Martha Dyer's Inquiry Presentation from Nga Taonga TOD 2009

1. Our Journey So Far…

2. In the Beginning…
• Why Inquiry? (ICT Contract)
• 3 Musketeers
• Working with Nicki (Blooms-what?)

3. Inquiry Learning
Term 3

4. Step 1 - What do we want to
know?
All sorts of questions….
• If the games signify unity, then why are we hosting the games in a
communist country?
• Should all substances be illegal at the Olympics?
• When did the first Olympic Games take place?
• Who was the first New Zealander to win a Gold medal?
• In what Olympics did tragedy take place? (Timeline)
• How much money do athletes get now compared to the early
1950’s?
• How old do you have to be in order to be involved in the Olympics?
• Should you be discriminated because you are too young or too old?
• What do the rings signify?
• How many countries are competing in the Olympic Games?
• Who invented the Modern Olympic Games and Why?

5. Step 2 - Categorising Questions
Politics
Took each Why are we hosting a game that
unifies people in a communist country?
question and
How much money do you get from being an athlete?
categorised it
under an issue we
thought it related
well to.
Olympics
Big Issue?
Environment
Ethics
Is the Pollution in China going to What drugs are/aren’t illegal?
affect the athletes performance? Should any type of drug be illegal in the Olympics?

6. Step 3 – The Big Issue
• What was our Big Issue?
• Are we competing for Money or for
Pride?

7. Step 4 – Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Knowledge: (exhibiting previously learned material by recalling facts, terms, basic
concepts and answers.) - Who, When, What, Why, Label, Tell?
• Comprehension: (demonstrating understanding of facts and ideas by
organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting, giving descriptions and stating main ideas.)
- Illustrate, Outline, Explain?
• Application: (Solving problems by applying acquired knowledge, facts, techniques
and rules in a different way.) - Apply, Build, Interview?
• Analysis: (Examining and breaking information into parts by identifying motives or
causes; making inferences and finding evidence to support generalizations) Analyse, Dissect,
Compare?
• Synthesis: (Compiling information together in a different way by combining
elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions) Compose, Develop, Modify?
• Evaluation: (Presenting and defending opinions by making judgments about
information, validity of ideas or quality of work based on a set of criteria) Criticise, Evaluate,
Conclude?

8. Step 5 - Categorise Questions
according to Bloom’s

9. Step 6 - Attach Thinking Tools,
Graphic Organisers & ICT to Bloom’s

10. 2008 Experiences in the Classroom
Natalie (Year 7) & Phila (Year 8)
PMI
Plus Minus Inte re s ting
•Trialle d an • nfus ing
Co •Trialle d Thinking
Inquiry Mo de l • o Lo ng
To To o ls . S o me
• alis e d the
Re we re g o o d o the rs
• o muc h at
To
impo rtanc e o f o nc e we re ……
Inquiry . •Didn ’t ans we r
• o d to wo rk
Go o ur Big Que s tio n
with a
Pro fe s s io nal.

11. BRICK WALL!
• What are we really assessing? Skills, What
Skills?
• Are we doing WAY TOO MUCH?
• Do I really understand BLOOMS?
• Do I really understand INQUIRY LEARNING?

12. W SUCCESS?
hy
• Weymouth Intermediate U-Learn08 Betty
Cooper
• School Visit by Management
• Discreet Steps
• Easy to Understand and Follow

13. Planning for SUCCESS
• Martha’s Presentation – Management and then Whole
Staff
• Core Group – Planning
• Some Ideas about our concept
• SUCCESS – Term 2 ENTERTAINMENT
• Scenario/problem-based
• Graphic Organisers
• Activboards – Nicholas Hennephof (ICT Focus)
• Colour Scheme – (Waikowhai Primary)
• School wide planning/homework/sharing
• Timetable changes, resources etc
• Only during ‘Topic’ time

14. Implementing
• More teacher-directed inquiry. (staff and students are
learning the process at the same time) Lots of Teacher
Modelling/Thinking out Aloud.
• Focus is on learning the whole process – weekly mini
inquiries
• It’s all about learning the steps of inquiry and the skills
involved
• Repetition is important for our students
• Each week we focus on developing a different skill
• Students only focus on one question. (group/individual)
• School wide graphic organisers are allocated to each
step of SUCCESS
• Homework is school wide and linked to inquiry work in
class.

