Developing More Curious
Minds
And
Schools of Inquiry
Florida League of
IB Schools
27 February, 2015
John Barell
New York, NY
212-744-5892
jbarell@nyc.rr.com
www.morecuriousminds.com
http://inquisitivetoafault.com
http://morecuriousminds.blogspot.com
@johnbarell
Our Agenda--Enhancing Inquiry with Short/Long Term Approaches
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I.
Introductions—Agenda, Inquiry Film, Application,Vision, “Izzy”
and Your Concerns/Goals.
II. Short term approaches to create environment that invites and supports
inquiry:
A. Personal Modeling of Inquisitiveness
B. Planning, Monitoring and Evaluating (PME)
C. Observe, Think/Discuss and Question—objects, pictures, articles, art
works, experiences. . . artifacts from units.
D. Developing the Language of Inquiry in All Subjects
E. Inquiry Journals—following OTQ, readings, recitations, and presentations. Reflecting on our own questioning processes.
F. “Stories with Holes,” Magic Bag and Show and Tell
G. Using Critical Thinking Questions to assess claims, stories and commence inquiry processes.
H. “Parking Lot/Wonder Walls” A repository for students’ questions.
“Wondering Wednesdays”
I. Developing good cooperative learning skills/attitudes—listening to
each other, responding, building upon each other’s ideas, working collaboratively. . .
III. Developing Curriculum/Units of Inquiry in accordance with problembased learning to foster inquiry and investigations with authentic assessments.
Your Vision of education in the 21st century. Assuming achievement of core
knowledge in all subjects what do we want students to be able to do to meet
the challenges of the new century? (PPT)
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Skills
Dispositions
Greenwich, CT Vision of the Graduate Compare yours with theirs:
Story of Isidore I. Rabi (“Izzy”) and Your immediate questions/concerns
about fostering your Vision in classrooms and throughout the school.
Posting our initial curiosities about teaching for inquiry on the Wonder Wall
Definitions: Inquiry is--
Critical Thinking is—
Questioning the givens
Based upon viewing the inquiry clip, select one of the topics/claims below and
share your wonderings:
1. Learning in traditional classrooms, with students in chairs and teachers in
front of the class
2. Using social media to communicate with friends
3. The all-volunteer armed forces
4. Growing older and weaker happens to all of us
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5. Our unalienable rights include “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. . . “
6. Voting at age 21 in FL. . . 17 in CT, MD VA and other states in primaries if
you’ll be 18 by election day
7. Charities are tax exempt
8. Most nations have quotas limiting the number of citizens who can emigrate to
the US
9. Health care is provided mostly by doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals
10. First Amendment to the Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
Our wonderings:
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Transfer to our classrooms:
Why?
Why?
“It is a small word. . . Why? Porque?
A mere 3 letters on a scrabble board. . .Pourquoi?
But it is a quick, sharp approach, an abrupt word which can bring years of
conventional assumptions to a jarring halt. . .
[Shakespeare: “There is no darkness but ignorance.” Twelfth Night]
It allows you to explore new possibilities. . .It is the chosen word of the nonconformist, the defiant and the visionary. . .
[Chaplin. . .Gandhi. . . Lincoln] Why?
It is the nemesis of the pessimist, the defeatist and the lazy. . .
Why?
It is a confrontational word. . .
Why?
It challenges what’s thought to be impossible, allowing us only to be limited
by our own ideas and not somebody else’s. . . [Apollo 11 lunar landing, Leonardo da Vinci]
Why?
If you’re not afraid to ask WHY? You can change whatever it is you want!”
[Space Shuttle, “Dancing House,” Prague]
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
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Reflective Inquiry to enhance personal agency and self-control.
Situation: What do you want to know more about? Assess needs in reaching
your vision of the inquiry-based classroom.
Planning: “What is my goal/task for this workshop?
How will I achieve it?”
Monitoring:
“How well am I/are we doing?”
Evaluating: “How well did we do? What might we do differently next time
and why?”
Research:
1. When students assume the attitude `I can make these decisions. . .’ they
experience more of a sense of agency, being in control of their own lives. . . tapping into
their “inherent motivation to learn.” (McCombs, 1991, AERA paper April.)
2. “Setting performance goals increases individual, group and organizational performance.” (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2001, Organizational Behavior, 5/e)
3. Effective tutors foster “a sense of control in the student (command of
material),” as well as challenge and curiosity. (Nisbett, R. E. 2009, Intelligence and How
to Get It. p. 16, 76)
4. “Marshmallow test” for withholding gratification (setting that goal)
leads to higher SAT tests, completing more years of schooling, better self-esteem.
L. Steinberg, 2014 Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence.
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Creating the Invitational Environment--Modeling Our Own
Inquisitiveness
A. Using objects from our experience
B. Current stories in the news
C. Reflecting in our Inquiry Journals
D. From personal experiences, e.g. Antarctica (PPT)
What characterizes Antarctica, these objects and stories:
Novelty,
Benefits of our modeling our own inquisitiveness:
E. Share your own experiences of significant persons who modeled
inquiry for you. Who opened you to wondering about the world? How did
you grow up to be an inquisitive person? Or what impeded your growth toward inquisitiveness?
Elements that foster Curiosity—What stimulates our thinking?
Novelty
Doubt
Observe, Think and Question
(See, Think, Wonder)
Difficulty
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Scenario: You are members of a grade level team of investigators assigned
to figure out changes in local environments. Observe, relate to prior
knowledge and generate good questions to determine cause and effect relationships.
Observe: What do we see? Note all sensations with the object and/or experience: sight, touch, hearing, taste. . What do you notice that seems significant? Note that which all agree upon is observable.
Think: What are you recalling in prior knowledge? Differentiate between
observations and inferences. What do you think about your observations?
Important? Why?
Question/Wonder: What curiosities come to mind? What do you wonder
about?
