability levels based on Lexile reading scores for articles • Copy/Adapt the ProQuest collection of 700+ models to save time, work, and ensure effective learning for students • Students can access BookCarts for learning from both home and school • Create BookCart learning activities in teams for each course during in-service and sharethem across the school district • Select resources from 8 media types including visually rich website favorites, multimedia, maps, and pictures

10. 3. Why eLibrary & BookCarts? Assessment Activities with Links to Learning Resources (Use the Teacher Guide to Write and Submit Your Answers) • Lesson Planning with BookCarts–Summarize in 50-100 words how BookCart lesson planning will be a benefit to your students. Click this linkfor more information. • Lexile and other Reading Level Scores–Summarize in 50-100 words how Lexile scores can help you customize BookCarts for your students. Click this linkfor more information. • eLibrary content and tools vs. Google – Summarize 5 key benefits for you and your students that are not available through Google researching. For more information,click this link. • Copy/Adapt a ProQuest model BookCart – Copy one model BookCart in your curriculum area and adapt it for your students.Click this linkto get instructions. • Build your own custom BookCart– Use the BookCart Template to create your own BookCart for your students (see instructions in Teacher Guide)

11. 4. Why Use ProQuest Models for Student Presentations and Reports? Key Points • Need for inquiry-based learning increasing because of the Information Age and the inability of textbook learning to keep pace • Access to online databases and the Internet in schools has increased the ease and effectiveness of frequent and shorter assignments • Most school research models apply tolong and formal written term papers, NOT shorter, more frequent reports--mini-research • Most mini-research activities are assigned to ALL students (unlike term papers for college prep) and are generally 150-200 words • Many teachers have little experience or effective models for students to present researched information that integrates critical thinking • Teachers are also looking for models of new ways for students to present their research in addition to written reports

12. 4. Why Use ProQuest Models for Student Presentations and Reports? Assessment Activities with Links to Learning Resources (Use the Teacher Guide to Write and Submit Your Answers) Written report models for mini-research– Summarize in 50-100 words how the written report models can help you and your students. To access the model, click this link. PowerPoint presentation models– Select a topic in your subject area and how you would use both of these models with your students. Click this linkfor the Engaging Issues model. Click this linkfor the Essential Questions model. Mini-Debate Model– Select an issue in your subject area. Discuss how mini-debates could benefit your students. Click this linkfor the teacher model. Click this linkfor the correlated student version.

13. 5. How Do I Evaluate Student Reports & Presentations? Key Points • Most teachers have little experiencein evaluating student written reports, presentations, and projects • Teachers generally use multiple choice testing for assessment with its emphasis on % of “correct answers” • Student inquiry-based activity reports and presentations that depend on the use of critical thinkingcan’t be evaluated effectively using the “correct” assessment method • Mini-research evaluation methods must be focused on process and thecritical thinking skills utilized • Critical thinking is employed from the search for information, through analysis, synthesis, and reporting reasoned conclusions • Flexible rubrics tools that focus on process, provide the best method for evaluating Inquiry-based activities

14. 5. How Do I Evaluate Student Reports & Presentations? Assessment Activities with Links to Learning Resources (Use the Teacher Guide to Write and Submit Your Answers) ProQuest flexible rubric evaluation tool – Demonstrate how you would adapt this tool to evaluate your students. Click this linkto get a copy of the tool. Rubrics evaluation tools on the Internet -- models are available on the Internet. If you prefer the RubiStar model, then use it to construct your personal evaluation model. Click this linkto get to RubiStar (scroll down to tool).

15. Final Reminders • Did you submit all 5 module assessment worksheets and exhibits to receive credit? • If you needed to repeat an assessment to improve, did you check to see if you received credit? • Did you fill in the final program evaluation checklist form in the Teacher Guide and give it to the coordinator? • Would you or other teachers benefit from additional BookCart and QuizCart training? Have your librarian arrange it. • Have you considered leading a team BookCart building and sharing for your department as an in-service activity?