WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.129 Last week, I spoke about the benefits to having both explicit instruction 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:09.329 and inquiry based, learning as part of a teacher's everyday repertoire. 00:00:09.899 --> 00:00:14.400 I received some great feedback after the episode aired and I especially want 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:21.060 to thank Chaali at hands-on learning design on Instagram for your positive 00:00:21.090 --> 00:00:27.240 and inspiring message, which really just reinforces to me that this podcast is 00:00:27.240 --> 00:00:30.099 worth doing so thanks so much, Chaali 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:34.769 I so appreciated you getting in touch with me and leaving 00:00:34.769 --> 00:00:36.750 that fabulous feedback for me. 00:00:37.379 --> 00:00:42.030 So today I want to talk to those educators that are indeed curious. 00:00:42.480 --> 00:00:47.190 That really want to make a positive impact on children's lives, and 00:00:47.190 --> 00:00:49.769 also want to impact their own lives. 00:00:50.340 --> 00:00:56.760 And I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people that gets bored quite easily. 00:00:57.330 --> 00:00:58.950 I need a challenge in my life. 00:00:59.460 --> 00:01:02.820 And when things are easy or monotonous, I lose interest. 00:01:03.570 --> 00:01:07.350 And teaching can get easy and monotonous and boring too. 00:01:08.040 --> 00:01:13.050 If you're doing the same things day in and day out or year in and year out, that will 00:01:13.050 --> 00:01:17.850 eventually not only kill off any spark of joy for learning the children have, 00:01:18.300 --> 00:01:20.910 but your own joy for that job as well. 00:01:21.720 --> 00:01:23.250 It will make you boring. 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:25.500 And none of us want to be boring. 00:01:26.160 --> 00:01:28.860 And it will just suck the life out of you. 00:01:30.030 --> 00:01:33.720 So your working life makes up so much of your time, 00:01:33.720 --> 00:01:35.490 so why not enjoy it right? 00:01:36.450 --> 00:01:41.310 But now I know that there is this huge issue with teaching that's 00:01:41.310 --> 00:01:44.370 causing so many teachers just to pack their bags and leave. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:49.649 And that's of course the poor behavior and the disrespect that we 00:01:49.649 --> 00:01:51.810 see from so many children nowadays. 00:01:52.440 --> 00:01:56.820 And that's a whole other can of worms that we can unpack at another time. 00:01:57.720 --> 00:02:01.770 But when it comes to inquiry based learning, I truly believe that 00:02:01.770 --> 00:02:04.050 it gives you a new lease of life. 00:02:04.619 --> 00:02:07.140 It makes teaching fun again. 00:02:07.860 --> 00:02:12.420 Not just for our students, but for us too, it puts joy and 00:02:12.420 --> 00:02:14.459 excitement back into your day. 00:02:15.630 --> 00:02:21.839 And there are actually a whole bunch of nuances and tweaks that you make to 00:02:21.839 --> 00:02:26.700 the process of inquiry that suits your individual situation and the different 00:02:26.700 --> 00:02:28.350 types of learners you might have. 00:02:29.489 --> 00:02:31.470 Now I could talk about that for days. 00:02:32.250 --> 00:02:36.899 Inquiry based learning is a powerful strategy and it makes learning fun 00:02:37.410 --> 00:02:42.000 even for those neurodiverse learners or those that usually are not interested 00:02:42.420 --> 00:02:47.880 and even your gifted and talented learners, they even appreciate inquiry. 00:02:48.420 --> 00:02:51.420 It's the hook that gets kids interested. 00:02:52.320 --> 00:02:58.920 When I think back to one particularly challenging year I had with a class, that 00:02:58.920 --> 00:03:04.980 had so many different needs and quite honestly, If it wasn't for inquiry, then 00:03:05.040 --> 00:03:11.609 I don't know how I would have made it, because inquiry got me through that year. 00:03:12.089 --> 00:03:16.530 It was that thing that flipped the switch for some of the kids that year 00:03:16.530 --> 00:03:21.750 that I would otherwise have lost if I solely relied on worksheets and pencil 00:03:21.750 --> 00:03:24.480 and paper to check for understanding. 