Final Reflection: My Journey With Inquiry-Based Learning

Two sayings that summarize inquiry learning for me.

• What do I want students to discover and figure out?

• Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. 

As I finished my final unit plan and uploaded everything to my Google Site, I realized just how much my thinking has shifted. Inquiry supports deeper learning and is more of a mindset and process. Inquiry-based learning is something teachers have to teach students explicitly: how to be curious and how to think critically.

Throughout my inquiry-based learning course, I learned that:

• Inquiry is not just something that is hands-on or students just exploring. 

  

  5E Instructional Model

  
  
  
  

• Inquiry-based learning needs to have intentional planning and scaffolding. 

• The 5E Model can be very effective because it mirrors scientific thinking.

• Technology should be used strategically to add to instruction and assessment(it’s not to be just used for flashy things).

Designing my bridge engineering unit made this clear to me. I had to think about every decision and what I wanted students to take away from the unit. I should mention that my unit was at the highest level and I would have to scaffold things depending on the students in front of me and also take into account time constraints. 

New Insights From Building My Unit Plan

This week, I finalized my Unit Plan and added it to my website. At the bottom of the page, I included a link to the Google Doc version for easy viewing. Creating this plan gave me a few important insights:

1. Inquiry Requires Intentional Assessment

Bridge making rubric

I incorporated Padlet and Edpuzzle as formative assessments. These give me insight into what students are thinking at the moment, not just whether they know the correct answers. 

2. Students Need Structure to Explore Successfully

I don’t want students to just get a box of materials and start building bridges. Instead, I want them to follow some steps: plan, measure, make predictions, testing, revisions and presenting findings. 

3. The Rubric Deepened My Thinking

My rubric included many categories that reflect real engineering skills. I want students to think like engineers so I can assess them like engineers. 

Things that really make inquiry-learning impactful
for me

• Assessment takes place all throughout inquiry.

• Technology is a useful tool to make assessment more authentic and less intimidating for students. 

• Formative assessments throughout an inquiry unit are just as meaningful, if not more than a test.

• Inquiry is teaching students how to think critically.

Moving forward, I plan to:

• Design lessons where students do the thinking, not just answer questions.
  
  

• Use the 5E Model for future units.
  
  

• Use technology(web 2.0 tools) strategically to help students be the most successful. 

• Require students to follow the steps in the inquiry process so they can learn and grow as critical thinkers.

Final Thoughts

Student surrounded by technology

This course helped me see inquiry-based learning as obviously hands-on, but more importantly meaningful and connected to the real world.  Furthermore inquiry empowers students to question, explore, test and demonstrate understanding. All these skills prepare students for things far beyond the classroom.

How my thoughts on inquiry based learning has changed this week

This week I really got to think about the 5 E model and how all the E's work together to make a strong Inquiry-based lesson. I also had fun thinking about what types of technology I wanted to add to my lesson. 

I used different technology for each E in my lesson.

This is copied directly from my website: 

Technology in Engage:

• Padlet: Students post predictions + initial ideas. Padlet Link

• Edpuzzle: Bridge Types Video to spark curiosity. Edpuzzle Link

Technology in Explore:

• Google Sheets for students to chart load-test data

• Padlet for photo uploads and station notes:  Padlet Link

• Quizlet Investigable Question Sets:    Quizlet Join Activity       Flash Cards

Technology in Explain:

• Canva or Google Slides for labeled diagrams

• Edpuzzle clips reviewing beam vs. truss design. Edpuzzle Link

Technology in Elaborate:

• Tinkercad for digital redesign

• Padlet for Version 1 vs. Version 2 comparison images. Padlet Link

Technology in Evaluate:

• Google Sheets for final data table

• Google Slides Engineering Report

• Padlet peer review or comments. Padlet Link

Creating a Web 2.0 tool for each E was more helpful than I expected. Instead of choosing tools randomly, I had to think how I could use each technology tool strategically at each step. Using a Padlet and Edpuzzle for the Engage step felt like a great way to start out my lesson and get buy-in from my students. Quizlet in the Explore step felt like a good way to help students learn the concepts of investigable and non-investigable questions. Having students create a labeled diagram in Explain felt like a real-world application of bridge design. Then during the Elaborate step having students use TinkerCad to modify and change their bridge designs sounds like a good use of technology. Though I learned about another bridge building tech tool in the class discussion,

West Point Bridge Builder

West Point Bridge Builder
simulation software. So when I use this lesson with students I might change the Elaboration Step to use West Point Bridge builder instead. Finally, I like to have a real-life competition for the strongest bridge and then use some technology in the the final presentation about the bridge each group made. 