Developing More Complex Questions with Journaling
I. Jot down in inquiry journals your initial “Important” Questions from Observation of Artifacts:
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Discuss questions: What’s important, interesting, strange, puzzling, curious
and why?
Conclusions:
II. Research (p. ):
Initial Questions:
Discuss/Think:
New “important” questions from Research
III. Consult 3 Story Intellect. Develop questions at level II or III, p. 10/11.
Discuss new questions/reflections. Importance, new insights. . .
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IV. What do we do with all these questions? (After observation, research
and 3 Story Intellect)
V. What have we learned about our own thinking/questioning/feelingprocesses? And the collaborative process? (see p. 12,
Inquiry Journal Stems)
VI Where do/will you use artifacts for Observe, Think and Question? p. 13.
Research: Singapore Study, 2008, 7th graders using Inquiry Journals to note
questions and discuss. “questions and comments became bolder and more adventurous. .
.[questioning/discussing] can be the foundation for a less intimidating questioning culture
in science laboratory learning. . instructional objectives of ensuring that students show an
awareness that matter is made up of small discrete particles. . . and also to show an understanding of the simple model of solids, liquids and gases. . . were achieved.” 2008
EURASIA, Eurasia J. Math. Sci. & Tech. Ed., 4(3), 279-283
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Three Story Intellect
Level III Applying/Using Knowledge to demonstrate Understanding
Evaluate
Judge
Imagine
Speculate. . . If. . . then
Estimate
Apply a principle
Forecast
Create a product
Level II Processing Information [in order to Understand]
Compare/Contrast
Classify
Identify Variables
Analyze
Distinguish Cause and Effect/Fact and Opinion
Pose problems, generate solutions and solve
Make decisions
Infer and draw conclusions
Hypothesize, experiment and draw conclusions
Explain (Why) Justify decisions/conclusions
Level I Gathering Information
Describe
Observe
Record Data
Name
Recite
Recall
*Source: Illinois Renewal Institute/Skylight Publishing, Inc., 1990
See also, Developing More Curious Minds (2003), p. 64 and ProblemBased Learning—An Inquiry Approach (2007, Corwin), p. 18.
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Question Frame
A question frame is an attempt to provide a generic set of questions to
pose about complex, perplexing situations:
Critical Factors/Elements
Systems/ Symptoms
“What is the evidence/data?”
History
Causes
Assumptions
Puzzling, Complex Situations:
“Why?”
Natural, Personal, Mechanical
Future
Effects
Solutions
Possibilities
“What if
we do
this?”
Related Situations
“What
can we compare this to?”
c/c
Concluding Statements/Questions:
“What do we want to do?
What are our tentative conclusions?
What questions do we have now?”
Inquiry Journal Entry Stems. . .
I noticed/observed/saw/experienced. . . . and my thoughts/feelings/questions
are . .
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What I am curious about. . .
It says, “. . . .” but I do not yet understand. . .
I saw. . . and what I want to know is. . .
I really wonder why. . .
This reminds me of. . . relates to. . .
What’s important here is. . .
What I’m trying to understand/figure out. . .
Maybe. . . Perhaps. . .Might it be that. . ?
The big ideas here are. . .
This makes me feel. . . What I feel is. . .
What if. . .?
What I’m learning about my questioning, thinking, searching for answers. . .
What do I notice about my feelings during inquiry and questioning? alone? with friends?
How do we use Observe, Think and Question/Wonder?
List the possibilities:
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The Language of Inquiry
What are the words, phrases, clauses, physical gestures that reflect our
sense of awe and wonder at the world and people within it? Reflect on inquiry film and shell experiences:
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Continually using the Language of Inquiry Across all Subjects
“I wonder. . . . Let’s observe, reflect, question
This puzzles me. . . . We need to compare/contrast
What I want to know. . . .
What fascinates me. . . .
You know it’s weird. . .
Here’s something I wanted to ask about. . .
I’m trying to figure out. . .Pose and solve a problem. ..
This is what I don’t get. . .
I thought it was. . .but. . .
I wonder why. . . Let’s hypothesize
Perhaps. . .Let’s infer/attempt to draw a conclusion
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What if. . . We project these consequences
Let’s suppose. . .We attempt to make this decision”
Based in part on J. W. Lindfors (1999) Children’s inquiry—Using language to make
sense of the world. New York: Teachers College Press. Barell, 2013 Did You Ever Wonder? Fostering Curiosity Here, There and Everywhere. (IB)
Literacy and Modeling Inquiry
While teaching students to read, we can use the language of inquiry in many different ways. A teacher’s asking the following kinds of questions, models for students
how to approach the challenges of figuring out new words and the meaning of sentences.
Learning new words: (e.g. “Nocebo”)
“What does it sound like?
How is it like a word you already know? (Relate)
Do we recognize parts of the word?
(e.g. “thermometer” in Gr. 2) (Analyze)
Can we identify words within the word? (Analyze)
What other words does this come from?”
(Seeking etymology)
“What is the first/last sound in `mop’?
What are all the sounds you hear in `mop’?
Where in the word is the `p’ sound?” (Phonemic Awareness)
Figuring meanings of sentences:
What words do we know?
What words do we need to figure out?
How can we figure out the meanings of these words?
Can we find clues within other sentences?
Figuring out how to solve mathematical problems:
What will be the day after the day after tomorrow, if the day before the day before yesterday was Monday? (What questions do we need to
ask ourselves in order to understand and plan to solve this problem?)
What is important? What am I being asked to do?
How will I solve it? What’s my plan?
Can I relate this to other problems I’ve seen?
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Can I break this down into smaller parts?
How can I represent/draw this out?
Reading for Meaning. Asking/modeling these questions:
What is this about?
What do I understand? What isn’t yet clear?
What do I think will happen? Why?
What do I want to know more about?
(Consult “Reciprocal Teaching” Approaches, A.M. Palincsar & Brown)
Here we are modeling for our students the questions/approaches they can use
to figure out word and sentence meanings on their own.
