In this clip, well known inquiry learning consultants and authors, Kath Murdoch and Tania Lattanzio will take you through what it means to plan for concept-based inquiry. They tackle the most commonly asked questions that arise in their work with teachers and give practical examples.
Since the start of the 2019-2020 school year, we have been collaborating to review, revise, and rewrite units of inquiry at Dresden International School. Throughout this process, our aim has been to ensure that within all units, inquiry concepts and agency are embedded. Using the model for developing conceptual units from ‘Taking the Complexity Out of Concepts’ we developed the units of inquiry.
Flexibility and Adaptability: the ability to adapt as needed, to not follow a rigid plan and realize that lessons often do not go the way you intended. Being a flexible teacher means that you are more likely to meet the needs of your students as you adjust the learning in response to student needs rather than ‘covering’ a checklist of predesigned activities.
The planning process, should be dynamic, flexible, ongoing and encourage reflection. Schools and teachers should view planning as being responsive to student learning and interests. The planning process continues throughout the life of the unit and is developed according to the experiences and wonderings that occur during the learning process. There must be space for students to engage in meaningful conceptual inquiry and teachers need to create that space. Without space for student inquiry, wonderings and curiosity it would need to be questioned if the presence of authentic student inquiry existed within the unit.
5 Engagements for Conceptual Learning
As we say, when we work with teachers the concepts being focussed on are the language of the learning community. Engagements are developed to continually build on learner’s understanding of the concept and to enable them to reflect on new learning, for them to make sense of their learning.
Below are some ideas for engagements to focus on the conceptual nature of a unit.
1. Concept Walk:
This engagement is a nice way to start the unit, to begin with it would be suggested you introduce learners to the concepts so they have an initial understanding of it. Learners go on a concept walk inside/outside (where possible) and take images of where they think they see that concept e.g. (identity: images could include; photographs, passports, artefacts, clothes, jewellery) (structure: images could include; table, chairs, cabinets, buildings, trees, roads) (pattern: images could include; tiles, materials, leaves, flowers, insects, artefacts). These images are shared face to face or online individually and/or in small groups and then learners decide how they want to present their images together with their understanding of how these images are connected to the concept. This encourages learners to think about the concept more broadly and develop their own generalizations about it. As the unit progresses and learners build their understanding they can go on another concept walk to add to their initial ideas.
2. Concept Chart/Page:
The concepts focussed on are on an online platform or a page in student’s book/journal (individual understanding), or a chart in the classroom for all to access (collective understanding).
As the unit progresses, learners display their understanding of the concept. This can be done by adding pictures, symbols, words or statements to either the class page or their individual page. This can be done throughout the unit or at specific times.
Throughout the unit learners revisit this page to develop their generalizations of the concept. Educators use this information to check in on learners current understanding of the concept.
3. Concept Map
Students make connections between the concepts through a concept map. They do this throughout the unit to show their ongoing understanding of the concepts and their connection.
4. Concept Collaboration Chart
Learners are placed in groups and the chart is used throughout the unit. Each time the learners revisit the chart they add to their understanding in a different color and/or date it.
Example: Concept of Identity
5. Concept Board
Students form groups of four. They write the concept as a heading in the middle. Each student takes one quarter of the page and silently writes or sketches their ideas about the concept. Once they have done this, each individual shares their ideas, and those on which the whole group agrees are placed in the middle under the heading of the concept word. This engagement gives students the chance to share ideas and reflect on their understanding of the concept with their peers. Students can continue to get into their groups to add their ideas.
We hope you find these conceptual engagements useful.
Please note that shortly we will be providing a booklet of Conceptual Experiences for purchase on our website.
© Innovative Global Education 2020
Since the start of the 2019-2020 school year, we have been collaborating to review, revise, and rewrite units of inquiry at Dresden International School. Throughout this process, our aim has been to ensure that within all units, inquiry concepts and agency are embedded. Using the model for developing conceptual units from ‘Taking the Complexity Out of Concepts’ we developed the units of inquiry.
Flexibility and Adaptability: the ability to adapt as needed, to not follow a rigid plan and realize that lessons often do not go the way you intended. Being a flexible teacher means that you are more likely to meet the needs of your students as you adjust the learning in response to student needs rather than ‘covering’ a checklist of predesigned activities.
The planning process, should be dynamic, flexible, ongoing and encourage reflection. Schools and teachers should view planning as being responsive to student learning and interests. The planning process continues throughout the life of the unit and is developed according to the experiences and wonderings that occur during the learning process. There must be space for students to engage in meaningful conceptual inquiry and teachers need to create that space. Without space for student inquiry, wonderings and curiosity it would need to be questioned if the presence of authentic student inquiry existed within the unit.
How do we cultivate curiosity, interest and wonderment? If we want students to genuinely inquire it is important that we give them the context for that to occur, a situation where curiosity, wonderment and excitement become a natural part of the learning process.
When working with a Grade One class that was exploring a unit on changing materials, to get the students thinking about the concepts driving the unit we decided to do the ice balloon activity from the Exploratorium site. http://www.exploratorium.edu/afterschool/activities/docs/iceballoons.pdf
In this clip, well known inquiry learning consultants and authors, Kath Murdoch and Tania Lattanzio will take you through what it means to plan for concept-based inquiry. They tackle the most commonly asked questions that arise in their work with teachers and give practical examples.
In this webinar they examine each as well as provide practical strategies and examples of how they can be embedded into the learning.
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