The End of the Journey

As an educator in the 21st Century I feel it is imperative that I am aware of the different models of inquiry-based learning. The students I teach today are immersed in new technologies and ways of learning As Parker Palmer (1998) states, 'we must encourage sharing and self-disclosure, so that students grow personally as well as academically.' I have had to move out of my comfort zone to complete this blog.  I have travelled through a diverse range of emotions to get to the completed stage.  I feel as though I can now relate more to what my students are going through when they are struggling with their learning and how significant the emotions are throughout the learning journey.  I am so much more aware of the advantages of following an inquiry-based unit of work after planning this way for the last six months.  The students are enaged and actively involved in their learning and each one progresses to a level appropriate for them.  I have valued the opportunity to investigate a variety of learning models and feel it can only enhance my teaching.

As we move towards a National Curriculum, we move towards greater emphasis being placed on Inquiry-based Learning.  It is both an exciting and daunting move for many educators.  Educators need to understand the importance of 'scaffolding' students learning.  As stated by Bell, Smetana & Binns (2005), the inquiry scale should include a continuum, in order to ensure students are gradually moving from lower to higher levels of inquiry. This links also to Bloom's Taxonomy. In this way, educators can see this gradual progression in student learning and, in doing so, recognise the need to adapt to the varying learning styles of their students.

Glogster!

Wow!  My TL has just directed me to Glogster (http://www.edu.glogster.com/).  This 'glog' allows students to design a poster connected to the unit of work they are covering.  It is an interactive visual platform where students are able to create a 'poster' containing a variety of multimedia tools such as text, audio, images and data.  The students are able to upload their own images into their 'glog'.  They are also able to simply use 'drop' and 'drag' to add content.  My TL said that many of her colleagues have said they have made use of it and it has been a big hit with the students.  I wish I had know about 'Glogster' BEORE I had started my ILA. I would have had the students take photos of their 'work in progress' for their model of renewable energy, and then present their 'glog' as a form of assessment.  Glad to know it is out there, and will definitely use it in the future.



The use of Glogster  would link to Kuhlthau's ISP, by allowing students to gather photos and ideas as they navigate throught the inquiry-based unit.  It would provide a tool for students to document the explorations made throughout the unit.

The Final Questionnaire

1. Take some time to think about your topic.  Now write down what you know about it.

I now know that althought there are several different Models of Inquiry to choose from, I feel most comfortable using Kuhlthau's Model of the Information Search Process.  After working through this inquiry process myself, I realise how significant emotions and feelings are to the inquiry process.  I know I have gone through a range of emotions, but have learnt so much from the whole process.

I now know how to embed images and video clips to a blog - something I thought I would never master!

2. How interested are you in this topic?  Circle the answer that best matches your interest.

Not at all            not much            quite a bit            a great deal



3. How much do you know about this topic?  Circle the answer that best matches how much you know.

Nothing            not much            quite a bit            a great deal

4. Thinking back on your project, what did you find easy to do?  Please list as many things as you like.

• using the blog to track my journey through this learning process
• finding different inquiry models to link to my investigation
• asking colleagues for assistance and advice when required
• finding different inquiry-based models for learning

5. Thinking back on your project, what did you find most difficult to do?  Please list as many things as you like.

• Knowing when to stop searching.
• Remembering to save the links to websites so I could come back to refer to them.
• Sorting through the different models of inquiry to justify why I chose a particular model over others.

After investigating a range of different Information Learning Models, I have returned to Kuhlthau's ISP Model as the one which I would be more inclined to use.  It is fascinating to observe students as they follow such a process.  Now that I am aware of the different stages of the learning process, and what is involved, I find myself observing students and where they are at as far as the ISP  indicates.  Throughout my own learning journey, I have discovered that the relationship between Kuhlthau's ISP and Bloom's taxonomy is an important one, when I am guiding my students through an Information Learning process in the classroom context. 

I have found myself reflecting on Kuhlthau's Model as it includes the Feelings, Thoughts and Actions of the learners as well.  As a learner myself, as I wind my way through the Masters course, I have experienced a multitude of emotions as I have moved out of my comfort zone and into the big wide world of Web 2 technology.  I have questioned my search process continuously and have found myself becoming more focused as I worked my way through the learning process.

Scootle

Scootle is an on-line environment that provides access to a digital curriculum content, developed by the Learning Federation.  It includes learning objects, images, movies and sound files.  I have used Scootle extensively over the past two years as an exciting and engaging learning tool that provides interactive learning for my students.  I am currently teaching in a school that has an Interactive Whiteboard in each classroom, so I am able to regularly use Scootle as an interactive site for the students to actively become involved.  Initially, I searched for "Energy Sources" in "Science".  It provided me with the Key Learning Objectives, Educational Value, Year Level focus, KLA link, Strand in Science, linking topics, the student activities involved.  When the students moved their search to renewable energy sources for their model, I too changed my search to "renewable Energy" in "Science".