00:03:25.380 --> 00:03:28.140 So you could be thinking all that's all great, 00:03:28.470 --> 00:03:32.130 I've had a PD about the benefits of inquiry, or maybe you're now 00:03:32.130 --> 00:03:35.700 inspired to give it a go and integrate it into your teaching. 00:03:36.300 --> 00:03:39.330 And so you sit down and you want to make your plans and you're thinking, 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:42.330 okay, now how the heck do I do this? 00:03:42.690 --> 00:03:44.160 Where do I start? 00:03:44.850 --> 00:03:46.350 And here's the good news guys. 00:03:47.550 --> 00:03:51.060 I've just created a free planning template for you. 00:03:51.510 --> 00:03:55.770 That you can use to plan an integrated unit of inquiry. 00:03:56.340 --> 00:04:01.799 You go to resources dot Ed's lessons.com forward slash 00:04:02.010 --> 00:04:04.380 integrating inquiry planning sheet. 00:04:05.130 --> 00:04:06.180 I know it's a mouthful. 00:04:06.210 --> 00:04:10.380 That's why I'm going to leave a link in the show notes so you can get it there. 00:04:11.130 --> 00:04:13.260 And inquiry is about a mindset. 00:04:13.799 --> 00:04:17.100 It's not a separate subject that you have to squeeze in to 00:04:17.100 --> 00:04:19.380 already overcrowded timetable. 00:04:19.860 --> 00:04:22.500 It's about teaching in a different way. 00:04:22.919 --> 00:04:26.909 And as I said in last week's episode, It's not about throwing 00:04:26.909 --> 00:04:28.470 out your explicit instruction, 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:29.700 you keep that in. 00:04:30.090 --> 00:04:33.510 In fact, you teach the process of inquiry explicitly. 00:04:33.750 --> 00:04:35.760 So kids know what they have to do. 00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:38.900 You don't just throw them in the deep end and say, off you go inquire. 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:40.680 It doesn't work like that. 00:04:41.640 --> 00:04:45.360 And that's the exact kind of thing that gives inquiry a bad rap. 00:04:46.200 --> 00:04:51.539 But what that template will do is it will give you some guidance to think 00:04:51.539 --> 00:04:54.419 about when you starting with inquiry. 00:04:54.870 --> 00:04:58.799 So think about which two subject areas you can integrate. 00:04:59.070 --> 00:05:01.200 And of course, English goes with everything, right? 00:05:01.560 --> 00:05:05.490 So let's just say that this term you're going to cover how living 00:05:05.490 --> 00:05:09.299 things grow and change in Science, and of course, in Australia, this 00:05:09.299 --> 00:05:11.100 is not the best time to do that. 00:05:11.370 --> 00:05:14.280 If you're looking at animals, spring's the best for that. 00:05:14.640 --> 00:05:18.419 So if you're in America now is a great time to put that to work. 00:05:18.750 --> 00:05:20.250 So you guys just go for it. 00:05:20.789 --> 00:05:24.570 But if you're integrating growth and change Of kids, for example. 00:05:25.320 --> 00:05:29.850 Which you should integrate by the way and include the whole year long, that 00:05:29.850 --> 00:05:33.390 could be a whole year long project, where kids would be documenting their 00:05:33.390 --> 00:05:36.120 own or perhaps a baby sibling's change. 00:05:36.780 --> 00:05:39.060 But so now you've decided this is what you're going to do 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:43.840 you're going to integrate inquiry into this unit, so now the planning sheet, will 00:05:43.860 --> 00:05:48.930 ask you to think about what you want your students to achieve in this study or this 00:05:48.930 --> 00:05:53.100 unit or this concept, whatever it might be that you decide you're going to use 00:05:53.100 --> 00:05:55.470 to just dip your toes in and get going. 