Dunst_u03a1

 

Create a blog entry that describes how your thoughts about inquiry based learning have developed over the past two weeks. What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?

   After another two weeks of reading about inquiry-based learning, I feel like I have a better understanding of the ways this style of teaching can be implemented. When reading the case studies, for example, it was interesting to note the numerous ways students can engage in inquiry-based learning. Projects involved everything from the students determining the questions and developing experiments (classroom 1), to the teacher assigning specific questions and guiding students through a discussion or oral report (classroom 3). When investigating the Abilities and Understandings of inquiry-based learning, I noted the many higher level thinking skills needed for students to be successful. Therefore, inquiry-based learning ties well with the Portrait of a Graduate and other STEAM based initiatives that emphasize critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. 

     I have been ruminating on several ideas of how to transform my art classroom into a more inquiry-based learning approach. The challenges presented are the strict time and curriculum restrictions of my department and district, such as requiring specific art movements and only 45 class periods of 47 minutes each in which to create art projects. One assignment I give my students is a sketchbook project, that allows students to choose from a list of drawing prompts and create artwork using any style and materials available in the classroom; students complete this in their own time throughout the semester and I merely check in to see what they create periodically. I am considering ways to make this more student driven, such as tasking students with developing an artist statement and project goal, then sketching and eventually creating one final product on their own. The challenges I've seen with this approach is that most middle-school students have not yet developed the organizational, creative, or time management skills needed for this type of project. I plan to continue developing this project to allow for more student choice and inquiry into art styles, materials, and artists, while balancing the need for middle school students to practice planning and time management.

    As for any "burning questions," I am only curious to know what other teachers are doing with inquiry-based learning and how successful their approaches have been.