HCRHS Student Reflections on Inquiry Process

2008-2009 SY

What is Guided Inquiry?

                                                                                                                                                                                             

http://cissl.scils.rutgers.edu/guided_inquiry/introduction.html

Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st CenturyCarol C. Kuhlthau, Leslie K. Maniotes, and Ann K. CaspariLibraries Unlimited, 2007

AP English Language and CompositionGuided Inquiry: Blink

Teachers: Marci Zane and Mary Woods

Asked authentic questions of text

Synthesized a variety of sources to answer essential questions

Evaluated resources and information

Developed responsibility for their own learning

Improved research competency and skills

Reflected on goals and process of learning

Worked in cooperative learning teams

Interacted on Moodle to share materials with and provide feedback to peers

In this guided inquiry unit, students…

Was the unit on Blink different from other units?

Yes 94.1% No 0% I don’t know 5.9%

Students’ responses:

“Honestly, this unit felt like the first time I was ever really, truly learning, real-life style, in school. I mean...it felt like we were actually discovering, figuring things out, and reaching opinions on our own...not just being fed information from the teacher or book.”

“We were asked to simply take an active role in our learning. It was amazing to see how much creativity and progress we made with everyone exploring their own interests and then comparing what they've learned to what others have explored.”

Choose two of the characteristics of guided inquiry and explain your rating

Lifelong learning: “Now that I’m more used to having to look up answers to

questions I pose throughout the book, I’ll be more likely to do the same in the future.”

“It didn't really prepare us for lifelong learning in general, just for English and writing synthesis papers. It did allow us to work along with the teacher in deciding what to discuss in class.”

Cover subject areas other than English: “I think that it was really cool to learn about other things

besides English in an English class, while still connecting back to English. We were able to talk about music, art, psychology, how we learn, how our brain functions and so much more.”

Create a community of learners: “The community we created made it possible for the Blink unit

to run smoothly, and for everyone to have their interests addressed and learn as much as possible.”

Choose two of the characteristics of guided inquiry and explain your rating

Emphasis on Process: “This unit challenged traditional student apathy to the

subject material - fully engaging us in the process. The process is what is essential to learning. Then you can react to what you have learned and gain a greater understanding of the issue.”

“In the beginning, I was afraid of this process because it demanded a lot of responsibility and independence from me. Once we all got more into it, I was more comfortable with it, and got a lot out of it.”

Connect the curriculum to your world: “We performed many of the experiments discussed in the

book before reading the book—the bedroom test, the Coke vs. Pepsi, and the Lemon/Lime text—without being told what the purpose was. In this way, we were able to learn by example.”