The Magic Bag—Learning how to ask questions that give us lots of information
Place ordinary classroom/household object within the bag.
Then challenge students to ask questions to determine what’s in it:
1. Ask questions you can answer “Yes/No”
2. Ask questions using Levels II or III of Three Story Intellect. That is, ask
questions that require more thought.
3. Reflections on this process. What do we observe/learn about our questioning--our ability to listen and build upon each others’ questions?
Variations on “Show and Tell”
Bring in objects of interest, curiosity, and fascination and have other students pose questions about them to determine nature, origins, significance. . .
Intriguing Situations
Consider one of the following situations and determine your course of action:
1.
You’ve had a sore throat for three days.
2.
You need a book from the top shelf, but you can’t reach that high.
3.
You get home from school, and you discover you have left the house key inside.
4.
You are sitting at your desk in math class working on a problem you don’t know
how to solve.
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5.
The water in the sink won’t go down the drain.
6.
Your friend hit a ball through the neighbor’s window. (Respond as an adult)
7.
You are driving to church and you have a flat tire.
8.
You are pouring milk for supper and the milk runs out with two glasses left to
fill.
9.
You are walking home from school and find a little boy who is lost.
10. The classroom is too noisy for the teacher
11. You and your mom have been grocery shopping. You are sitting in the parking
lot, but the car won’t start.
Your proposed actions as the result of problem analysis:
What do you notice about your own approaches to these situations?
How could you use these open-ended situations to foster inquiry?
Students’ generating their own critical thinking questions:
What questions would you pose about these claims or judgments to determine their believability?
A. “Charlotte’s Web is the best book in the whole world!”
B. It’s “very likely” humans have caused observed global warming of the past 50 years.
C. “We lacked imagination. . .” and what we must do is to “institutionalize,” routinize
[and] bureaucratize “the use of imagination.”
D. “Are you getting enough whole grain in your diet? Chances are, you’re not. Recent
studies show nine out of 10 Americans fall short of getting the recommended three servings of whole grain each day..”
E. “New Yorkers live longer.”
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F. “Get Reliable and Save Big This Year—Verizon Wireless.”
G. The 1938 Munich agreement with Hitler “brings us peace in our time.”
H. “Change you can believe in.”
Your Questions:
Your Acronym:
Application: Where and under what circumstances can we challenge students to pose
these kinds of questions?
S
E
A
D
S
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CRITICAL THINKING
Some Definitions
John McPeck
“. . .critical thought involves a certain skepticism, or suspension of
assent, towards a given statement, established norm or mode of doing
things.”
Matthew Lipman—Creator of Philosophy for Children
“ . . .critical thinking is skillful, fully responsible thinking that facilitates judgments because it 1) relies upon criteria; 2) is self-correcting, and 3)
is sensitive to context. . .It is thinking that both employs criteria and that can
be assessed by appeal to criteria.”
Harvey Seigel
“. . .Thinking appropriately moved by reasons. . .”
Robert Ennis
“. . .rational, reflective thinking concerned with what to do or believe”
Rott and Allen
“.. .Critical thinking begins with a previous claim, conclusion or product and considers the question, “Of what truth or worth is it?” Problem solving, on the other hand, begins with a perceived problem and asks, How
might this difficulty be resolved?”
CLAIM: “Common Core State Standards are an attempt by the federal government to control our schools.”
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Critical Thinking can be defined as drawing reasonable conclusions
supported by evidence.
Causal Reasoning: “Why did this occur?
What led to this situation? What’s the evidence?”
Prediction: “What will happen in the future given the present situation?
What evidence do you have to support this conclusion?
Is it objective, reliable, representative?”
Taking Other Points of View: “What evidence contradicts my own point of
view? What is the opposite/other point of view?”
Analogical Reasoning: “How are these two situations similar? different?
This situation is similar to what others you know
and how?”
Generalization: “What rules/lessons can we draw from this situation?
Assessment: What criteria do we use to assess students’ drawing conclusions?
A. Use of evidence that is valid, reliable, representative
B. Presenting/recognizing other points of view
C. Challenging assumptions, defining terms, noting biases. . .
D. Explaining our reasoning processes. . .
ANALOGICAL
REASONING
CAUSAL
C O N C L U S I O N S>>> PREDICTIONS
REASONING <<<<<
CREATE GENERALIZATIONS
What do we do with all of these questions? With students:
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A. Determine “the best questions.”
B. Classify, organize, find common, broader questions.
C. Create list of priority questions.
D. Figure out how to answer—“How will we answer questions and manage our
classroom time, resources. . ?”
E. Plan use of resources: time, texts, persons
F. Plan direct teaching of key concepts not found in students’ questions from
problematic scenarios.
G. Plan student work groups to share findings, analyze critically and plan for final authentic assessments (part of problematic scenarios.
“What do we do with all students questions, especially those that do not
become part of our unit?”
Here are some teacher-generated suggestions from South St. Paul, MN:
1. Create a template to send home:
Student Name
Date
Class
Here’s my question: “I wonder. . ?”
Parent responses/ideas/new questions:
Signed by parent/student
Then have students share responses from home with class.
2. Put students’ questions in Newsletters sent home.
3. Put questions in Newsletters shared within the school.
4. Post students’ questions in hallways, on white boards
5. Incorporate questions within daily announcements to entire school.
6. Send questions off to resource persons within community.
7. Have students jot them down in Inquiry Journals for their own investigation and sharing of answers.
8. Post flip charts, Question Box and/or white boards around schools for students to jot
down questions for all to see.
9. Have students select ones they’re all curious about for a “Let’s find out” session.
10. Share questions with another class to find answers through a Buddy System.
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Problem-Based Learning—An Inquiry Approach
What do we think problem-based learning entails?
Why might it be important for our students to engage in pbl?
What are some challenges/drawbacks?
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Rationale for PBL
Students’ engagement, buy-in, motivation, control of own learning. . .
May lead to higher achievement. . . .