15. How does it look in writing?
Concept Entertainment: Science Focus (How things work?)
Week 1 Set the Scene (Total Immersion) Chinese Acrobats, Guest Speakers,
Hands on Activities.
Week 2 Mini Inquiry Using all 7 Steps of SUCCESS.
Sound
Week 3 Mini Inquiry Using all 7 Steps of SUCCESS.
Film
Week 4 Mini Inquiry Using all 7 Steps of SUCCESS.
Television
Week 5 Mini Inquiry Using all 7 Steps of SUCCESS.
Computers
Week 6 Scenario:
Students are given a Problem that they need to solve based on our
Week 7
Concept for the Term.
Week 8
Week 9 They do an in-depth inquiry based on one of the mini inquiries we have
already done.
Week 10 Celebrate our SUCCESS – Showcase Evening (Wesley’s Got Talent)

16. W it looks like in the Classroom
hat

17. et the Scene
ncover the Question
ollect Resources
ollate and Record
dit and Examine
hare and Present
Elf-reflect and Celebrate

18. Set the Scene
Learning Intentions
• To expose students to the topic with varied experiences and information.
• To promote students interests and engage them in the topic.
Success Criteria
• Use a variety of resources (e.g., books, websites, interviews…).
• Activate prior knowledge.
• Expose students to many varied experiences.
• Listen to visiting experts.

19. Setting the Scene

20. Uncover the Question
Learning Intentions
• Write a meaningful, powerful research question that will promote higher level thinking
skills and broaden knowledge.
• Learn the difference between open and closed questions.
Success Criteria
• Create a mind map and sort my ideas into what I know and what I would like to know.
• Contribute and ask a question using the 5 W’s and the H.

21. Un
cov
er the
Qu
est
ion

22. Collect Resources
Learning Intention
• Access, locate, collect any resources I need for my inquiry.
Success Criteria
• Can use the Triangulation Chart to locate 3 pieces of information from 3 different
sources.

23. Collect Resources

24. Collate and Record
Learning Intention
• Organise my resources in order to help answer my inquiry question.
Success Criteria
• Take notes and rewrite paragraphs in my own words. Use my relevant/irrelevant
organiser to help me sort my information.

25. Collate
and
Record

26. Edit and Examine
Learning Intentions
• Sequence, edit and analyse my information and resources.
• Use the relevant/irrelevant graphic organiser.
Success Criteria
• Put my sentences into a structured sequence.
• Write my findings into my own words.
• Use my relevant/irrelevant graphic
organiser to help me sort my information.

27. Edit and Examine

28. Share and Present
Learning Intentions
• Present my information in order to answer the inquiry question.
• Share my findings through different types of presentation.
Success Criteria
• Use a variety of presentation styles and techniques – oral, written, visual or multimedia.

29. Sound, Film and Digital Cameras
Share
and
Present

30. Self-reflect and Celebrate
Learning Intentions
• Evaluate the entire inquiry process.
• To ensure that learning has taken place and to celebrate that learning.
• To critically reflect on what has taken place.
Success Criteria
• Able to use self-evaluation and peer-evaluation sheet.
• Use PMI Chart (plus, minus, interesting) to evaluate own process.
• Celebration day at end of term to share their SUCCESS

31. PM Charts
I
Self-reflect
and Celebrate

32. Students explaining their SUCCESS of a one-week
inquiry…

33. So far so good?
Plus Minus Interesting
-SUCCESS is easier to -Resources -Graphic Organisers
follow (Creating an -Students getting upset
-Graphic Organisers appropriate when work is not
-Student’s are wanting to environment for
learn complete
SUCCESS)
-Learning is relevant and -Students missing their
exciting -Time (One week lunch and commitments
-Questioning - prior is a squeeze) because they want to
experience from feeding stay and finish their
schools (knowing the work.
difference between fat and
skinny questions) -Wall Displays
-Transferring skills into -Assessment
other subjects (reading) -Structured Inquiry
-Confidence is higher due to
presentation skills and
working in groups
-Practical experiments
based on what they were
learning
-Focus on one question

34. Where to next?
• Change the length of mini inquiry’s (2
weeks)
• Resources – better prepared
• Timetables – do we have enough time?
• Assessment – rubrics
• Temporary 2-year plan
• Inquiry during reading

35. Questions…
?