00:05:56.190 --> 00:06:00.330 So you can already see that when you're involved with inquiry, you 00:06:00.330 --> 00:06:03.600 have to exercise your own thinking and your own curiosity too. 00:06:03.990 --> 00:06:07.920 And isn't that more exciting to be thinking and wondering, instead 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:10.770 of just giving kids the same old worksheet, just to tick a box 00:06:10.770 --> 00:06:12.000 and say, okay, I've done that. 00:06:13.110 --> 00:06:16.680 The template will also ask you to think about what provocations 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:17.670 you're going to include. 00:06:18.090 --> 00:06:21.720 So now you want to gather your pictures, your books, your website 00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:25.500 links, your plants, soil, gardening tools, seeds, critters, whatever 00:06:25.500 --> 00:06:30.090 it is that you'll need to spark, curiosity and wonder in these kids. 00:06:30.630 --> 00:06:33.840 And of course, how are you going to document their prior knowledge? 00:06:34.320 --> 00:06:35.760 And they're first understandings. 00:06:35.760 --> 00:06:37.410 When you introduce this concept. 00:06:38.070 --> 00:06:43.260 This is what Kath Murdock in her inquiry cycle calls the tuning in phase. 00:06:43.980 --> 00:06:48.690 And the template is going to ask you to consider how you're going to ask students 00:06:48.690 --> 00:06:51.300 to demonstrate their understanding. 00:06:51.630 --> 00:06:55.080 And also to demonstrate the understanding, which is the final product. 00:06:55.470 --> 00:06:59.250 So let's say you want them to write a report or a nonfiction text. 00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:04.290 You going to do an inquiry into what makes a good report. 00:07:04.710 --> 00:07:06.210 You'll be asking questions. 00:07:06.210 --> 00:07:07.860 You will be giving them examples. 00:07:07.860 --> 00:07:11.160 You'll be getting them perhaps in small groups to look at 00:07:11.160 --> 00:07:12.870 elements of a good report. 00:07:13.500 --> 00:07:16.440 Can you see how you're bringing inquiry into English? 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:21.030 And now as you're practicing report writing and you're explicitly teaching 00:07:21.030 --> 00:07:25.230 them about report writing, perhaps you also demonstrating it using 00:07:25.230 --> 00:07:28.780 a particular animal, which will then of course, link to Science. 00:07:29.200 --> 00:07:31.450 You will be teaching this one step at a time. 00:07:31.690 --> 00:07:36.039 So perhaps you're teaching them about first asking good questions or coming 00:07:36.039 --> 00:07:39.340 up with subheadings, or perhaps you're already at the stage of writing 00:07:39.340 --> 00:07:41.229 the first introductory paragraph. 00:07:41.830 --> 00:07:47.170 So in the true spirit of explicit instruction you'll demonstrate 00:07:47.170 --> 00:07:50.050 first, how to do that explicitly, 00:07:50.140 --> 00:07:54.640 and then on mini whiteboards or scrap paper they'll have a go at 00:07:54.640 --> 00:07:58.420 a sentence, for example, and then they'll go off and work on their own 00:07:58.420 --> 00:08:02.619 project with the animal or the plant or the whatever of their own choice. 00:08:03.099 --> 00:08:06.999 And they write their own introductory sentence or they plan their 00:08:07.030 --> 00:08:11.560 subheadings or whatever that day's task is that you've set. 00:08:12.099 --> 00:08:16.509 So by integrating your English and your science in this way you can see 00:08:16.509 --> 00:08:20.259 how you're ticking off the science curriculum in your English lessons. 00:08:20.710 --> 00:08:25.479 They're not separate blocks in your timetable, they mesh together. 00:08:26.170 --> 00:08:30.219 And as you become more proficient, and you feel more comfortable with inquiry, 00:08:30.640 --> 00:08:34.150 asking open-ended questions will become part of your everyday teaching. 00:08:34.180 --> 00:08:37.000 And before you know it, everything becomes an inquiry. 00:08:37.420 --> 00:08:42.280 And also just know that there are lots of different ways to test for understanding. 00:08:42.520 --> 00:08:44.410 It doesn't always have to be a written report. 