I also found myself thinking more deeply about how I would know whether students truly understood concepts. This led me to embed more meaningful formative assessments throughout, not just quizzes, but observations, diagrams, redesign decisions, and reflections.

I learned about new Web 2.0 tools.

During the class discussion I learned about some other web tools that I have used briefly or not at all. 

Goosechase: What I love about Goosechase is that it takes the idea of a scavenger hunt and
turns it into a learning experience. I think I used it a few times with students during Covid, but not since then. It feels a lot more engaging than sitting down for a test. It's a novel way to assess students and it allows students to use their creativity. It feels like Goosechase could be used in a variety of subjects. Students could solve math problems and post pictures of the answers or go outside and look for evidence of erosion. 

Floop: I never heard of Floop before.  It is a place where students can get valuable feedback about what they are doing in class. I like how students can give Feedback on their peers' work anonymously. Additionally, it can be integrated in Google classroom, Canva and Clever. 

Flippity: I like how you can make flashcards to study things, but also make a game show(similar to Jeopardy) for students to compete against each other. I find that students enjoy when you can gamify the review process. There's actually a lot more on the Flippity website like crossword puzzles, breakout rooms and other review games for students. 

What Has Changed for Me This Week

During this past week I have realized that the 5E model is not about following each step in order, but instead about giving students a framework for thinking. Inquiry-based learning isn’t about letting students discover everything on their own. Instead it is about guiding students' thinking and giving them language to explain what they learned. The 5E model is all about guiding students to have a conceptual understanding about what they are learning. 

My Questions

1. How do teachers realistically implement the 5E model when they have demands for time and to keep on pace with the curriculum. 

2. As an ESL teacher as well, how can multilingual learners use the specific academic language more confidently during the explain and evaluate phases?
   
   

References

BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study). (2006). The BSCS 5E instructional model: Origins and effectiveness. BSCS.

How My Thinking About Inquiry-Based Learning Has Grown

How My Thinking About

Inquiry-Based Learning Has Grown

Over the past few weeks, I’ve worked through Units 4 and 5. During those units I have learned about sorting facts and concepts, analyzing investigable vs. non-investigable questions, exploring state standards, and integrating Web 2.0 tools. 

Facts Vs. Concepts

At first, I thought identifying facts and concepts would be simple and straightforward. Sorting the cards challenged me more than I expected. I found myself second guessing whether something like “Living things are diverse” was a fact or a concept, and realizing that depending on how it’s defended, it could be either.

This was the overall lesson for me: 

Facts are important, but concepts connect those facts and give them meaning. Without concepts, inquiry becomes random. Without facts, inquiry becomes shallow. 

Inquiry-Based Learning: How My Thinking Has Grown

Inquiry-Based Learning: How My Thinking Has Grown

Over the past few weeks, my understanding of inquiry based learning has continued to shift and deepen. Honestly my understanding has become a lot more grounded in what real classrooms look like. When I wrote my first blog post, I was just beginning to understand that inquiry isn’t simply “hands-on learning.” I knew it was more intentional, more reflective, and more student-centered than I originally thought. Since then, after diving into the case studies and reading more about content knowledge and process skills, my thinking has sharpened in a few important ways.

Inquiry Is Not One Thing

One of the biggest insights I’ve gained is that inquiry doesn’t look the same in every classroom. The case studies made that really clear. Classroom One was almost entirely student-directed, while Classroom Two was heavily teacher-directed, and Classroom Three fell somewhere in between. Seeing those examples helped me understand that inquiry can be flexible depending on the lesson goals, the students, and the content.

Before, I had a more “all or nothing” mindset—either it was inquiry, or it wasn’t. Now I realize that teachers can purposefully choose when to guide, when to share the lead, and when to let students take over. That actually makes inquiry feel much more doable, especially when balancing curriculum expectations.

