Inquiry in the PYP NOTES & SLIDES January 21-24, 2011

1. Inquiry in the PYPNOTES & SLIDESJanuary 21-24, 2011 Jill, Lindsay, Sally, Summer

2. Inquiry Stance Open • Welcoming ideas (even conflicting ones) • Prepared to change position/opinion Wondering • Playful with ideas and words Engaging and supporting • Building on each other’s utterances • Agreeing/disagreeing with others and own ideas • Offering evidence and opinions Committed • Prepared to make sustained effort

3. What is Inquiry? (1) • Inquiry begins with students’ knowledge and curiosity in which students construct meaning and build connections • Students are actively involved and take responsibility for their own learning in an authentic context • Inquiry is true differentiation • Inquiry is not only questions. It is a process that involves provocation, reflection, and consolidation. • Successful inquiry will lead to responsible action by students. • Inquiry is a shared process, a collaborative interplay between students, teachers, and the environment. • Inquiry addresses scope and sequence criteria through concept-based units structured around central ideas and lines of inquiry • Successful inquiry requires pre-assessment, continual formative assessment and summative assessment tasks that allow students to demonstrate their conceptual understanding of the central idea.

4. What is Inquiry? (2) • Inquiry is not a method of doing science, history, or any subject, in which the obligatory first stage in a fixed, linear sequence is that of students each formulating questions to investigate. Rather, it is an approach to the chosen themes and topics in which the posing of real questions is positively encouraged, whenever they occur and by whoever they are asked. Equally important as the hallmark of an inquiry approach is that all tenative answers are taken seriously and are investigated as rigorously as the circumstances permit.” Wells, Gordon (2001). Action, Talk & Learning Text: Learning and Teaching through Inquiry.

5. What is Inquiry? (3) Inquiry is not a method of doing science, history, or any subject, in which the obligatory first stage in a fixed, linear sequence is that of students each formulating questions to investigate. Rather, it is an approach to the chosen themes and topics in which the posing of real questions is positively encouraged, whenever they occur and by whoever they are asked. Equally important as the hallmark of an inquiry approach is that all tentative answers are taken seriously and are investigated as rigorously as the circumstances permit.” Wells, Gordon (2001). Action, Talk & Learning Text: Learning and Teaching through Inquiry.

6. What is Inquiry? (4) What does inquiry look like? • Exploring, wondering, and questioning • Experimenting and playing with possibilities • Making connections between previous and current learning • Making predictions and acting purposefully to see what happens • Collecting data and reporting findings • Clarifying existing ideas and reappraising perceptions of events • Deepening understanding through the application of a context • Making and testing theories • Researching and seeking information • Taking and defending a position • Solving a problem in a variety of ways Making the PYP Happen (p. 29)

7. What is Inquiry? (5) • Relevance is key to inquiry – Ask yourself, is this REALLY worth their time? Be clear on purpose of what you are doing and make sure it is meaningful, relevant, and connected and will help them move their understanding further. Understanding “why” we do what we do (students and teachers and parents). • Research is a component of Inquiry; you find out specific knowledge and skills to further your discovery about an inquiry. A research project on a an animal with all of the topics; if we only ask them to report on those things that is not inquiry. When students are the starting point for asking questions, they will find out about their answers and then it will generate more questions; research is a vehicle for inquiry.

8. Setting up an Inquiry Environment • Approach inquiry with enthusiasm. • Admit that inquiry involves the unexpected for you and your students. • Model the inquiry process in your instruction (who and tell). • Use technology to do what seems impossible. • Take on the role of inquiry. • Use the language of inquiry.

9. The Role of Teacher in Inquiry Classroom • Listening • Participating • Coaching • Articulating children’s implied connections • Inviting children to elaborate • Scaffolding • Provoking • Recording • Guiding • Negotiating power

10. The Language of Inquiry • Help me understand… • Tell me more… • I wonder if… • That surprises you… • So you think maybe… • What do you think… • In what ways do you know.. • I’m trying to figure out.. • I wonder why… • Well, maybe if… • I think that… • I noticed… • This is what I don’t get… • I thought it was… • I wonder…

11. How to Engage Learners (1) • Example 1: Exploring money – Open Inquiry Example • Hand out money from other countries to each group: • Explore money; find what you see; share with group • Share ways you talk to each other about the money with the whole group (e.g., I wonder… I see… Do we sort them? Start to make meaning by continent.) • Record ideas on chart paper (above e.g.) • Example 2: Open-ended Inquiry • Explore the currency. • Share your findings. • Example 3: Assessments • Write and show everything that you know about magnetism. • Write and show everything you know about how geography and culture impact the way people live.