00:08:44.800 --> 00:08:46.930 You can even give kids a choice. 00:08:47.410 --> 00:08:49.750 So some might want to write the report. 00:08:50.170 --> 00:08:52.119 Others may want to deliver a speech. 00:08:52.150 --> 00:08:56.290 So that means you'll need to explicitly teach them how to deliver a great 00:08:56.319 --> 00:09:01.569 oral presentation and what's needed to deliver a great oral presentation and 00:09:01.569 --> 00:09:04.300 that might even be a whole inquiry unit 00:09:04.599 --> 00:09:07.300 how do we deliver great oral presentations. 00:09:07.300 --> 00:09:08.109 What do we include? 00:09:08.109 --> 00:09:08.890 What do we do? 00:09:08.940 --> 00:09:12.600 Or perhaps they want to create a model and then explain it using video. 00:09:13.560 --> 00:09:18.090 Don't you think this makes teaching and learning so much more interesting. 00:09:19.140 --> 00:09:22.650 The template will also give you or guide you rather to think 00:09:22.650 --> 00:09:26.930 about how you'll display or make students' ongoing learning visible. 00:09:27.230 --> 00:09:29.360 You might want to create a learning wall. 00:09:29.630 --> 00:09:33.709 That's something that Jessica Vance does, and so you can follow 00:09:33.709 --> 00:09:35.680 her on Instagram Jessica Vance. 00:09:36.030 --> 00:09:39.770 I'll link to her in the show notes, she does a great job about showing you 00:09:39.770 --> 00:09:45.469 how to use learning walls as sort of living, breathing documentation as you 00:09:45.469 --> 00:09:48.380 go along an inquiry journey or process. 00:09:49.199 --> 00:09:53.849 Or perhaps you want to go deep and you want to use a floor book, not only to 00:09:53.879 --> 00:09:58.859 capture children's wonderings, but you want to use it as a planning tool to see 00:09:58.859 --> 00:10:00.780 where you can take their learning next. 00:10:01.379 --> 00:10:05.040 And by the way, I recently interviewed Dr. Claire Warden, the 00:10:05.040 --> 00:10:07.019 inventor of the floor book approach. 00:10:07.349 --> 00:10:12.629 So make sure you subscribe and follow the show so that you don't miss out on that 00:10:12.629 --> 00:10:15.359 very insightful episode when it publishes. 00:10:16.109 --> 00:10:20.129 Now, this template that I created for you is really a guide to help 00:10:20.129 --> 00:10:24.689 you think about the elements to bring in when you're integrating 00:10:24.689 --> 00:10:27.029 inquiry into a topic or a concept. 00:10:27.539 --> 00:10:30.180 So go to the show notes when you're finished listening 00:10:30.209 --> 00:10:31.589 and download it from there. 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:38.069 Now I also wrote a blog post ages ago, that takes you through a step-by-step 00:10:38.099 --> 00:10:42.959 process of integrating and starting inquiry and I'll link to that post in 00:10:42.959 --> 00:10:47.549 the show notes too, so you can check that out because that will also give 00:10:47.549 --> 00:10:52.709 you a really good idea, how you can go about getting started with inquiry. 00:10:53.579 --> 00:10:59.489 And I want to remind you that inquiry of course, is not a subject. 00:11:00.249 --> 00:11:01.420 It's a mindset. 00:11:01.479 --> 00:11:02.770 It's a way of thinking. 00:11:03.369 --> 00:11:05.199 And it's a way of thinking and teaching. 00:11:05.749 --> 00:11:07.789 But I realized that when you're new. 00:11:08.209 --> 00:11:10.879 And you've never really asked deep questions. 00:11:11.239 --> 00:11:15.559 Or invited children to explore or think about a concept critically. 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:17.479 This can be quite tricky. 00:11:17.989 --> 00:11:22.849 And actually coming up with really good open-ended essential questions. 00:11:23.329 --> 00:11:27.289 Is really something quite tricky and it takes time to learn. 00:11:27.859 --> 00:11:31.369 But, so what I want to recommend you do is just to get started. 00:11:32.359 --> 00:11:39.289 Link it purposefully to a topic, you know, and then just take it step by step. 00:11:39.749 --> 00:11:43.499 I think the big thing here is that you need to come to terms with the fact 00:11:44.069 --> 00:11:49.139 and be okay with the fact that things are going to be messy in the beginning. 