Can be directly related to authentic situations beyond schools. . .
Involves high degree of student inquiry, research, critical thinking and drawing own conclusions. . .
Initial provocations, problematic scenarios, are complex, ill-structured situations that stimulate interest, inquiry and can be used as summative assessments. . . They allow entry at multiple levels thus involving all students. . .
May involve more planning time. . .
May involve more student-oriented learning experiences—e.g. researching,
reporting. . .
Procedures. . .
Prior to embarking upon a unit we usually provide students with an Initial Inquiry Experience similar to ours with artifacts. This may involve a field trip, examining artifacts,
slide shows, news stories and the like: anything to stimulate interest.
Model Problematic Scenario
Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city of New Orleans. Your town was chosen as a model community to help rebuild. Think about how your town and
other stows meet the needs of its citizens. Come up with a plan to rebuild
New Orleans as a working community. Your plan will be presented to the
town council for approval [and should include ways of meeting needs of all
citizens through a variety of resources and social services.]
( Why Are School Buses Always Yellow? 2008, p. 161, Kelly Guzman, NJ)
How does this challenge reflect our criteria for a good problematic scenario?
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KWHLAQ
Within your inquiry groups, what do you think you Know about
this situation? (K) Search and link to prior knowledge.
What do we want and need to find out? (W) Act as researchers of
civic planners, home owners, insurance companies, local businesses. . .
Organize questions/wonderings. . . Identify essential questions:
How will we go about finding answers? (H) Identify possible resources, learning/research experiences:
How would you set up the problematic scenario as a summative
assessment?
KWHLAQ
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K What do we think we already know? Explore prior knowledge.
(May be elicited from Observe, Think and Question approach)
W What do we want and need to find out? (Act/think as researchers)
H How will we proceed to investigate our questions? How will we organize time, access to resources and reporting? How will we self-assess our
progress (e.g. with a scoring rubric)?
L What are we learning (daily)? And what have we learned at the end of our
investigations?
A How and where can we apply the results of our investigations—to this
and other subjects/to our daily lives?
Q What new questions do we have now? How might we pursue them in
our next units?
Sources: J. Barell 2007 Why Are School Buses Always Yellow? ProblemBased Learning: An Inquiry Approach, 2/e Corwin. 2003 Developing More
Curious Minds, ASCD.
SAMPLE Unit of Inquiry
Creating a Unit on Cultures and Cultural Diversity
Content Concept: Cultures and Cultural Diversity Central Idea: Cultures
and cultural artifacts reflect who we are as people—our beliefs, values and
priorities in life. (Who We Are)
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Essential Questions: What is culture? How our cultures reflect how we
live? What is cultural diversity and why is it important?
Objectives: 1. To describe and explain culture and its manifestations.
2. Compare/contrast different cultures and explain differences.
3. Analyze new culture to identify its priorities, values and
philosophies.
4. Create a model culture reflecting your own philosophy/needs
Strategies: 1. Share with students multiple images of various cultures
2. Observe, Think and Question with artifacts to generate
awareness, inquiries and interest: archeological artifacts, pictures of dress. . .
3. Engage in problematic scenario to develop questions, organize same and conduct research toward objectives (KWHLAQ)
Create a problematic scenario based on the cultural artifacts. See pp 2831 for guidelines. Recall shell investigation earlier.
“You are (identify roles)
(within this situation)
(responsible for—problem solving, decision making, creating, hypothesizing/testing)
(and you will share your findings with which authentic audience?)”
Reflection
What questions naturally come to mind from this scenario?
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How might we organize them to conduct “purposeful investigations”?
How can the scenario be used as a summative assessment?
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Long Term Curriculum Development—Units of Inquiry
“How do we plan for students’ active engagement through units
of inquiry?”
I. Identify major content topics/issues/concepts within your unit of inquiry:
(Transdisciplinary Theme; Central Idea; Key Concept)
II. Draw a concept map of major concepts:
(e.g. Cultural Diversity; Identity (Who am I?); Government; Revolutions; Habitat Change (How the World Works); American Novels; Healthy
Bodies; Impressionism; Bodies Accelerating; Statistics/Probability)
III. Identify concepts/ideas/principles/facts of major importance; lines of
inquiry and enduring understandings--ones you must teach in accordance
with local, state and subject matter standards (CCSS, C3, NGSS), as well as
students’ needs, interests and abilities:
IV. Objectives. Students will be able to (Include intellectual challenges
from Levels II and III of Three Story Intellect. See Performances of Understanding, p. ):
V. Identify initial problematic scenarios (“You are a paleontologist. . . ) that
create interest, contain major content concepts, challenge students to inquire
and think at Levels II, III and can serve as a summative assessment.
VI. Strategies:
VII. Assessments—Directly related to and dependent upon Problematic
Scenario.
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Characteristics of Problematic Scenarios
Doubt, difficulty, uncertainty, novelty and mystery—That which fosters
curiosity and invites exploration and challenges us to think productively.
Complexity—Possesses many facets, elements or ways of investigating
Boundarylessness; open to question at many different levels, problem solving and critical thinking. (Based on GE’s Jack Welch)
Robust—Concepts within are significant, generalizable within the unit and
curriculum (e.g. interdependence, ecologies and conservation). Transdisciplinary.
Researchable—Information is available from a variety of sources.
Fascination—Captures imagination of our students.
Invites inquiry at many different levels reflecting all levels of 3 Story Intellect.
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Model Problematic Scenarios within Long-Term Inquiry Units
K-1 “You are a meteorologist charged with explaining the water cycle. . .
2. a. You are a planner responsible for redesigning our playground. . . . b. You are responsible for helping rebuild New Orleans. . .(after hurricane Katrina)
3. You are responsible for finding ways to solve problems of ocean pollution. . .
4. You are the owner of a factory with responsibility to design a solution to this current
problem. . .
