Inquiry learning is based on the idea that students need to be in control of their own learning. Students need to to ask questions and develop their own knowledge. Without knowledge, students cannot learn effectively and will be forced to regurgitate pointless information. The difference between meaningful learning and rote memorization is the concept of knowledge. Knowledge is knowing something in a context that allows you to apply it to the world around you. As teachers, we should be able to create an environment that promotes creativity and understanding for different learner types. Students crave understanding, whether they know it or not and they are constantly searching for answers. We as teachers should be able to help them ask those questions and find the answers for themselves. If that requires that we use technology and let the kids do their own thing, so be it. Students should be able to use the world around the, one filled with technology, to find answers on their own. Too often are students given what they want without having to work for it. How are children going to learn anything if they don't have to provide any effort or work in order to get the answers to their questions? In today's world, students are surrounded by technology and should be allowed to use that technology to obtain the answers for their burning questions. Teachers should be able to provide the student with the tools and guide them, as a map would, to their destination.
In order to make this mini-lesson work for my class, I am going to go with something that I will be covering following the CRCT. I love teaching my poetry unit and the students have loved it each year. My poetry unit is always very involved, so the students have a say and can control an aspect of their learning. This allows them to ask questions and discover things they didn't know they wanted to know.
-Authenticity is one of the most important in my mind. If a student doesn't have an authentic connection or care about the topic. What good is going over the material going to do? The student will simply toss the information from their brain when it is no longer applicable--usually after the test. In order to keep the lesson authentic, I want to incorporate music. What better way to get through to the youth than through music?!
-Deep Understanding follows authenticity as it should. How do you make sure the students have a deep understanding of the concepts? Make it applicable and then make it interesting and hands-on. Keep the students involved in their own learning! Through the use of music, figurative language, and imagery, the students should have no problems keeping up and locking this information deep in their knowledge banks.
-Performances of Understanding comes in the form of group-work for my students. They love to challenge each other and see who can win or be better than the others. Well, whatever works, right? I can pit the students against each other when it comes to poetry. They all want to be rappers on the side anyway. So, why not have a requirement of certain poetic elements: form, figurative language, imagery, rhyme scheme, rhythm, etc. Then, have the students judge the work of their peers.
-Assessment can be done in the form of peer or teacher based rubrics. I will probably attempt to combine the two: have a percentage come from the peers (who are often times more harsh than I), a percentage come from a self-assessment, and then finish with my own assessment of their understanding.
-Technology can be incorporated by using YouTube, Podcasts, and music software. The students can create videos to go with their poems, slideshows with the lyrics, or a presentation using twitter or instagram feeds.
-Connecting with experts can be done using interviews with authors, poets, and local musicians. The more likely of the group is the local musicians.
-Success isn't guaranteed, but it never is. The students need to know that they won't always succeed, but that to fail is to come that much closer to succeeding. In order to get this point across, I will need to establish a rule regarding the appropriate presentation of materials for school.
-Ethical citizenship will come into play when the students have to prove that they did not "steal" someone else's lyrics or poetry and present it as their own. They will need to cite sources, provide evidence, and be able to guide others to their muses.
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