This post has been sitting in my drafts for a while, and I was reminded to complete it after a question from a student when I was covering a TOK class: “What’s the difference between inquiry and enquiry?” [tL:dR: Definitions matter … Continue reading
Search Results for: inquiry
Tankyuu (探 究): A Quest for Teacher Professional Inquiry
One of our big projects over the last few years has been to shift the focus of professional learning and goal setting from competence in the programmes and practices into genuine teacher inquiry. As a lot of foundational work had … Continue reading
Defining Inquiry (again)
Some more recent posts: “Is this an Inquiry with an “I” or an enquiry with an ‘e’?” Wayfinding: Curriculum as a Compass? Content & Inquiry in a Google World? How NOT to be ignorant about the world: inquiry & the … Continue reading
A pragmatic approach to inquiry: my article in IS magazine
The most recent issue of International School Magazine has run a feature written by me on how we interpret and frame inquiry, and is adapted from one of my recent Bath MA assignments. Continue reading
Content & Inquiry in a Google World
I don’t know anyone who can successfully teach ‘content-free’. We need to ensure that we teach good content: relevant, current, useful, interesting. We need to teach that content well, using effective methods and ensuring as much as we can that we don’t reinforce misconception. Google is a tool, not a teacher and a teacher who could be replaced by a search engine should be. At the same time, we can’t drown students in facts without leaving room for critical reflective thought (inquiry). We need to help students make connections and the selection (and teaching) of content is crucial in building conceptual and transferable understandings. Continue reading
Defining Inquiry: “Critical Reflective Thinking”
A quick abridged post to isolate Bente Elkjaer’s definition of inquiry as “Critical reflective thinking.” Continue reading
An Inquiry Crossfader: Authentic vs Effective Learning?
In reading more about Understanding Learners and Learning, learning theories and high-impact teaching and learning strategies I got thinking again about a conversation Jon Schatzky and I had a year and half ago about a continuum of inquiry. I’ll use … Continue reading
This year in #MYPChat
This was a fun year in the #MYPChat PLN (professional learning community)! We started the journey way back in 2013 with some seasons of weekly hour-long twitter chats based, going through the Next Chapter phase of MYP. Over the years, … Continue reading
Making Learning Visible in Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences
“Children grow into the intellectual life around them.” (Vygotsky, quoted by Ron Ritchhart) I really enjoy parent-student-teacher conferences. (I’d rather do more of these and less report writing, but that’s a different post.) Even with a limited time-slot (my last … Continue reading
My Best Books, 2017-18
This year has been high on transition, anxiety and exhaustion, and very low on sleep. On the plus side, we’re feeling positive about the move to an amazing school, and the sleepless hours have meant even more reading than normal. … Continue reading