5. You are responsible for designing an ABC book on Land Forms. . .
6. You must prevent a pyroclastic flow from destroying your town. . .
7. You are responsible for designing a habitat on Mars. . .
You are an advisor to Apple’s Tim Cook to design a new “Think Different” poster for the
iPhone 6. Conduct research to identify key features, design poster and present, analyze
and defend your critical choices. (Modified from OCC, “Here’s to the Crazy Ones.”)
8. You are responsible for designing an improved roller coaster for the theme park. .
.You are the owner of prime land on Lake Erie and will plan for its recreational use to
stimulate local economy. . .
9. Assess needs of an African nation, plan solutions, make application to the World
Bank.
10. You are responsible for a. preventing concussions during football team’s games; b.
Designing/funding/constructing outdoor basketball facilities; c. Preventing accidents in
front of McDonald’s at the Mall. (Sanudsky, OH)
11. You need to decide whether to drop the atomic bomb; how to keep colonies within
British Empire. You are a biographer researching 19th century novelists (e.g. Woolf,
Dickens, Crane. . .) and will explore how their world views would affect their analyses of
current problems/writings.
12. You must determine extent of bacteria contamination, make recommendations
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Creating a Problematic Scenario within a Unit
of Inquiry
Grade Level
Subject
1. Identify major curricular concepts/ideas/principles/skills you
wish students to engage. These will be embedded within the scenario. Use planning guide p. 28.
2. Identify major intellectual processes students will use in working through the problem (Consult Levels II and III, p. 10):
a.
b.
c.
d.
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Hypothesizing/creating experiment/testing
Creating a product
3. Identify possible roles, settings and circumstances for the scenario:
4. Create a “You are. . .” situation:
5. What are specific objectives within this scenario? How does it
provide for various summative assessments?
Formative and Summative Assessments:
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“. . .students who achieve a deep understanding of science content through inquiry
usually do well on conventional tests.”
Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards (2000)
A. Formative Assessment:
“The addition of opportunities for formative assessment increases
students’ learning and transfer, and they learn to value opportunities to revise.” (Bransford, 2000)
Ongoing feedback on performance, identifying aspects needing improvement:
teacher observations; interviews, inquiry journals and students’ self-assessments;
quizzes; teacher comments on first drafts of papers/reports/projects; emails; other.
.
For example, using students’ questions about major concepts within units reveals
the depth of their understanding. Each student keeps an Inquiry Journal of all his/her
questions from September to June; monthly reflects on writings to learn about inquiry
process, what question she/he has asked over time and where improvement is warranted.
B. Possible Alternative, Authentic and Summative Assessments—
Performing/Representing our Understandings (Differentiating
Learning and Assessment)
1. These experiences challenge students to find a variety of meaningful ways to
express their understanding of content thereby enhancing intellectual flexibility:
Experiments
Written Reports
Journals/Diaries
Interviews
Models
Solved Problems
Dramatic Presentations
Collages
News Programs
Metaphors
Supported Decisions
Films
Poetry or Stories
Dance
Analogies
Each should be accompanied by a written explanation when such will help describe the
students’ thinking and how she reached conclusions.
These examples, however, do not go far enough. They are the structures within which
students demonstrate their understandings. For example, if teachers want students to
demonstrate their understanding of “democracy,” they can ask students to engage in a
number of different and challenging intellectual tasks:
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*
•
•
Define (e.g., democracy is a form of government)
Explain (e.g., give reasons for how democratic governments function)
Exemplify (e.g., present examples of one or more democracies)
Compare and contrast (e.g., compare and contrast democratic governments with each other and with totalitarian and fascist regimes)
Draw conclusions (e.g., draw conclusions about comparisons and differences between democratic governments and totalitarian and fascist
regimes)
Identify and analyze problematic situations (e.g., the conflict between
rights of the individual and society at large)
Apply (e.g., apply the concept of democracy to any emerging government in another area, such as Latin America, Africa, or Asia; analyze
the strengths of these emerging governments in accordance with the
characteristics of a democracy and draw your own conclusions)
Create models, metaphors and analogies (e.g. create a model government in a new country, a model of photosynthesis, an analogy for
plate tectonics)
Hypothesize (e.g., What would happen if certain conditions were to
prevail within our own (or others') democracies, for example, censorship of the press, curtailment of the right to freedom of assembly,
growing intolerance for those who are different, and so on?)
Take another point of view (What does our Constitution mean to an
Iraqi?)
Generate or respond to questions (e.g., What if generals of the army
made foreign policy?)
Teach the concept (e.g., teach the concept of democracy to children in
elementary school, using examples from the their own lives)
2. Authentic Assessments
a. Problem-based tasks are “authentic” if they
Are realistic, relate to what we do in the world—e.g. solve problems; make decisions; hypothesize and experiment; create
Require judgment, innovation and use of
knowledge and skill
Ask students to “do” the subject
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Replicate contexts in which adults are “tested” in
the workplace, in civic and personal life
Allow appropriate opportunities to rehearse, practice, consult resources, and get feedback on and refine performances and products. (Wiggins, 1998)
b. Afford students opportunities to “engage students in the general
forms of cognitive work found in the adult world. . . [with] guided
practice in producing original conversation and writing, repairing
and building of physical objects or performing artistically.” (Neumann, 1996)
3. Self-Assessment—Informal Learnings/Differentiating Instruction
Concept Maps—Initially part of the “What do we think we know?” at the
beginning of a unit, we can continue to add to our concept maps (perhaps using
different colors and making entirely new ones) and use these during and after the
unit to answer the questions: “What have I been learning? What surprises me?
What fascinates me enough to want to continue asking more questions and investigating?”
Thinking/inquiry Journals—By having students record their questions
and brief summaries of their investigations, we can challenge them at various
points during a unit to respond to: “What are we learning and what do I need to
find out more about? What am I learning about myself as a questioner, as an investigator, as a thinker?” (See Singapore, 2008, Study above)
Folders/portfolios with writings—These folders might include all of the
written materials created during a unit. At unit’s end we can ask, “What have we
learned about our own ways of thinking, ways of investigating, our own writing
and analyzing information?”