Process Skills and Content Knowledge Work Together

Another new understanding is how tightly process skills and content knowledge are connected. In my Unit 2 work, I learned that process skills are not something extra we try to sprinkle in; they’re the foundation of deeper thinking. Students don’t just “learn content” in social studies or science; they use inquiry such as making predictions, asking questions, analyzing data, and constructing explanations.

This helped me rethink my earlier worry that inquiry might take away time from teaching standards. Now I see that inquiry is how students make standards meaningful. When students explore, discuss, analyze, and reflect, they’re not avoiding content; on the other hand they’re engaging with it more deeply.

Inquiry Isn’t Chaos

A major change in my perspective came from looking closely at the case studies. In Classroom One, students were completely in charge, but the teacher still had a purpose and direction behind the scenes. That helped me understand something I was struggling with earlier: inquiry isn’t the teacher stepping back and hoping everything works out. It’s the teacher creating conditions where student thinking can unfold.

This connects to Donovan & Bransford’s (2005) point about tapping into students’ background knowledge before moving forward. Inquiry takes intention, planning, and knowing where students are starting from. It’s not “hands off” teaching, it’s teaching that listens before it acts.

Curiosity Really Is the Heart of Learning

One idea that keeps coming back in everything I’ve read is that curiosity is not something extra, it’s central to how learning actually happens. Wolpert-Gawron (2016) emphasized that good inquiry isn’t just asking questions, but asking the right questions that push thinking forward. Over the past few weeks, I’ve started to see curiosity almost as a skill we help students build, not just a personality trait that some students have and others don’t.

What Has Changed for Me

If I compare my thinking now to a few weeks ago, here’s the biggest shift:

• I used to think inquiry was something you “do” a couple times during a unit.
• Now I see it as a mindset and a way of approaching learning. 
• Inquiry can live inside small moments; like asking a more open-ended questions.  
• It doesn’t have to be a huge project to be meaningful.

My Questions Moving Forward

Even though my understanding has grown, I still have some questions that I don’t think have an easy answer:

• How can teachers realistically balance inquiry with the pressure of standards, pacing guides, and state assessments?
  I’m starting to see how inquiry and standards can work together, but I still feel the tension in real classrooms.

• How do I support students who struggle with open-ended tasks? I don't want to shift back to teacher directed learning as a response. 

• How can I use inquiry learning in subjects that are dense or even abstract like social studies?

• How can I trust the process and step back and allow inquiry to unfold?

Even though I have these question, I feel more prepared to implement inquiry based learning with my students. These past few weeks have shown me that inquiry is about giving students meaningful opportunities to think, question, explore, and make sense of the world. An inquiry based classroom feels exactly like the kind of classroom I want to build.

Inquiry-based learning video if you want to learn more!

References

Battelle for Kids. (2019). P21 resources. https://www.battelleforkids.org/insights/p21-resources/

BSCS. (2006). Why does inquiry matter? Secondary classroom case studies: Teaching science as inquiry. Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Conley, D. T. (2003). Understanding university success. Center for Educational Policy Research.

Donovan, M. S., & Bransford, J. D. (2005). How students learn: History in the classroom. The National Academies Press.

Life Science Institute. (2011). Indicators of development of process skills.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2011). Getting started with student inquiry (Capacity Building Series). https://www.onted.ca/monographs/capacity-building-series/getting-started-with-student-inquiry

Spencer, J. (2017, December 5). What is inquiry-based learning? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlwkerwaV2E

Wolpert‐Gawron, H. (2016, April 25). What the heck is inquiry-based learning? Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-heck-inquiry-based-learning-heather-wolpert-gawron

Inquiry Based Learning: Growing My Understanding

During the past week I have deepened my understanding of inquiry based learning and it has changed how I see my role as an educator. Before learning more about inquiry based learning I thought it meant letting students explore freely and giving them hands on activities to do. I knew there had to be more to it, but I wasn't exactly sure what. Now I know that inquiry based learning is intentional where the educator guides students to ask meaningful questions, explore ideas, and build understanding with reflection and evidence. 

