After teaching for 15 years moved from worksheets, crafts, themes to focus on play.

Inspired by Twitter teachers

Started using discovery bins.

Integrated technology

Continuing to grow and trying to fit it all in

How does an inquiry get started?

Setting out interesting and beautiful invitations to learning.

4 New discovery bins each week. Students engage in open-ended play experiences

Watch students closely

Take photos, video, notes

Pictures will remind you of student interests

Students can be inspired by the work of others.

Very visual.

How can a teacher plan for inquiry when do you don't know what will come next?

In a half day program you need to be extremely organized to fit everything in.

Planting seeds for inquiry helps both classes to focus on one topic.

With new periods of extended "Thinking and Learning" time, we had to define the teacher's role.

Intentionally setting up the classroom with exciting invitations to learning.

Interesting materials to inspire a sense of wonder.

While students are playing, the teacher is recording observations in writing, photos, and videos.

These observations help to form next steps. Inform the teacher how to support students and extend their learning to the next level.

The teacher may not be an expert on the topic of inquiry but needs to be an expert on curriculum.

The teacher helps students to make connections between student interests and formal curriculum.

Students use photos to document their learning.

Our most important role.

Better with community either in person or online.

Forms next steps for learning.

Blogs are a great place to showcase all of our work and celebrate our learning.


http://kindergartenfunatlinwood.blogspot.ca

Excellent app for teachers to record observations of student learning. Notes can include photos, sound, and words.

Best feature is voice to text.