The Inquiry Working Group has met twice and is certainly evolving as I'd hoped it would.
1. Self-organizing and self-directed. While I have benefited from many in-services and formal learning events organized for me. I recognize the value of self-directed PD and the benefits that come from events such as Edcamp that bring diverse voices together to engage in open conversation and sharing of ideas and practice without the constraint of having to speak from one's position or role within a system.
2. Cross hierarachy - Breaking down the hierarchy was key. Better ideas and practices emerge when different levels within the system are present and engaged in discussion.
3. Cross-division - my hope was that primary, junior, intermediate and high school educators would be able to share points of view and practice so that we could develop a fuller understanding of the changes taking place at each level as well as gain insight into how divisions can help each other shift to student-centered learning.
4. Cross board - we are all educators. My hope was that public and separate educators would come together and that voices from the independent school system and home schoolers would join our conversation on inquiry-based learning. (This goal has been met in a very limited way - we have a few members from other boards within the public school system)
5. Limit size -Keep the group at 20 members because any larger than that makes the conversation unwieldy.
6. Create a new model for PD that is recognized and valued. I am working on a badge system using available tools to formally recognize the learning that takes place within self-organizing systems. This is an exploration, not a goal.
Our group has met twice now. We are made up of teachers - junior, intermediate and high school - several Student Success Coaches, 1 Principal and 1 VP and 1 consultant. We are cross board (yeah) and we have had two outstanding conversations and sharing of practices, challenges and ideas.
It was invaluable to hear administrators' questions and concerns on how to better support staff as we make this transition to inquiry. Learning about the challenges unique to their positions within the system fosters empathy - a goal of 21 century fluencies. Their insights, gained from observing and supporting many teachers making the shift, provided a larger picture of the process we are currently under going.
It was invaluable to hear the challenges of Student Success Coaches who are just learning inquiry while having to support teachers making the transition to inquiry.
It was invaluable to hear how educators in other boards are making changes within their practice.
It was having a high school teacher present though, that stood out for me. I teach grade 7. I will be sending these students off to a system that I have experienced only as a parent of two children who have now moved on to post-secondary.
Things I learned:
1. High schools are just beginning the transition that elementary began 5 years ago and many educators are feeling the stress, confusion and uncertainty that we experienced when we began to shift practice.
2. The semester system is really not conducive to inquiry as content heavy curriculum makes teachers feel that they must "cover" content.
3. There are early adopters and resistors.
4. High schools have begun to notice that elementary is now sending them a different kind of student.
5. The mandate that all sections of a course must be the same is a barrier to inquiry.
6. Strategies and inquiry-based practices are being used in secondary.
I think high school teachers have a great deal to learn from elementary teachers who are farther along the road and I think elementary teachers have a great deal to learn from high school teachers who are tasked with preparing children for the post-secondary world. I hope this conversation expands beyond the Inquiry Working Group.
7. We have incredible teachers in our schools. Outstanding practices, ideas and strategies were shared that will now filter back into classrooms within our system.
1. Self-organizing and self-directed. While I have benefited from many in-services and formal learning events organized for me. I recognize the value of self-directed PD and the benefits that come from events such as Edcamp that bring diverse voices together to engage in open conversation and sharing of ideas and practice without the constraint of having to speak from one's position or role within a system.
2. Cross hierarachy - Breaking down the hierarchy was key. Better ideas and practices emerge when different levels within the system are present and engaged in discussion.
3. Cross-division - my hope was that primary, junior, intermediate and high school educators would be able to share points of view and practice so that we could develop a fuller understanding of the changes taking place at each level as well as gain insight into how divisions can help each other shift to student-centered learning.
4. Cross board - we are all educators. My hope was that public and separate educators would come together and that voices from the independent school system and home schoolers would join our conversation on inquiry-based learning. (This goal has been met in a very limited way - we have a few members from other boards within the public school system)
5. Limit size -Keep the group at 20 members because any larger than that makes the conversation unwieldy.
6. Create a new model for PD that is recognized and valued. I am working on a badge system using available tools to formally recognize the learning that takes place within self-organizing systems. This is an exploration, not a goal.
Our group has met twice now. We are made up of teachers - junior, intermediate and high school - several Student Success Coaches, 1 Principal and 1 VP and 1 consultant. We are cross board (yeah) and we have had two outstanding conversations and sharing of practices, challenges and ideas.