The National Research Council (Donovan & Bransford, 2005) reminded me that student's background knowledge is really important. If students do not have new content connected with their background knowledge new learning often doesn’t "stick."  That really made me reflect on my own teaching and How I will sometimes want to jump right into new content with my students. I get excited about the lesson and I just assume students are ready for the next lesson. This reading helped me by reminding me to slow down and first find out what students already know and what they believe. Once I know those things then I can help construct their new understandings through questioning and discovery. 

Heather Wolpert-Gawron’s article, What the Heck Is Inquiry-Based Learning? (2016), helped me understand inquiry more fully, inquiry is not just asking questions. Instead inquiry is all about asking the right questions that push thinking forward. The author's point can be summarized simply by saying curiosity matters. That made a lot of sense to me because when I think about my own life long learning I think the heart of that is curiosity. Curiosity is the heart of learning, not a silly distraction. 

I also read Getting Started with Student Inquiry (2011), which talks about the steps teachers can take to gradually release responsibility to students as they become more confident learners. It really lays out the steps that inquiry is not a chaotic process. The teacher's role shifts from directing the learning to facilitating the learning. I now view inquiry as process of scaffolding curiosity so students can take ownership of their learning journey. 

One thing that really stuck out to me from the readings was “all hands-on is not inquiry, and all inquiry is not hands-on” (Donovan & Bransford, 2005).  I used to think inquiry meant projects and experiments, but not I see that inquiry can be those things and also deeply reflective and discussion based. For example, students might read a case study, critique explanations, or reflect on their understanding. All of these things are parts of inquiry based learning. 

One of the biggest things as an educator learning about inquiry based learning is how the role of the teacher shifts. The role of the teacher is not to sit back and let chaos ensue, instead it is to provide conditions for students to discover answers. The teacher's role is to model being a curious learner besides students and to model what to do when you don't know the answer to your questions. For me, Inquiry based learning means that my role is that of a facilitator of learning as opposed to the all knowing teacher imparting knowledge to my students. 

Now, Inquiry based learning sounds like it can really help students develop the skills they need to be lifelong learners. Now my only pause or concern is that there are so many curriculum expectations and state assessments that I have to do with my students. I guess my question really is, "How can I give my students voice and choice while meeting the standards I need to cover in class?" I guess I'm starting to see that inquiry is mindset that can be an integral part of everything I teach. Inquiry is not some separate thing that we do for one lesson and then put it on the shelf until next week. 

This week has helped me see that inquiry based learning is a partnership between teachers and students where teachers facilitate and guide the learning. The goal of inquiry based learning is curiosity, reflection and realizing that the process of learning is just as important as the outcome of learning. 

References

Donovan, M. S., & Bransford, J. D. (2005). How students learn: History in the classroom (pp. 1–2). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2011). Getting started with student inquiry (Capacity Building Series). https://www.onted.ca/monographs/capacity-building-series/getting-started-with-student-inquiry

Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2016, April 25). What the heck is inquiry-based learning? Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-heck-inquiry-based-learning-heather-wolpert-gawron

PBL + Technology Through the Lens of SAMR (And Why STEM/STEAM Matters)

 PBL + Technology Through the Lens of SAMR

One of the challenges in education today is how to meaningfully integrate technology so it doesn’t feel added on, but truly amplifies learning. Project-Based Learning (PBL) and technology work together with the SAMR model to show how technology can evolve from simple substitution to transformation. When we add STEM or STEAM to the mix, the connection becomes even richer—because STEM/STEAM inherently demands integration, inquiry, repetition and real-world application.

In what follows, I’ll unpack how PBL and technology connect via SAMR, paying particular attention to student voice and choice and higher-order thinking. Then I’ll show how a STEM/STEAM mindset strengthens those connections.

Reflections on Project Based learning- Wilkes University, EDIM 502: Project-Based Learning

Reflections on Project Based learning

Wilkes University, EDIM 502: Project-Based Learning

Project Based Learning(PBL) is a way of engaging students in their own learning. Instead of just studying for tests and quizzes students are able to dive into real life challenges, collaborate with others and create meaningful work. 

I have done many projects with my students over the years in my classroom, but now I am trying to learn all I can about Project Based Learning in my class at Wilkes University. It really is neat to see what other teachers have been doing to really engage their students and in turn it's making me excited about what I can do with my students this school year!

