Inquiry

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Education's renewed curricula emphasizes the development of an inquiry stance – the fostering of “inquiring habits of mind that lead to deeper understanding of their world and human experience” (Saskatchewan English Language Arts Curriculum 2009).

 

As curricula advocates a “shift from a transmission-oriented pedagogy to a more open, inquiry-based mode of teaching and learning” (Bruce and Bishop, 2002), the ideal learning environment must now be characterized as flexible and adaptive to the changing needs of the learners. The construction of learning must be communal and dynamic, welcoming and valuing each member’s experiences and perspectives. Learning, due to its non-linear structure and student focus, is “messy” as learners critically investigate their unique questions apply understandings to new situations, create new knowledge, share learnings, and participate ethically and productively, using diverse methods and media. This active search for meaning and understanding undergirds inquiry.

An Overview

Teacher-librarians Constructing Understanding through Inquiry, also called the Inquiry Project, is a strategic partnership between the Saskatchewan School Library Association (SSLA), a special subject council of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation, and the Ministry of Education. Together, the SSLA and the Ministry of Education have worked to identify and support Saskatchewan educators’ understanding and use of inquiry for teaching and learning.

Inquiry of Inquiry: Frontloading Our Understanding

What is Inquiry? Examining an Inquiry Approach vs. a Coverage Approach

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• Table Two Padlet
• Table Three Padlet
• Table Four Padlet
• Table Five Padlet
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• Table Nine Padlet

Immerse

Frontloading Inquiry

• Popplet
• Padlet
• TitanPad
• InstaGrok
• Glean Comparison
• Wiki Summarizer

Curating Our Understanding

• MentorMob
• ScoopIt!
• InoReader
• EduClipper
• Diigo

 

Investigate

Becoming Information Fluent

• SweetSearch
• Google Scholar
• Library PressDisplay
• RefSeek

 

Removing Barriers to Comprehension

• Readability
• Instapaper
• QuietTube
• TubeChop

 

Developing Digital Citizens

Coalesce

Communicating and Collaborating

• Audioboo
• Today's Meet
• HootSuite
• Google Hangouts
• Educreations

 

Connecting

• DropItToMe
• Tag My Doc
• Remind 101
• Evernote
• Socrative

 

Go Public

Sharing Our Learning

 

Sharing Our Work

The SPS Inquiry Circles wiki displays inquiry projects created by Saskatoon Public Schools' learning cohorts.

 

Resources

Harvey, Stephanie, and Harvey Daniels. Comprehension & collaboration: inquiry circles in action. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2009. Print.
 

 

Mctighe, Jay. Essential questions opening doors to student understanding.. Alexandria: Assn Supervision; Curr Dev, 2013. Print.