Weekly “Wraparounds” --In a circle students take turns telling “something s/he will use from information or activities learned today. Something he
will remember from today.” (Gregory and Chapman, Differentiated Instructional
Strategies (2002) p. 44. See for other “Reflections after learning.”)
Letters Home—Barbara M’Gonigle would challenge her students to reflect on their grades and performance at key points during a marking period.
“How well did you do? What were your goals and did you reach them? If not,
what will you do differently in the future?” Following the reflection, Barbara
asked her high school students to write letters home explaining their performance
and presenting parents with a plan either for sustaining their excellent performance or for improving their performance. Could we use this approach, with
modifications, for younger students?
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Assessment of Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving:
With students identify criteria for self-assessment rubrics:
Critical Thinking:
a. Making claims/judgments/drawing conclusions
b. Presenting good reasons for same
c. Citing and interpreting appropriate, reliable, representative evidence
d. Showing logical thinking/reasoning (challenging assumptions, recognizing bias, defining terms, .)
e. Presenting arguments pro and con; other points of view
f. Analyzing and evaluating alternative points of view
g. Thoroughly explaining reasons for judgment/conclusions
(Adapted from Facione&Facione, Univ. California.
http://www.insightassessment.com/pdf_files/rubric.pdf, 1994)
Problem Solving: (a list of possible moves)
a. Identify a problem in observable terms
b. Ask questions about causes, assumptions, consequences. Conduct re
search on problem/issue; represent/draw it out; reduce to parts; relate to
similar problems/issues.
c. Search for reasonable causes using data/evidence.
d. Generate possible solutions (Brainstorm. . . )
e. Establish criteria for good solution
f. Pro/con each solution. Project consequences. Analyze critically.
g. Make decision in accordance with criteria
h. Present solutions
i. Respond to questions/critique
j. Act and evaluate observable results
k. Compare observable results with intended outcomes
l. Determine reasons for differences between ideal and real outcomes
m. Modify solutions in accordance with data.
Practical Suggestions for Initiating Inquiry within our classrooms:
A. When we begin thinking about fostering students’ questioning in the classroom, we
should spend some time reflecting on our own inquiries. Take the Personal Inquisitiveness Inquiry on p. 40 of this document. Keep a journal of your own wonderings,
attempts to understand/figure out complex situations; jot down what you are curious
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about for a few weeks; reflect and see what you’ve learned about your own curiosities.
For example, what kinds of questions do you ask (Why? What if?); about what subjects
(Nature, sports, human relations, yourself). How often do you engage in the language of
inquiry: “I wonder. . .want to figure out. . suppose/maybe/perhaps. . .What I don’t understand is. . ?” (See Lindfors, 1999 Children’s Inquiry)
B. Then, when you feel comfortable, commence with modeling your own inquisitiveness with your students—about everyday occurrences, objects, events in nature or aspects of your subject. Bring in an article, or reflect aloud about a program you’ve just
seen and share your spontaneous curiosities with your students. Let students know that
we are all curious about a wide variety of mysteries; we all experience
doubts/perplexities that can lead to significant questions. Let them know, especially, that
we do not have all the answers and no one does, that it’s alright to question, to doubt, to
make mistakes and self-correct, to wonder and try to figure things out.
C. When you wish to challenge your students to identify their own questions you might:
1. Bring an object into the classroom and give students practice using an Observe, Think and Question/Wonder approach. Try this a few times just for fun
and/or begin bringing objects (pictures, paragraphs in novels) for observations and
inquiry into the classroom that relate to your unit. Elicit questions, jot them down on
the board if you want a record of them together with students’ names by their questions to personalize the process.
As a variation on Show and Tell, have students bring their own intriguing objects,
ones that might elicit wonderings/questions and have students pose questions in order to
understand the nature/function/enjoyment of the object. Record questions and post for
illustration.
2. Use an Inquiry Journal for students to jot down questions/wonderings/musings about a reading, an object or an experience. Always model the
writing first in your own journal.
3. As you progress you might take a number of students’ questions and ask,
“What differences do you see amongst these questions?” Elicit students’ comments on
questions that require only reading, using inferences and going beyond text/given information. Use the 3 Story Intellect/Question Frame as references.
4. Post students’ questions during a unit around the room as a guide and use them
to construct your own set of good questions. See SEADS and critical questions above.
5. Reflect on the class questions at the end of a lesson: “What have we learned
about our questioning, investigating today? How can we apply what we’re learning?”
6. Have students keep records of their best Inquiry Journal Questions.
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7. If time permits, record students’ unit questions within each unit. See how Lorraine Radford recorded all her kindergartners’ questions for the entire year using a simple
spread sheet, one that revealed their growth from making statements in the Fall to asking
complex questions in April about ocean life: “Do you think that anglerfish think humans
are fish sometimes?” (How Do We Know They’re Getting Better? Assessment for 21st
Century Minds, K-8, Corwin, 2012, Chapter 7).
8. Continually reflect with students, “What are we learning about our own curiosities, our questioning, our learning?”
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Personal Inquisitiveness Inventory
1. How did you grow up to be a curious person?
2. What experiences have you had that fostered/inhibited your being curious?
3. Who are your models of curiosity? Today and in your past?
4. What subjects/topics/experiences now fuel your curiosity, are you fascinated about?
5. Think of today’s headlines. What do you want to know more about?
6. Reflect on the last book you read. What would you ask the author? Others?
7. In your personal relationships what do you want to know more about?
How would you do this? Who would help? What are the obstacles to overcome?
8. At work what supports and or inhibits your curiosity?
9. How might you enhance the community of inquiry where you work? (In
your own classroom?)
10. How will you enhance your own inquisitiveness? That of others?
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Classroom Interaction Inventory
Seldom
Often
Usually
1. I model my own inquisitiveness. . .
2. Students feel comfortable posing questions
3. Students freely respond to each others’
questions/responses. . . .
