EDUC 450 - INQUIRY SEMINAR I

Dr. Norm FriesenSept. 4, 2014

Overview of today’s class

• Introductions: Who am I? Who are you?• Overview of course:• What is this class all about

• Why this class is important (in becoming a teacher)?

• What kind of work is involved?

• Video: Mastercrafts: Green Wood Craft• Work: one paragraph and 1-2 additional sentences on

What is this Class about?

Inquiry Seminar (I) is designed to engender in teacher candidates:• an understanding of teaching as a moral and intellectual activity

requiring inquiry, judgment and engagement with complex situations and relationships —with students, parents, colleagues and the scholarly community.• an appreciation of the importance of research and reflection in

understanding curriculum, teaching and learning.• a desire to engage in their own educational inquiries—to become

students of teaching.

What is this Class about?

Practical areas of emphasis include:• Giving everyone at least 2 chances for micro-teaching with an emphasis on

reflection and discussion.• Preparing for your 2-week practicum in Oct-Nov• Teeing up your own question and inquiry project for 541 (in January)

Teacher candidates will develop an inquiry question of their choosing based on a theme or problem (e.g., safety, student motivation, cyberbullying), create a project proposal and undertake preliminary reading, reflection and discussion around their inquiry question.

What is Inquiry?

• “Inquiry is understood as a deliberate, sustained and systematic process—beyond everyday reflection—in which professionals explore what they do and how they do it; it involves sharing one’s inquiries with colleagues. It involves classroom teachers in a cycle of action, reflection, sharing and adaptation.”

INFORMED ACTION

EXPERIENCEReflection & analysis;

Formulation ofPersonal theories

INFORMATION GATHERING& DOCUMENTATION

Personal Experience& Practice

Why is this important?

E.g., TEO Performance Checklist• Assumes the role of the teacher • Communicates effectively with students' families • Demonstrates a commitment to high professional

and ethical standards• Is respectful and cooperative with advisors and other professionals• Uses effective cycle of questioning, reflection and action• Links educational research to classroom practice

Performance Checklist, continued

• Demonstrates positive regard for students and families of all ability, culture, religion, gender and sexual orientation• Understands and builds on the resources that

multilingual students bring to their learning• Demonstrates sensitivity to individual diversity• Develops rapport with students• Uses suitable gestures, proximity, wait-time and eye contact

Ministry of Education Standards

1. Educators value and care for all students and act in their best interests.

2. Educators are role models who act ethically and honestly.

3. Educators understand and apply knowledge of student growth and development.

4. Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools.

Ministry of Education Standards

5. Educators implement effective practices in areas of classroom management, planning, instruction, assessment, evaluation and reporting.

6. Educators have a broad knowledge base and understand the subject areas they teach.

7. Educators engage in career-long learning.8. Educators contribute to the profession.

What’s the work involved?

• Class Participation (20%)• Do I come to class prepared? • Do I read carefully and respond thoughtfully to the readings and

the questions posed? • Do I show signs of listening carefully? • Do I respond to others’ questions thoughtfully? • Do I ask questions that help others towards meaningful readings

of the texts? • Do I take the risk of engaging in open dialogue, to formulate and

reformulate ideas?

Class participation

• Short Group Facilitation of a Reading (20%; Sept. 18) • Group Presentation and Facilitation of a Reading (30%; Sept. 25-Oct.

23)• Inquiry Proposal & Presentation (30%)

Short Group Facilitation of a Reading

With a small group (3 to 4 colleagues), facilitate an assigned reading for the rest of your colleagues. You may use the following questions as models for preparing your facilitation, but feel free to adapt or use different ones. • What does the text say?• How do you understand its relevance to your journey towards

teaching?• What questions does the text provoke? Why?

How does the text intersect with (inform, challenge) your own understanding (of teaching, learning, knowing)?

Group Presentation & Facilitation of a Reading

With a small group (3 to 4 colleagues), facilitate an assigned reading for the rest of your colleagues. You may use the following questions as models for preparing your facilitation, but feel free to adapt or use different ones. • What does this text say that struck you? Why?

• What questions does the text provoke? Why?

• What ideas, events, or images does the text illuminate or challenge?

• What dilemmas, tensions, or contradictions are evident?

• How does the text intersect with (inform, challenge) your own understanding (of teaching, learning, knowing)?

Inquiry Proposal & Presentation

• Teacher candidates must discuss the specifics of their inquiries with the cohort instructor via the inquiry proposal. Typically, the proposal will consist of a brief context (how the question arises and why it is significant), a statement of the research problem or question, several links to the related literature (class readings and other bibliographic references), an outline of the approach taken, including possible data sources.

Questions to address in your proposal• What is your question and how did it arise for you?

• Why is your question significant (to you and/or to others)?

• What resources will you draw on to explore your question? (e.g., journal, readings, curriculum/policy documents)

• What do you expect to find out?

Questions chosen by earlier cohort students• How can a teacher accurately and objectively assess a student’s work

ethic in a shop environment, in a timely fashion, and reward each student accordingly?• What are the best strategies for gaining and maintaining the attention

of a preoccupied class of students for the purposes of giving instructions in a shop or regular classroom environment?• What teaching practices motivate students to participate and excel in

a self-driven project based learning environment for Technology Education?

Questions chosen by earlier cohort students• Some students today are becoming more unmotivated, with efforts

falling and skill sets suffering. What are some of the factors causing this and what can teachers do to counteract it?• How can technology education be made more accessible to students

with special needs?• How do we effectively and safely manage large classes with increased

special needs students in a technology education classroom?• How do you engage students who are in your class only to earn credit

and are not motivated by the subject?

Questions chosen by earlier cohort students• How can we best integrate project based learning into the technology

education classroom and integrate with other courses?• By setting high expectations for my students, to what extent will they

be able to reach or strive to work towards these expectations?• What methods can be utilized to promote the participation of female

students in the typically male dominant technology education programs?