Reflecting on the inquiry Process

Teachers reflect on how the Inquiry Process can engage students in social studies and history topics. The concept of inquiry as a “journey of curiosity” is put forth and “hooks” to engage students and inspire their curiosity are summarized.

Guiding Questions

What “hooks” have you used to engage your students? What school, Board, and/or community resources do you have access to?

Teachers share ideas about inquiry and student assessment — from looking at the Overall Expectations and Big Ideas to formulating guiding questions, learning goals and success criteria. Ideas presented include using the concepts of social studies disciplinary thinking to develop guiding questions and using the triangulate approach to assessment.

Guiding Questions

What available resources have you used to help with your planning and assessment (OESSTA website, OHASSTA, EduGains, Ministry of Education Website, etc.)? Which assessment tools do you find the most valuable (Rubrics, Met/Not Yet, student self-assessment, peer assessment, Success Criteria Checklists, observation notes, conferencing, student work, etc.)?

Teachers reflect on the importance of the role of “teacher as facilitator.” The Inquiry Process opens the “door for teachers to develop expertise as facilitators of learning across subject areas.” Rather than just learning “content,” the Inquiry Process offers opportunities for students to develop deeper understandings and creates the path for life long learning.

Guiding Questions

How can using the Inquiry approach to teaching allow you to develop your skills as a facilitator of student learning? After a unit of study, how might you assess the outcomes of your teaching plan and implementation?

Educators reflect on the inquiry process and what it means to them. Students are engaged in their learning as they explore a large interactive map of Canada. They learn about different aspects of the physical features of maps (cardinal directions, bodies of water and countries bordering Canada). They reflect on their experience and the process of developing and asking their own questions.

Guiding Questions

What kinds of primary source materials can you use to engage students in their learning? What does the inquiry process mean to you? What does inquiry look like in your classroom?

Teachers reflect on engaging students through cross-curricular learning. They discuss the use of primary source materials to show perspective, using technology to interpret and analyse historical statistics and graphs, and using role-play to inspire students to consider the social, cultural, political and intellectual context of the period(s) being studied.

Guiding Questions

How do you plan for cross-curricular learning? What types of primary source documents can be use in Language? Math? The Arts? Science and Technology? How do you accommodate students who need support using primary source documents? How can you use primary source documents to provide students with opportunities to see different perspectives on a given issue?