Inquiry-based learning

Inquiry-based learning correlates in many ways with a constructivist lesson plan. Inquiry-based learning is when the teacher does not allow his or herself to teach all day but also involves the student in the process as well. When the student is involved he or she may want more and more to understand what is going on so that when that student is asked a question he or she will be able to answer it and make their fellow classmates and the teacher proud. For example, a couple of months ago I invited the children from the Children’s Home Society of Florida (a shelter for abandon or neglected children) to Miami Dade College Wolfson campus for a night of “arts and crafts”. Because we had little to do in a large amount of time, I had to come up with an activity quick. I sat all the children in a circle, placed a chair on one end of the circle and instead of sitting in that chair and reading to them I asked that they read to each other. When the children realized how “cool” it was to be the one sitting on the chair doing the reading they were all ready to get called on so that they can read to the crowd. Even though many of them did not know how to read, they tried their best and the crowd helped them. Because I stepped back and allowed them to host the activity they were so excited and asked me if they can keep the books to read to the rest of the children at the shelter (the babies). Even though it was not a “lesson” or something panned, the children still learned that they, just as the teacher have a voice they can use. Most importantly, the children learned how to take turns and listen to their peers when they were reading because they knew they wanted their peers to give them the same silence and attention. That is just one small example of inquiry-based learning beyond the classroom, involving the child is key to keeping them interested. Just as children, adults like myself, feel sometimes like the teacher “has no one else to babble to so they do it in the classroom” and that can not only get boring but be a waste of time. However, if the teacher spends less time talking and instead allowing the children to talk they may just find the class a lot more interesting and choose to be more involved. INVOLVEMENT is the key to a successful class. Not keeping the student interested or involving them will just push them away or have them there physically but you would have lost them mentally the moment you spent more than fifty percent of your time in the class “teaching” (talking and not allowing room for the student to respond). As an educator one will be more than surprised to hear what their students have to say, who knows they may just teach you something one day!