4. We work collaboratively. . .
5. I ask most of the questions. . .
6. Students ask good questions about content. . .
7. Students learn how to ask better questions. . .
8. Students organize questions for investigations
9. Students conduct investigations using a variety
of resources
10. Students think critically when analyzing sources. . .
11. We—my students and I-- develop authentic, alternative assessments
(wherein students are thinking at Levels II/III
of 3 Story Intellect)
12. We conduct at least one inquiry unit in a major subject
every several months
13. We plan sufficient time for inquiry investigations
14. We receive administrative support for our inquiry projects
15. Students communicate with parents about their inquiries
16. Teachers collaborate on inquiry projects
My Goal: To
School Inquisitiveness Inventory
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Seldom
Often
1. Our school is a community of inquiry
2. Teachers and administrators model
their own inquisitiveness
3. Our goals and philosophy stress developing
independence, cooperation, inquiry
and critical thinking
4. We use faculty meetings to raise
questions about instruction, to share
good practices. . .
5. Our leaders share recent readings on
good instructional practices
6. Faculty meet in a variety of settings to
work on instructional improvement:
a. Book study/action research groups
b. Peer Observations/Critical Friends
(teachers observing teachers)
c. Curriculum planning
d. Planning school workshops to share
good practices
e. Analyzing students’ work—data
driven decision-making
f. Other. . .
7. Teacher professional development is a high priority. . .
8. Problem-posing and solving involve teachers, students,
parents and administrators. . .
Usually
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9. People in positions of decision-making focus on
inquiry, critical thinking and related instructional
processes. . .
10. The school involves parents in decision-making and
action. . .
Areas of Strength
Areas to develop a community
Of inquiry
Your Goals:
Your Strategies/Plan:
Plan of Action
Which approaches/strategies do you think you will use when you return to
the classroom?
1. Creating the invitation-to-inquiry environment:
Modeling own inquisitiveness
PME: Planning. . . Monitoring. . . Evaluating
OTQ with objects/stories/poems/pictures/experiences
Inquiry Journals
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Parking Lot/WonderWall/Wonder Wednesdays. . .
“Stories with Holes,” “Ball through Window” Situations
Magic Bag, Reverse Show and Tell
Language of Inquiry
Critical Thinking Questioning—“What questions should we ask about these
claims/situations?” Your own acronym/SEADS
Cooperative learning skills and attitudes: listening, responding, building on each
others’ ideas, brainstorming solutions, decision-making, problem-solving. . .
2. Developing Inquiry Units:
Curriculum Development with Problematic Scenarios
KWHLAQ
“Asking better questions.” Comparing our initial questions with 3 Story Intellect/Graphic Organizer, with research
Alternative, Authentic assessments
Creating Rubrics for Understanding
3. Your personal goals now:
Resources
Problem-Based Learning:
http://home.capecod.net/~tpanitz/pbl.htm List of sites without evaluation.
http://presentlygifted.weebly.com/problem-based-learning.html See biome problem.
http://www.edutopia.org/sammamish-problem-based-learning-implementationvideo Excellent video of Seattle high school’s 3-5 year implementation of problem-based
learning curricula across the board. Note some references to “project-based learning” as
synonymous for designers.
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Inquiry sites and blogs:
http://www.teachinquiry.com/index/Introduction.html
Neil Stephenson, Professional Development and Outreach Coordinator at
the Calgary Science School. Excellent introduction to inquiry-based education.
http://inquiryblog.wordpress.com
http://inquisitivetoafault.com
21st Century Schools and Criteria:
http://www.cfsd16.org/public/_century/centMain.aspx
21st Century Skills/DeepLearning, Catalina Foothills SD, AZ Excellent source for criteria/rubrics.
http://www.p21.org
https://www.youtube.com/user/ptumarkin Elementary, Middle and High School
programs stressing problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, internships, performance assessments and more.
https://www.educateiowa.gov/pk-12/iowa-core/iowa-core-21st-centuryskills
Performance Assessments:
http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whatisit.htm
Excellent post on “Authentic Assessment” today by Grant Wiggins.
http://www.teachthought.com/author/grant-wiggins/
Performance-Based Assessment Consortium, New York:
http://performanceassessment.org (The high schools with which I work here in
NYC are members of this Consortium.)
Science for young inquiring minds:
sallyridescience.com Developed by America’s first woman astronaut, astrophysicist, NASA advisor and educator.
International Baccalaureate
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ibo.org (OCC) Up to date curriculum goals and guidelines, 2014. See especially
new MYP Planners
Free Online Courses
www.coursera.org From Cooking to Cosmology, from Earth Science to Song
Writing, free online courses, demanding, enriching and rewarding.
http://oyc.yale.edu Yale Open On Line Courses: From Mozart to Physics 1
(Some are videos of actual classes, not lectures before a camera as with Coursera)
NASA’s Mars Rover Curiosity:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/
Antarctic Exploration Sites:
http://www.coolantarctica.com
http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/The_heroic_ag
e_of_Antarctic_exploration.htm
http://bprc.osu.edu Byrd Polar Research Institute, Ohio State University
http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, UK
Byrd’s First Antarctic Expedition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR9PysOaxI; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhe6M52Ty5w (good 9’ highlights)
Inquiry Approaches for Kindergarten and Up!
I. Generating Questions—not stories
A. Modeling own curiosity. . . “I wonder. . .” and using other inquiry words, “What. .
When. . Why. . Can. .Where. . Who. . . How. . .What if. ?” Teach difference between story and question.
B. Using a different language—Sign Language for Wondering. . . “Thinking hand” up. .
.Wearing different hats/Sitting positions for—Wondering. . .Thinking/Figuring out. .
.Imagining. . .Being patient/listening. . .
