Frontloading Skills and Knowledge

"Before anything else,

preparation is the key to success."

 ~Alexander Graham Bell

In order to set the stage for successful inquiry based learning experiences in my classroom, there are certain skills and knowledge I will need to frontload in the first six weeks. It is always tempting to jump right in to teaching, especially given the long list of state standards we are required to cover, but experience has taught me to "Go slow to go fast." This is easy enough to do in the first few weeks, when everything is new and the days are crazy, but as the children begin to settle in, a sense of urgency begins to take over and I have to force myself to be patient. Believe me, it is not easy!  

I found this great quote by Abraham Lincoln, which is a wonderful reminder about the importance of preparation: 

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."

 

I have spent the past few days compiling a mental list of the skills and knowledge I will need to frontload, and this is what I have come up with so far:

Classroom Routines and Procedures

I have found that it is important to teach every routine and procedure I want the students to follow, and to never assume anything. I model what I expect from the students and then give them the chance to practice...and practice...and practice. I know they will make mistakes, and I make it very clear to the students that it is okay to make mistakes, but I do hold them to the expectations I have set. The greatest teaching in the world means nothing if routines and procedures are not established and maintained throughout the year.

Five Senses

A big part of inquiry based learning is the ability to observe and ask questions.  Before students can become good at observing, they must learn how to use all of their senses.  The five senses are part of our state health standards, and I found a great unit for teaching them last year, so I will kill two birds with one stone by focusing on the five senses during our first month of the school year.

Observation

Students have to be taught to look closely, using all of their senses, in order to notice and discover things about their world. I plan to spend a great deal of time outside during the first month of school practicing the skill of observation. We are blessed with a beautiful nature center at our school and I plan to take advantage of it. Learning to observe objects in our world is one of our science standards, and sets the stage for future learning across the grade levels.

Asking Questions

Wondering and asking questions is at the heart of inquiry based learning. Children enter kindergarten full of wonder.  It is my job to teach them how to take that wonder and learn how to ask questions which will guide them to learn more, which will hopefully lead to more questions.  Knowledge is an endless quest, and I want my students to know that it is okay to wonder and it is always okay to ask questions about what they don't understand.

Teamwork

Learning to work with others is a life-long skill.  I have set up my classroom to be a third teacher which provides natural opportunities for children to work together.  However, I have to be intentional about providing specific opportunities throughout the day for the students to practice working together, listening to one another, and appreciating the thoughts and ideas of others.

Using Appropriate Voices

My classroom is set up to be a place of inquiry, wonder, discovery, thinking, and learning.  These are exciting processes, and there is nothing more fulfilling than watching a child get caught up in the beauty of it all. However, there are times throughout the day when I will be working with small groups, and the students will need to know how to communicate using a quiet talking voice during this time. This is something we will have to practice...repeatedly.

Using Classroom Tools

Children enter kindergarten with differing levels of experience.  Some have been cutting, drawing and writing for years and others have had little, if any, experience with classroom tools. Not only that, but the children who have had experiences may have learned incorrect practices. It is important to take the time to teach students the correct way to cut, hold a pencil, etc. and to be diligent about making sure they maintain good habits when using these tools.

Engaging in Conversation

Young children are very good at talking.  However, that does not mean they are good at carrying on a two-way conversation. This is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. Children need to learn how to listen to the ideas and thoughts of others and to respond to what they hear. This is not easy, and we all know people who are still learning these skills as adults, myself included.

Letter Formation

In the past, I have taught handwriting over the course of the year. The problem with this is that we begin writing workshop early in the year and as a result, students often learn incorrect letter formation. This year, I plan to hold off on beginning writing workshop until October and to spend time in September teaching correct letter formation, with the hope of teaching correct practices early on.

Using a Digital Camera

At our school, we are blessed with a classroom set of digital cameras that teachers can check out. I am extremely excited to use the cameras with my students this year, especially during our outdoor learning times. In order to use them effectively, I will need to teach the students how to use the cameras and give them plenty of time to practice with them.

Using the iPad

In addition to the digital cameras, we will be using the iPad regularly in our classroom. I plan to use the Seesaw app this year, and the students will need to know how to scan their QR code and take pictures, videos, etc. I hope to use the iPads to project their work during sharing time and to communicate their learning with parents via online portfolios.

I am sure I will think of other things as the new school year approaches, but this is what I have come up with so far. The most important thing I need to do early on is establish a sense of classroom community. My students need to know I care about them, I am interested in their lives, and I believe they are capable, competent learners. They need to know it is okay to make mistakes and that we can learn from those mistakes. All of these things will set the stage for a classroom in which we can learn and grow together.

Inquiry Based Learning: Step Five--Pedagogical Documentation

"Documentation is not about what we do, 

but what we are searching for."

~Carla Rinaldi

This is the last in a series of posts which explore the steps of implementing inquiry based learning in the classroom. By no means, however, is pedagogical documentation the final step. In fact, pedagogical documentation takes place throughout the entire inquiry based learning process.

In her article, "Making Learning Visible Through Pedagogical Documentation," Dr. Carol Anne Wien of York University explains pedagogical documentation in this way:

"Pedagogical documentation invites us to be curious and to wonder with others about the meaning of events to children. We become co-learners together; focusing on children’s expanding understanding of the world as we interpret that understanding with others. We document not merely to record activities, but to placehold events so that we might study and interpret their meaning together. Out of that slowed-down process of teacher research, we have the potential to discover thoughtful, caring, innovative responses that expand our horizons. We discover what we did not yet know how to see. Pedagogical documentation inserts a new phase of thinking and wondering together between the act of observation and the act of planning a response. Rather than looking for what is known through assessment, pedagogical documentation invites the creativity, surprise and delight of educators who discover the worlds of children.

