Habits of Mind

Really informative website with easy to ready explanantions: http://www.habits-of-mind.net/

Learning Circle

Learning Circle Hui 26 May 2008

1. Learning Journey Journals
Ani handed out journal kits and bags of goodies in each kit. Brief explanation about kit contents.
To ue on reflection journals. Reflection time at the end of each hui based around the following questions.

• What am i able to take from this session and put into action in my class?
• What is one new idea i took from this session that intrigued me and why?
• Is there anything i might use, change or adapt in my teaching, as an outcome, from this session.

2. Art Costa Notes (Habits of Mind)

Read interview and with a buddy discuss main points from interview.

The 16 habits if mind align closely to Key Competencies, esp Managing -self

Very user friendly.

More thoughts and discussion to follow.

3. Think Pair Share

Another thinking tool. Read or talk about something and share and discuss with a buddy.

Great for shy or quiet children who have plenty to share but not in a public space.

4, Thinking Place Mats

Master sheets to fill and in and share by group.

5. What is inquiry learning?

Read, highlight main points and discuss what inquiry may look like in our school?

Directed Question-Teacher directed

Guided Question- More Collaborative

Pure Inquiry-Student directed

Homework-To look for a model that maybe appropriate for own class.

The importance of the 'essential question' Blooms taxonmy is needed to allow us as teachers become better at asking questions. Further development of Blooms Taxonomy.

The ultimate is aim of inquiry is "there is no right answer"

Y Chart highlighting what an inquiry class looks like, sounds like, feels like.

Time to ingest, digest and reflect on in reflection journals and to share at next learning circle.

6. Reflection time in journals based around above questions.

I can, we can cluster day

The "I can, we can" cluster day yesterday was very informative and gave an insight to all our cluster members the inquiry journey that Coley Street School in Foxton have been on for the past 4 and 1/2 years. A wonderful example of transformation using inquiry as a basis for curriculum change. We also listened to Ross Kennedy from College Street Normal School in Palmerston North share their journey using Habits of Mind and Hyerle's thinking maps, again another great example of a school's transformation to become more effective centres of learning. On reflection what I would take back to my school is to share the ideas that we heard today and the importance of consistency of thought and process and 'buy-in' by all teachers to make it a success. The benefits to the community locally and to the students are too great to not try Inquiry at our school. The beauty is our school already have a fantastic foundation for great inquiry to occur in that our school culture reflects a positive environment and emphasises Maori tikanga such as tuakana-teina (collaborative learning), whanaungatanga (supportive relationships) and manaakitanga (sharing and caring).

What we will trial at our school:
- Continue with our ICT foundation; having an effective environment for the context of inquiry learning
- Continue with exploring inquiry models, approaches, thinking tools and having ongoing discussions
We will work towards:
- Develop our own Inquiry Model (down the track)
- Visit Inquiry Schools as a staff
- Discuss ways with staff to accentuate displays by incorporating inquiry in these displays/planning with inquiry incorporated.

Beginning of Term 2

Teachers are exploring Inquiry Models and incorporating Inquiry-based learning into their major study topic this term. Although this is still a trial period to give teachers an opportunity to research and learn about Inquiry-based learning there is already a significant change in dialogue and discussion surrounding this approach. One teacher has begun a "wonderings wall" where the students questions are displayed. Teachers shared PMI's (Positive, Minus and Interesting) reflecting on our school noho marae at the end of last term. Another teacher has been introducing CAFs (Consider All Factors) to help her students identify factual information about a particular issue/event. Another teacher is exploring the 7 servants (6 Ws and 1 H) to build up questioning skills. These are all great tools to help learners focus their thinking skills.

We have an inquiry folder on our server at school and staff can access interesting readings, or add useful information for others in there.

We have also started an inquiry folder on our new school website, this will also have links added later to really informative websites about inquiry-based learning.

Questions we will be contually reviewing are:

What does inquiry-based learning look like, sound like and feel like at our school?
How is inquiry-based learning going to engage my students in learning effectively?
How is inquiry-based learning going to raise achievement at our school and what is the evidence for this?

A website for thinking tools:
http://www.ltag.education.tas.gov.au/effectteach/Thinking/thinktools.htm

Inquiry - Based Learning

Inquiry-based learning is new to our staff. We have had an introduction to inquiry-based learning by Jan, our ICT facilitator at a staff meeting which was very helpful. Reflections from this workshop showed that one teacher was very keen to begin her journey and implement inquiry in her class programme. Other teachers are still exploring what inquiry is to them and what does inquiry look like in action.

Jon & Ani have also attended an ICT workshop delivered by Jan-Marie Kellow from Opoutere School who shared with the cluster her school's Inquiry-based learning journey and also work she has completed through her ICT fellowship. We are now at a stage to trial our own Inquiry-based learning approach/ models and through trial and error design a model that displays our school's vision for learning through inquiry.

This term we will implement some of the ideas that Jan-Marie shared with us, also look at some inquiry models that we may adopt or adapt, we also are exploring some thinking tools that we can trial/ practise. Lots of new learning.....

Foxton Primary Inquiry-based learning Journey

Tena koutou e te iwi! He mihi mahana tenei no Te Kura o Te Awahou ki nga roopu katoa e whai ana i te kaupapa rangahau, hei pakari i nga tamariki katoa o tenei ao hurihuri.

Kia ora from Foxton Primary School. We are starting our Inquiry-based learning journey, and will be updatiing you with the latest events at our school, here on our school blog.

What is inquiry-based learning? Go to this link to find out:
http://www.galileo.org/inquiry-what.html