C. Using Nature and other artifacts:
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1. Taking students out into a yard, looking closely at trees, leaves, foot tracks in
dirt/snow and snow itself. . . Using a variation on Observe, Think and Question. . . Getting students to notice characteristics of the object, e.g. tree barks, different kinds of animal tracks.
2. Realia in classroom. . . 10 variations on thermometers. . .all kinds of hats worn
by people who play different community roles. . .Human skeleton. . . Bring in a big bag
of leaves to play in; create Venn diagrams.
3. Story books. . . “Do seals have eyebrows?” “Why do penguins walk funny?”
D. Listen to students’ questions. . .Value by Posting (w/ permission).
E. Using “Magic Bag” as well as “Show and Tell” artifacts.
II. Recording Questions
A. Using a Question/Wonder Web with, for example, “5 Senses” topic in the middle and
all questions radiating out from center.
B. Posting them around the room w/permission
III. Asking More Complex Questions/Classifying
A. Dividing students into groups and have them come up with “questions that start with
different words. . . “Why. . .When. . Can. . .How?”
B. Dividing questions by “What goes together. . .is like another?”
IV. Answering our questions
A. Using a question/wonder web and reading books.
B. Have children ask parents/older students/teachers.
C. Send same question home with several students.
V. “How do we know what they’ve learned?”
A. Plan celebrations/role-playing/simulations to observe performance.
B. Interviews/observations of play/drawings/written work/picture books
Thanks to Michelle Thoemke and Nicola Derryberry Maurer, MSP IB, 2009.
A Short Reference List
Sylvia Ashton-Warner, 1986 Teacher, NY: Touchstone.
John Barell 2013 Did You Ever Wonder? Fostering Curiosity Here, There
and Everywhere Cardiff: International Baccalaureate
47
John Barell 2012 How Do We Know They’re Getting Better? Assessment of
21st Century Minds, K-8. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
John Barell 2008 (2008, 2011 ebook) Surviving Erebus—An Antarctic Adventure. Royal Fireworks Press. (novel). http://www.rfwp.com/7031.htm
John Barell 2007 “Why are School Buses Always Yellow?” Teaching Inquiry PreK-5. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.
John Barell. 2007. Problem-Based Learning: An Inquiry Approach. 2/e
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.
John Barell. 2003 Developing More Curious Minds. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (ebook)
Annie Dillard 1974 Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. New York: Harper Perennial.
(Pulitzer Prize) See also An American Childhood, 1988, Harper.
Carolyn Dweck, 2007 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success NY: Ballantine Books.
Richard P. Feynman 1985 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” Adventures of a Curious Character. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
Ellen J. Langer 1998 The Power of Mindful Learning. NY: DaCapo Press
See also Langer’s Mindfulness, 1990
Judith Wells Lindfors, 1999 Children’s Inquiry—using Language to Make
Sense of the World. NY: Teachers College Press.
Robert Marzano, et al. 2001 Classroom Instruction that works—ResearchBased Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. Alexandria, VA:
ASCD. (See other Marzano/ASCD books on same subject)
Fred M. Newmann & Associates, 1996 Authentic Achievement—
Restructuring Schools for Intellectual Quality San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Lynn Sheer 2014 Sally Ride—America’s First Woman in Space NY: Simon & Schuster.
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Paul Tough, 2012 How Children Succeed—Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden
Power of Character NY: Houghton Mifflin.
David and Phyllis Whiten. 1997 Inquiry at the Window—Pursuing the
wonders of learners. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Richard Wright, 1966 Black Boy, New York: Harper & Row.
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Scallops
A scallop (pronounced /ˈskɒləp/ or /ˈskæləp/) is a marine bivalve mollusk of the family
Pectinidae. Scallops constitute a cosmopolitan family, found in all of the world's oceans.
Like the true oysters (family Ostreidae), scallops have a central adductor muscle, and
thus the inside of their shells has a characteristic central scar, marking the point of attachment for this muscle. The adductor muscle of scallops is larger and more developed
than that of oysters, because they are active swimmers; scallops are in fact the only migratory bivalve. Their shell shape tends to be highly regular, recalling one archetypal
form of a seashell, and because of this pleasing geometric shape, the scallop shell is a
common decorative motif.
Most scallops are free-living. A free-living scallop can swim, by rapidly opening and
closing its shell. This method of locomotion is also a defense technique, protecting it
from threatening predators.
Scallops are hermaphroditic, or capable of switching sexes. Both sexes produce roe,
whose coloring depends upon the parent's (current) sex. Red roe is that of a female, and
white, that of a male. Spermatozoa and ova are released freely into the water during mating season and fertilized ova sink to the bottom. After several weeks, the immature scallop hatches and the larvae drift until settling to the bottom again to grow. They reach
sexual maturity after several years, though they may not reach a commercially harvestable size until six to eight years of age. Scallops may live up to 18 years, with their age
reflected in the annuli, the concentric rings of their shells.
The scallop shell is the traditional emblem of Saint James the Greater and is popular
with pilgrims on the Way of St James to the apostle's shrine at Santiago de Compostela in
Spain. Medieval Christians making the pilgrimage to his shrine often wore a scallop shell
symbol on their hat or clothes. The pilgrim also carried a scallop shell with him and
would present himself at churches, castles, abbeys etc. where he could expect to be given
as much sustenance as he could pick up with one scoop.
Wikipedia, accessed 16 May, 2008.
“Thus the species of shells which are confined to tropical and shallow seas are
generally brighter-coloured than those confined to cold and deeper seas.” Charles
Darwin, 1859/2004. The Origin of Species, p. 116. NY: Barnes & Noble Classics
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Session Evaluation
FLIBS, 27 February, 2015
I. What aspects of these sessions were most beneficial?
II. What would you like to learn more about? What would be helpful resources?
III. What is your primary goal now?
E-Mail (If you wish to correspond about ways of fostering and assessing
inquiry)
Name:
School Address:
e-mail address (Please print very carefully—use personal email if available because schools often block bulk emails):
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