To see children as researchers working with others to make sense of the world, and educators as researchers bringing their curiosity to generate theories about children’s social, intellectual, physical, and emotional strategies of communication is to view both children and educators in a new way – as participating citizens engaging their cultural surroundings in their full humanity: this process allows our humanity as thinking, feeling beings a richer place in our life as professional educators."

Pedagogical documentation serves many purposes:

• Pedagogical documentation provides the lens to view students as capable, competent problem solvers.

• Pedagogical documentation shows strengths outside of the academic areas, allowing each child a place for success.

• Pedagogical documentation highlights the necessity of revisiting topics to deepen understanding.

• Pedagogical documentation highlights the process and journey of learning.  It makes thinking visible.

• Pedagogical documentation enables children to hear and see multiple perspectives.

• Pedagogical documentation allows for collaboration and conversations about learning between students, teachers, families, and the school community. This provides opportunity for new understandings.

• Reviewing pedagogical documentation encourages us to dig deeper. The focus is on uncovering big ideas and the shift from product to process, allowing us to be more thoughtful about our learning. Teachers and students are encouraged to be reflective and active in their learning.

• Sharing pedagogical documentation invites others into the conversation.

• Reviewing pedagogical documentation scaffolds learning and possibilities for other students.

• Reflecting on pedagogical documentation reveals patterns of children's interests and curiosities for further inquiry and wondering.

• Pedagogical documentation can drive a co-constructed curriculum.

• Documenting ordinary moments develops a stronger understanding of students' interests, strengths, and knowledge.

In essence, pedagogical documentation happens when we slow down and listen to children--observing and documenting what they are doing. When we connect to these captured moments and use them to drive our curriculum, learning becomes deep and meaningful.

There are many tools that can be utilized to make students' thinking visible: Photos, videos, products, documentation panels, transcripts, observational notes, authentic writing and conferences are some, but there are many others.  The goal is to capture the students' thinking and display it in a way that all can reflect and learn from.  It is not a final product whose purpose is to show what the children did during an inquiry, it is a lens into the thinking children displayed while immersed in the inquiry process.

It is an understatement to say that I am excited, yet nervous, for my journey to continue this approaching school year.  One thing is for sure, I feel a fire ignited within me, and I can't wait to share that with my students, their families, and our school community!

Inquiry Based Learning: Step Four--Culminating Project

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to

awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge."

~Albert Einstein

In this series of blog posts, I have been describing the steps of implementing an inquiry based learning project. So far, I have explored the steps of choosing a topic, developing questions, and investigation. 

Once children have spent time in investigative activities and have found answers to the questions they generated in step two, it is time to show what they know! This is typically done through some sort of project.

Projects can be done individually, in a small group, or with the whole class. Some ideas for culminating projects include:

• Making a big book, which shares what the students have learned about a topic

• Turning the classroom into a creative display of their learning--such as a pond habitat or a zoo

• Creating a mural in the hallway so others can learn from the classroom inquiry as well

• Creating something for the school or community in response to a problem that was investigated. An example may be a compost bin for the school, which could be used to reduce the amount of food wasted each day.

• Giving a presentation to parents, administrators, or other classrooms.

• Creating a video

These are just a few examples out of many.  The most important thing to remember when choosing a project is that the project should be chosen by the students, not the teacher. The children must be vested in the project in order for it to be truly successful. After all, it is a way for them to represent the knowledge they have gained and to solidify their learning. Keep in mind that, early in the year,  the teacher will have to model different project choices for the students. 

Over the past two years I have been taking baby steps into the implementation of inquiry based learning in my kindergarten classroom. This past spring, I tried an inquiry based learning project when my students showed a strong interest in volcanoes. At the end of our investigations, the students gave three presentations to six different classrooms about what they had learned.  They put a ton of time into preparing for their presentation and they did an amazing job!  I wish I would have taken pictures to share. I couldn't believe the feedback they received from other students--most of whom were older than them.  Some of the children who viewed the presentation told me later that they had gone on to do their own investigating of volcanoes.  When I shared these comments with my class, they were so proud of the fact that others saw them as knowledgeable teachers.  That is powerful!

I cannot wait to share our journey with you once school begins in September.  In the meantime, watch for my next post, which will focus on documentation--one of the most vital steps in the inquiry based learning process.

Inquiry Based Learning: Step Three--Investigation

"Play is the highest form of research."

~Albert Einstein

In step two of the inquiry based learning process (see my last post), students generated questions about a chosen topic of inquiry.  The stage has been set, and the next step is to engage in a variety of activities that will help them find answers to the questions they generated.

The teacher's role in this step is to coordinate the activities which will lead the students to the answers they are seeking. This may include going on a field-site visit, asking questions of guest experts, conducting experiments, watching videos, observing natural phenomena, and documenting what they learn through drawing, writing, and discussion as a group.  It is important to include as many hands-on, play based experiences as possible, since research shows this is how young children learn best.

As the students find answers to their questions, these answers can be added to the web that was generated in step two.  It is especially helpful if the web is ever present, such as on the whiteboard, where students and teachers can refer to it regularly. You may find that new questions present themselves and lead the investigation in another direction.  Follow the lead of your students, as this is the true nature of student led inquiry.

It is important to document what the students are learning and to post that documentation in a central location so the teachers and students can refer to it and use it as a reminder of what they have learned.  Children love to see their own work and thinking displayed, and it is a great way to share their learning with other people who visit the classroom. Representation and documentation will be discussed more in my next blog post.