This week's challenge for lab had us diving into inquiry-based instruction. To begin this lab I sat down with my lesson plan and began thinking about how I can incorporate the 5 E's of inquiry based learning: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend and Evaluate. I decided to use one of my Ag Business and Management units for this lab.
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| Matrix used to show level of student self-direction in inquiry based instruction. The ideal lesson would be fall in the C or D columns for each of the 5 essential elements! |
Inquiry-based learning is an approach to learning that emphasizes the student's role in the learning process. Rather than the teacher telling students what they need to know, students are encouraged to explore the material, ask questions and share ideas on their own. To achieve this in my lesson I began my lesson by posing the question "What factors affect the price of corn?". By the end of my lesson I wanted students to have a better understanding of the factors that affect the production and price of agricultural commodities and how that can affect a farmers decisions.
After a brief brainstorming activity to get students thinking in the right direction, I broke them into small groups and let them begin the main activity for the day. Students had to form their own hypothesis, create their own research questions, find credible sources to test it, analyze their results and in the end present their finding to the class. By having each group decide what they want to focus on, the final presentation would also serve as a way for all students to see how many different factors affect Ag commodities.
I think in the future, when I have more time and resources, I will try to increase the students role in the learning even further. Inquiry-based instruction can be an amazing way for students to learn, while also being more engaged and excited about the material.
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| Inquiry Based Learning allows students to dive into topics they are interested in and sparks curiosity. |
Overall, I thin this lesson went very well, even with the time constraints. Over the past few months, I feel that I have made some great progress in my teaching pedagogy. Practicing delivering my lessons and watching my fellow cohort members in lab, has really helped me to see what works well in the classroom and what doesn't. I am so thankful for this opportunity leading up to student teaching, and I can't believe we are soon done!
Looking ahead to my final lab (and student teaching) I want to continue to get stronger in engaging students and creating an atmosphere where students take part in their own learning.
Questions:
How do you incorporate inquiry in your classroom?
What problems, if any, have you run into with allowing students to choose what they want to learn?