12. How to Engage Learners (2) • Example 2: Connection to money – Guided Inquiry Example • Find money you make a personal connection with • Share with another person or group the connections • Share out the discussion in the whole group (e.g., connection between personal heritage and groups; When we travelled; How much is this worth? How many queens are there?) • Record ideas on chart paper (above e.g.) • Example 2: Guided Inquiry • What personal connections can you make to the currency? • Using your senses, make a graphic organizer to record some of your observations. • Think-Pair-Share with the large group. • Formulate questions as a learning community.

13. How to Engage Learners (3) • Example 3: Sort and select Money – Didactic Inquiry • Sort the money (You may give participants more limited or no choice.). • Label each currency with the country of origin and selected facts about the relationship of its value compared to US/Canada. • Sort the money according to denomination, color, and then the size.

14. Tools for Inquiry (1) • The Engagement Cube • Create a paper cube and put words to make students think on each side: Describe it. Compare it. Connect it. Analyze it. Apply it. Rearrange it. • 20 Words: A look into Inquiry: Categorize words into to two to four categories; choose the criteria: • Couch • Exploration • Cultural • Fortunate • Picture • Ecstatic • Sidewalk Jumping • Compare • Dynamic • Pitcher • Season • Atmosphere • Staircase • Express • Produce • Vehicle • Geography • International • Intelligent

15. Tools for Inquiry (2) • Not a Box • Read book. Have participants make a box. Share with whole group what it is. (Share perspectives.) • Duck! Rabbit! • Read story. (Shift perspectives.) • Who’s Line it is Anyway? • Two participants stand face-to-face and ask each other a question. They can only ask questions about inquiry. (Ask good questions.) • Thick versus Thin Questions • Thin questions have 1-2 answers; facts; answered by Google.com in a few seconds; add knowledge; Thick questions are linking two concepts, for example; might not have answers • Field trips, provocations, experiences • Put up front before a unit to become background knowledge for students • Questions • Post and make alive every day in the classroom

16. Provocations • Get students interested in an idea/concept related to a central idea: • Student rides zip line to school: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KeBJZGSIa0 • Not a Box

17. The Learning – Teaching Inquiry Guided Inquiry Didactic Inquiry Discovery Learning Unguided Inquiry The teachers draws attention to the size of a butterfly’s wings and uses questions to help students develop an exploration. The teacher asks student to hypothesize the question: Does the butterfly need wings to fly? The teacher tells students that butterflies need wings to fly. Children discovered that butterflies can fly when their wings have been torn off.

18. Student Initiative Framework for Inquiry

19. Examples of Inquiry Learning Engagements

20. Learning Pyramid

21. Strategies to Use in PD (1) • Stand and deliver: Show writing on PPT and have students read; stand up and read aloud the phrase that resonates with you • Start with end goal: Have participants answer these questions at start of session: At the end of the session, how will you know if this session was a success? What evidence will you see? What steps will you take to implement to reach your goals? • Quick write: Write for 2 minutes in sustained silence. • Parking lot: Please to put questions that be attended to later. Facilitator regularly checks them and responds. • Wonderings on thought clouds: On laminated thought clouds, participants write with vis-à-vis pens the questions or wonderings that they have. Next to each thought cloud there is a photo of each child. • Read a quote: Participants read a quote in silence and then discuss. • Seats up: (1)Each person stands up and writes a response to a question written at the top that has four parts (or number of parts per group) and answer question. (2)Read relevant text. (3) Each person adds his/her new understanding to his/her quadrant. (4a) Then, put Wordle picture it the middle or (4b) come up with a synthesized and common understanding in the middle, which is determined by discussing as a group.

