Inquiry+&+Research

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**2.5** - 3 Minute Pause on my independent research of inquiry based learning:
Inquiry based learning is a student centered approach. It puts the learning/instruction more in the student’s laps with the teacher having more of an adviser role. It increasing the motivation of the student as it is can address an interest the student has in the subject. It also prompts the students to question and analyze information. I can see how this can work in some lessons but may be not in all lessons; it depends on the subject matter being addressed. I can definitely see how student motivation can be increased, because the student will have an interest in the information being taught.

**Here are my additional comments based on the two articles we had to read:**
I liked reading both articles as they gave me a clearer understanding of inquiry based learning. In particular, I liked the way the article from Northeastern Illinois University broke down the steps (criteria for a successful inquiry) to implementing this strategy in the curriculum. My general understanding is that you approach the topic in a general sense then break the class into groups and have them come up with open-ended questions about the topic that is both personally relevant and socially significant to them. By doing this, it will generate an interest and will gear the student wanting to learn more. The instruction from the teacher serves as a guide to help student meet their goals. I like item #3 in the articles as it gave examples that we can all relate to that can be used in any curriculum. The process does not end there, as there is always constant communication during this process to keep the students on task with what the final product should be.

The second article, by [|www.inquirylearn.com], also gives good information. It basically goes over the same information as the first article, and that the process is focused around student generated questions and that “nurturing the natural curiosities within a child helps create a child who strives for knowledge and understanding both within herself and in the world around her”.