00:11:49.379 --> 00:11:50.699 And that okay. 00:11:51.369 --> 00:11:52.539 You know what they say? 00:11:52.629 --> 00:11:55.899 You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs. 00:11:56.439 --> 00:12:02.349 Like every well-run classroom, just before you start, take the time to 00:12:02.349 --> 00:12:06.939 explain and make your intentions clear what you expect and what you 00:12:06.969 --> 00:12:08.559 want to see from your students. 00:12:09.009 --> 00:12:12.339 If they are clear, here's that explicit instruction again 00:12:12.729 --> 00:12:14.349 about what they need to do? 00:12:14.859 --> 00:12:17.469 It makes life so much easier. 00:12:18.069 --> 00:12:22.779 Take the time to explain and model, be prepared with all the 00:12:22.779 --> 00:12:24.669 resources and equipment you need. 00:12:25.119 --> 00:12:28.539 And be honest also with your students, tell them what you're trying to 00:12:28.539 --> 00:12:30.369 achieve and what you're trying to do. 00:12:30.849 --> 00:12:33.459 And give them the steps that they need to get there. 00:12:34.659 --> 00:12:38.169 And so together you go on this new learning journey. 00:12:38.529 --> 00:12:41.439 And you give feedback and they give feedback. 00:12:41.799 --> 00:12:45.219 And before you know it, you're the best thing since sliced bread. 00:12:45.549 --> 00:12:49.899 And those kids that used to stand at the door like salt pillars, that'd be skipping 00:12:49.899 --> 00:12:51.969 in there with smiles on their dials. 00:12:52.209 --> 00:12:53.019 And trust me. 00:12:53.409 --> 00:12:55.839 And trust yourself, it will happen. 00:12:56.769 --> 00:12:57.819 Now before I go. 00:12:58.239 --> 00:13:03.429 I want to let you know that if you haven't subscribed to my weekly newsletter, 00:13:03.489 --> 00:13:06.909 where I share all sorts of tips and strategies and other juicy stuff, 00:13:07.329 --> 00:13:10.359 be sure to go to Ed's lessons.com. 00:13:10.719 --> 00:13:13.659 And by the way, I'm going through a rebranding exercise and soon 00:13:13.659 --> 00:13:15.259 they won't be an ed lessons anymore 00:13:15.259 --> 00:13:16.599 there'll just be blooming curious. 00:13:17.139 --> 00:13:21.339 But sign up there to get the newsletter, because if you're on my mailing list, 00:13:21.729 --> 00:13:25.959 I offer my subscribers recently a free one-on-one coaching session. 00:13:25.959 --> 00:13:29.589 So if that's something you would appreciate as you get started 00:13:29.889 --> 00:13:33.129 on your inquiry journey and you'd like help with inquiry, 00:13:33.529 --> 00:13:37.189 sign up for the newsletter and then let me know you're interested and we'll set 00:13:37.189 --> 00:13:39.499 up a coaching session and get you started. 00:13:39.829 --> 00:13:40.819 How's that sound? 00:13:41.569 --> 00:13:41.809 Okay. 00:13:41.809 --> 00:13:46.459 So I hope you're inspired and ready to tackle the coming weeks with renewed 00:13:46.489 --> 00:13:50.269 vigor and energy, and I really want to know how you're getting on with 00:13:50.269 --> 00:13:55.159 adopting an inquiry mindset and inquiry based learning into your practice. 00:13:55.399 --> 00:14:00.229 So seriously, let me know either by sending me a DM on Instagram or send 00:14:00.229 --> 00:14:03.889 me an email@contactataidslessons.com. 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:05.299 I'll put it in the show notes. 00:14:05.929 --> 00:14:08.719 Don't forget to get your free planning sheet by clicking on 00:14:08.719 --> 00:14:09.919 the link in the show notes. 00:14:09.949 --> 00:14:16.579 And if you like this show and why wouldn't you, show your love by following, 00:14:16.609 --> 00:14:21.499 sharing it with everyone you know, and of course leave me a great review, which 00:14:21.499 --> 00:14:24.439 will always put a smile on my dial. 00:14:24.829 --> 00:14:27.469 So until next week, same time, same place. 00:14:27.739 --> 00:14:29.569 Stay blooming curious, why don't you.