22. Strategies to Use in PD (2) • Wordle: Create a visual representation by adding key words to (www.wordle.net) and “randomize” and select the one your like. Save to “public gallery.” This goes to the Internet. Then it is posted to Gallery. Then, you can share and view others. Share with others. This can also be a summative assessment for students (Put 10 words in Wordle.net and justify the size of each word in the Gallery; if the student does not agree, they have to re-create the Wordle and justify why the new configuration makes sense; use a rubric to score). You can put the Learner Profile in to show what attribute they most demonstrated in a lesson or unit. This can be used for students to show prior knowledge. Make sure you repeat ideas each time (this makes the words bigger). NOTE: This goes out on Internet: Keep students in a tight reign. • Inquiry vs. Questions: Create a Venn diagram to show the relationship between questions and inquiry. Share out in whole group. You could use: Inquiry versus Research or Inquiry versus Play or Inquiry versus Thematic Units.

23. Strategies to Use in PD (3) • Artifacts Inquiry: Choose a new artifact with your team. Choose one or two concepts (e.g., responsibility, function, change, causation, form, perspective, reflection, connection) through which you will engage learners. Show three variations of learning engagements (consider structured/guided/open) that are appropriate for your grade level. Show your work in the way that is meaningful for you. Once completed, rotate to another center to share and provide: feedback, praise, suggestions. Consider: Differentiation for students, curriculum, and moving toward inquiry. • Ticket Out: Provide a written reflection to give the presenter before leaving. • Suitcase/Self-rating on Flight: Packing bags, checking in, 10,000 feet, 30,000 feet, you have arrived, searching for a new destination (Put suitcase where you are in learning).

24. Strategies to Use in PD (4) • My teacher/My hero: Write down the name of a person who made impact to you in your educational journey. Record three adjectives to describe the person. Connect to inquiry teacher characteristics. Consider doing this on Wordle. Talk about attributes of the teacher and the role of a teacher. • 20 Words: A look into Inquiry: Categorize words into to two to four categories; choose the criteria; share what you chose. • Inquiry photographs: Show pictures of children working. Tell if there is inquiry happening. Tell how you know. What evidence do you see? • Culture bags: Have each staff member bring a paper bag full of artifacts that come from their background (e.g., Italian, Irish, etc.). Share in small group. Take photo of all staff members; display; post flags from background around photos (e.g., Italy, Ireland). Has obvious student application as well. • Experience what happens to a student: Show next slide 4a and have participants determine what it means. Show next slide 4a and discuss the importance of prior knowledge for students.

25. Strategies to Use in PD (4a) A newspaper is better than a magazine, and on a seashore is better than a street. At first it is better to run than walk. Also, you have to try several times. It takes some skills but it is easy to learn. Even young children can enjoy it. Once successful, complications are minimal. Birds seldom get close. One needs lots of room. Rain soaks in very fast. Too many people doing the same thing can also cause problems. If there are non complications, it can bet very peaceful. A rock will serve as an anchor. If it breaks loose from it, however, you will not get a second chance.

26. Strategies to Use in PD (4b)

27. Strategies to Use in PD (5) • Compare Contrast Inquiry Scenarios: On pp. 24-25 in orange hand out, read scenarios and write descriptors for each on a three-column chart: Thematic teaching/learning (left), Inquiry-based teaching/learning (right), and Both (middle). Share differences and similarities. Share out. Possible extension: Write Scenario 3 that reflects the ideal inquiry scenario. • Show videos of inquiry in action:http://professionaldevelopment.ibo.org/

28. IB PYP / Inquiry Resources • www.wordle.net (use for inquiry activity) • http://cast.org/ (inquiry and technology) • http://www.galileo.org/inquiry-what.html (what is inquiry) • http://www.xtranormal.com/ (text to movies; some free; some fees) • http://www.bitstrips.com/landing (text to movies; 30 day free trial; fees) • http://professionaldevelopment.ibo.org/ (videos of taught curriculum in action) • Professional Development Books: • Scaredy Squirrel (Tumble Books – note: need subscription – ask SBCEO to add to Portal) • Teacher Resource Books : • Integrating Inquiry across the Curriculum (Audet and Jordan) • Teaching for Deep Understanding (Leithwood, McAdie, Bascia, Rodrigue) • Teaching Every Students in the Digital Age (Strangman, Rappolt) • The Art of Inquiry (Cecil) • Why are the School Busses Yellow? • Children’s Books: • The Librarian of Basra (Jeanette Winter) • One Well: The Story of Water on Earth (Rochelle Strauss) • Listen to the Wind (Greg Mortensen) – Child’s version of Three Cups of Tea • Not a Box • Duck Rabbit!