Reading about how teachers across the country use Project Based Learning has inspired me and made me excited to reimagine what is possible with my own students.

In More Fun Than a Barrel of ....Worms?! students at Newsome Park Elementary School have transformed their learning with student-led projects all around the school. Some fourth graders have started a business called Flower Power, where they sell plants. Other students at the school became curious about the stock market and started researching the stock market and came up with projects focused on it. 

Newsome Park Elementary School in Newport News, VA

A second-grade class at Newsome Park Elementary chose to study cystic fibrosis after learning that one of their classmates lived with the condition. Motivated by curiosity and a desire to better understand their peer’s experience, the students researched and explored the topic in depth. At Newsome Park Elementary the teachers use a structure by Sylvia Chard for their projects.

• Phase 1: Having a conversation with the students about a topic and the students come up with questions about that topic.
• Phase 2: Students do field work, consult experts and do research on the internet about their topics. 
• Phase 3: Presentation on Project Day to staff, students, families and the community. 

Roles of Teachers and Students: In this example the teacher is in my opinion a facilitator of learning. The teacher starts with a topic and then guides students to come up with questions that they want to answer about that topic. The students are guided along the way and then they can present what they have learned to the school community and the local community as well. The students have an opportunity to come up with questions that are interesting to them and then research and learn about those topics. Students can present what they learned in all different unique and meaningful projects. 

In Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning students at Mountlake Terrace High School students are given a project that could have innumerable outcomes. Students work in groups to design a 2,000 person High School in the future. Students are must design and come up with many things for the project: drawings, cost estimates, a written proposal. Then they present their projects to architects who judge them and award the teams.  

2 students are building a 3-D model of a building.

Roles of Teachers and Students: In this example the teacher is taking a more active role in what they project should be about. All of the students should be creating a school of the future, they way they go about it and the end result can be different. There is clear criteria for what the project should have, therefore students know what they need to do in order to achieve the goals of the lesson. The students are faced with a real life challenge and are able to do a project with real life applications. Students all start at the same place, but then their creativity and passion lead them to all design very different schools of the future. 

In March of the Monarchs: Students Follow the Butterflies' Migration students at Rockledge Elementary School have the opportunity to be real scientists learning about the world around them. At this school they do activities with Journey North and learn about the migration of monarch butterflies. Students are scientists and are able to report when they see monarch butterflies and add to the data observations of Journey North. Students make charts and graphs and do many other lessons in multidisciplinary subjects such as writing, math, social studies and geography. Technology is used such as the internet for research and data collection and digital cameras to document the migration and life cycle of monarch butterflies. 

Journey North fall monarch migration map

Rockledge Elementary School also did projects with tulips where the students record and observe the tulips blooming in the school's gardens. 

Roles of Teachers and Students: In this example the teachers have a high level of control about what the project will be about. The teacher let's the students know that they will be studying monarchs or tulips and then tells them what they need to do. Students have some set responsibilities that they must do when learning about monarch migration. They must record when they see monarchs and write down any other observations they might have. Student do have a little bit of leeway when it comes to what they learn. For example, the weather might be different and they might research how that effected the monarch migration. Or students might research predators of monarchs or research the milkweed plant. 

Conclusion: These examples highlight the types of Project Based Learning, from fully student-driven inquiry (as at Newsome Park) to more structured projects with teacher-defined goals (as at Rockledge). The common thread is that students are engaged in authentic work that connects to the real world. As I reflect on my own teaching, I realize that the key is balance: determining when to step back and let students’ curiosity drive the project, and when to provide a framework that ensures important learning outcomes. Moving forward, I want to design projects that not only spark engagement but also empower my students to see themselves as creators, problem-solvers, and contributors to their communities.

References

Armstrong, S. (2002, February 11). Geometry students angle into architecture. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/mountlake-terrace-geometry-design

Buck Institute for Education. (2021). Gold Standard PBL: Essential project design elements. PBLWorks. https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl/gold-standard-project-design

Curtis, D. (2001, October 1). More fun than a barrel of … worms?!. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/more-fun-barrel-worms

Curtis, D. (2002, June 6). March of the monarchs: Students follow the butterflies' migration. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/march-monarchs