Before I started working on this project, I never really thought about or enjoyed the inquiry process. I love doing things and seeing them through until they are finished. For example, I really would like to try out an e-reader, but I love reading books, holding the physical book itself. To me, it's like a goal to see the bookmark move from one page to the next until I have finally finished the book. Therefore, many times when I'm working on a project or something I don't really think about the inquiry process much. This project has really made me stop and think about each step and what I need to do in order for the project to be successful.
I like to consider myself and "thinker" and a "planner." By this I mean, I think things through and plan out every last detail before I get started. This can be good and bad when actually following through with an inquiry model. It's good that I'm thinking things out, asking questions, and making personal connections. However, planning everything out before I start isn't part of the process. While I need to have an idea of where I'm going, I need to be flexible in how things are accomplished and how the final product is put together. For it's during the inquiry process that I need to continue to ask questions and make adjustments. Otherwise, I may not gain out of it what I had intended. I found this to be true when working on the final product and not being able to do exactly what I wanted. I had planned on having an interactive family tree, in which you could click on each family member's name on the tree and go to their individual page. However, I'm not completely technological savvy when it comes to things like this. Therefore, I had to settle for what it is now. While the same information is presented, it isn't how I had originally planned. This example reassured me that sometimes it isn't always the end that is most important, it's how you get to the end.
Even though I followed the 8W's model for this inquiry project, the I-Search model is also one that could have been used. For me, Phase 3, which is gathering and integrating information, would have been visited several times throughout my inquiry. I would have to plan out how I was going to sort materials, critically evaluate information, and generate new questions before I moved to the final phase.
On a more personal side, my husband has conducted quite a bit of research on his side of the family. His goal was to finish his side of the family and then begin mine. He started this before either one of our boys were born and hasn't done much since then. Now that I have a little more interest in researching our genealogy, he seems to be interested once again. I feel that my inquiry has once again sparked my husband's because of this project! I think it's something we look forward to doing together when we have the time.
What I like about the Inquiry process is that it places the students at the center of learning allowing them to follow their sense of wonder. For me the difficult part of inquiry is the dealing with the higher level of thinking skills that the inquiry process takes.
ReplyDeleteI am a person who likes to focus on a task and work to complete it. I get easily frustrated when I have to go back to re-evaluate what I am doing and changing focus.