It was invaluable to hear administrators' questions and concerns on how to better support staff as we make this transition to inquiry. Learning about the challenges unique to their positions within the system fosters empathy - a goal of 21 century fluencies. Their insights, gained from observing and supporting many teachers making the shift, provided a larger picture of the process we are currently under going.
It was invaluable to hear the challenges of Student Success Coaches who are just learning inquiry while having to support teachers making the transition to inquiry.
It was invaluable to hear how educators in other boards are making changes within their practice.
It was having a high school teacher present though, that stood out for me. I teach grade 7. I will be sending these students off to a system that I have experienced only as a parent of two children who have now moved on to post-secondary.
Things I learned:
1. High schools are just beginning the transition that elementary began 5 years ago and many educators are feeling the stress, confusion and uncertainty that we experienced when we began to shift practice.
2. The semester system is really not conducive to inquiry as content heavy curriculum makes teachers feel that they must "cover" content.
3. There are early adopters and resistors.
4. High schools have begun to notice that elementary is now sending them a different kind of student.
5. The mandate that all sections of a course must be the same is a barrier to inquiry.
6. Strategies and inquiry-based practices are being used in secondary.
I think high school teachers have a great deal to learn from elementary teachers who are farther along the road and I think elementary teachers have a great deal to learn from high school teachers who are tasked with preparing children for the post-secondary world. I hope this conversation expands beyond the Inquiry Working Group.
7. We have incredible teachers in our schools. Outstanding practices, ideas and strategies were shared that will now filter back into classrooms within our system.
For educators who live far from the centre of the universe (the Golden Horseshoe), it is a thrill to be able to connect electronically with your work and conversations. Your observations/summary of the differences between the elementary and high school divisions resonate with me. I worked as a literacy coach for three years, mostly at the elementary and junior level, but the experience has given me a deep appreciation for reading levels and strategies for all students at all levels. The other piece I brought back to the high school with me is student inquiry. A few primary and junior teachers began to explore the inquiry model last year and I worked along side them, learning about the process with them and supporting them where I could.
ReplyDeleteThere are obstacles to implementing inquiry at the high school level. One of them in my school is the student's perception of what learning looks like. Even though many students recognize that traditional pedagogy is not necessarily intellectually engaging, they believe that learning looks and sounds like reading a novel, answering chapter end questions, and writing the five paragraph essay.
Nonetheless, I am exploring the inquiry process with grade 11 students, and slowly we are finding our way.
Thanks so much for posting your thoughts and observations. I am encouraged to see my class and school reflected on your page.
Finally, the professional learning your inquiry working group is modelling is awesome! Keep at it and keep sharing!
Thanks,
Julie
Thank you, Julie, for your very thoughtful comments. I feel that we have begun important work with the Inquiry Working Group and am very curious about how it will evolve and what its impact will be.
DeleteBridging the communication and understanding gaps between high school and elementary is essential if we are to move forward provincially. I was so grateful that members of the high school community chose to join us. The challenges of inquiry in high school are different from elementary I was speaking with a parent of a high school student, whose child is experiencing inquiry for the very first time at the grade 12 level. Initially students were highly suspicious of being allowed to ask their own questions and pursue their own interests within a formal school environment. Their 'model' of school did not include self-directed choice. They wanted to know if the principal was ok with it. My own child exited high school having not once experienced collaborative inquiry. It is only now that she is at university that her world has opened up and her enthusiasm for physics - which she had enjoyed in high school - has become a passion. She attributes it entirely to how it is being taught. I agree entirely that the model students hold of 'school' is a barrier to change and that it takes a great deal of work to change those models. I will definitely keep sharing!
This sounds so interesting. I would have loved to join your group but the timing just didn't work (and I would have added to your cross-board make up and given you an independent school educator's perspective). I am eager to follow your blog as you write up the things you are learning from one another.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments Carrie. It is too bad that the timing doesn't work because it would have been wonderful to have voice from an independent school. Next time!
DeleteHeidi,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all you continue to do, as an advocate of learning along with your students and co-workers. Hoping you're going to be at ECOO next week, 'cause I'd love to pick your brains on some of this. I'm sitting on an FSL leadership committee in my board, and am desperately looking at ways to help figure out the transition to high school for Core French students, and see many of the issues we're struggling with reflected in your comments. So glad you have an engaged group working on this.