Learning through inquiry is my favorite! It’s sometimes hard to let go of always knowing which direction learning will take us, but that spark that happens when a student says, “I wonder…” is what makes the classroom so exciting! This year students are working on inquiry learning, and, as such, are encouraged to ask questions at any point in their learning. Questions are posted for all to see and any student who thinks they have an answer is welcome to write a response. The sticky note then moves to the “I think I know column”. Students are encouraged to share how they know that they know by referring to a book, an expert or a reliable web site. Some things students thought they knew at the beginning or some attempted answers turn out to be wrong. In our classroom, we develop a culture of risk-taking in learning and wrong ideas are moved to the “ideas that turned out to be wrong” column. Information and answers we are able to verify are moved to the “information I can verify” column. Our first Wonder Wall was about the life cycle of plants. We now look forward to creating a second Wonder Wall about rocks and minerals. As a teacher, I appreciate the messiness of the Wonder Wall. It’s not about every student creating a similar piece of learning and putting it on the wall; it’s about the sometimes messy business of asking questions and finding answers. I’m looking forward to taking inquiry into math next!
The Wonder Wall Learning through inquiry is my favorite! It’s sometimes hard to let go of always knowing which direction learning will take us, but that spark that happens when a student says, “I wonder…” is what makes the classroom so exciting! This year students are working on inquiry learning, and, as such, are encouraged to ask questions at any point in their learning. Questions are posted for all to see and any student who thinks they have an answer is welcome to write a response. The sticky note then moves to the “I think I know column”. Students are encouraged to share how they know that they know by referring to a book, an expert or a reliable web site. Some things students thought they knew at the beginning or some attempted answers turn out to be wrong. In our classroom, we develop a culture of risk-taking in learning and wrong ideas are moved to the “ideas that turned out to be wrong” column. Information and answers we are able to verify are moved to the “information I can verify” column. Our first Wonder Wall was about the life cycle of plants. We now look forward to creating a second Wonder Wall about rocks and minerals. As a teacher, I appreciate the messiness of the Wonder Wall. It’s not about every student creating a similar piece of learning and putting it on the wall; it’s about the sometimes messy business of asking questions and finding answers. I’m looking forward to taking inquiry into math next! @evans306 teaches Grade 3 French Immersion at King George School. She loves teaching with technology and taking learning risks along with her students. She blogs at: thevalueofwonder.com
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