I was attempting to discover creative ways in which I could improve my students questioning skills.  I've always fround that a visual stimulus generally is more effective to engage students interest.  Using Scootle assists me to initially engage students interest in the topic and then I attempt to encourage students to develop appropriate questions from what they have seen or heard.  As educators and students wind their way through the world of Information technologies, we are reminded by McKenzie, (2005), that 'questions and questioning may be the most powerful technologies of all.'

Years ago when I first studied to be a teacher I learnt about Bloom's Taxonomy.  It's interesting to note that this model is still used extensively today to ensure educators are providing the opportunity for students to develop higher level thinking skills.  This is achieved by developing efficient questioning skills.

The Year 7 students I am teaching are moving into the higher order thinking skills.  Developing appropriate questions when involving themselves in this science inquiry was an important focus, particularly when building their model of a renewable energy source.  Throughout this process I have found myself questioning what I am doing to ensure the unit is valuable for my students.  I am conscious of the importance of catering for the different levels of students and provide opportunities for them to move beyond their comfort zone to ensure confident, life-long learners.

The Hidden Web

Our set text, "The Hidden Web" by Maureen Henniger, has been an extremely valuable resource for me, as I will be the first to admit that I have alot to learn about "finding quality information on the web". I have attempted to refine my searches to ensure I am being as time efficient as possible as well as finding the quality of information I need.  Through Henniger I have discovered the best process to refine my searches.  According to Henniger I am able to do this through broadening my search, narrowing my search or changing the focus of my search.  By utilising different search engines (Chapter 9), I am discovering efficient ways of achieving this goal.  I completed my first Boolean search recently.  I did this through using 'boolify'.  It took a bit of getting used to but I feel more confident using this search engine.

This text has set out very clearly for me, all the options available  to do simple and advanced searches.  I still feel as though I am finding my feet with all the various search engines and databases. However, as an educator, I feel it is crucial to keep up-to-date and familiarise myself with as many search engines and databases as possible.  I have spent a great deal of time investigating these,  linked to my searches involving information literacy within a scientific inquiry context.

Questionnaire 2

1. Take some time to think about your topic.  Now write down what you know about it.

I feel so much more familiar with the different models of inquiry-based learning.  I have realised that although there are many different models of inquiry, it is possible to combine ideas from several to form my own model of inquiry.  I have now witnessed first-hand how much more worthwhile and engaging an inquiry-based unit of work is for the students.   

2. How interested are you in this topic?  Circle the answer that best matches your interest.

Not at all          not much          quite a bit          a great deal

3. How much do you know about this topic?  Circle the answer that best matches how much you know.

Nothing          not much          quite a bit          a great deal

4. When you do research, what do you generally find easy to do?  Please list as many things as you like.

• Search out the information through Google and Google Scholar
• Using Wonderwheel
• Boolean searches - had no idea they existed until I started this subject

5. When you do research, what do you generally find difficult to do?  Please list as many things as you like.

• Managing to put the information I have gathered into an academic piece of writing that is clear for other people to read.
• Narrow the search down to a manageable amount of hits
• Lack of knowledge of research tools.  It is frustrating but exciting knowing I am gaining lots of knowledge as I continue my searches.
• Finding a starting point and knowing when to stop searching!
• Uploading images into my blog

Concept to Classroom

I discovered this website "Concept to Classroom" in amongst my searches.  It is a free on-line series which promotes Professional Development for educators.  This website includes a "Workshop Menu".  Within this menu there is a link to inquiry-based learning which includes the old saying - "Tell me I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand.  The link to this website is http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html.

I also recently discovered 'mashpedia'  through a post from Bright ideas.  This includes many useful clips the students can view.  Included is "Alternative Energy Sources" (YouTube).  There is lots of audiovisual stimulus for students.  There is general information about Alternative Energy Sources and also more specific clips on wind, solar, tidal, geothermal energy etc.  One important literacy focus which I have been concentrating on with my year 7's this year has been note-taking.  These video clips provide an opportunity for the students to view these clips in the computer lab.  It would be possible for the students to do this individually so they may concentrate on the particular energy source they have chosen for their model.  A couple of disadvantages to this site I noticed was that it is based on United States of America information.  Also, some of the footage from YouTube is inappropriate for school aged children.  The choice of clips and the footage included would have to be monitored extremely closely.

As I have been involved in my own personal researching linked to Inquiry-based learning and Information Literacy, I have become more aware of how necessary it is to be quite discerning with the choice of websites and databases.  We are exposed to a world full of ICT's and it is often difficult to narrow down searches and make a reliable choice.