Phase 5: Reflect: Written Reflection

Instructions to students: Please delete the assignment description below, and replace with your own work, or if you wish to keep it here as a reference, simply move it down and add your work at the top of the page.

Phase 5: Reflect: Written Reflection

Assessment Criteria / 5

Due: Written Reflections will be due with the Final Inquiry Project on Sunday, April 11 by midnight on the student website.

Required Elements for Written Reflection:

  1. Written Reflection: The length of the written assignment is flexible to a maximum of 750 words (not including references). Include answers to the following questions:
  • Reflect on how this project went for you. What were your challenges? What successes did you experience? What questions do you still have about this process? What might you do differently if you were to plan this project again?
  • Reflect on the inquiry process. What did you learn about inquiry in going through this process? Did you have any insights about your initial questions coming into this course? What are you still wondering about inquiry after doing this project and taking this class?
  • Reflect on feedback from instructor and peers. How might you incorporate ideas provided from others?
  • APA Citations and references from a minimum of three new required and recommended readings and resources studied in class, to demonstrate your understandings of the connections between theory and practice.

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In-Class Interpretive Presentation: Evolving Understandings

Holistic Assessment  / 5

Due: Tuesday, April 6

Description: The In-Class Interpretive Presentations consist of open format and informal individual reflections of your journey through inquiry. The time allowance is flexible, with a guideline of approximately 5 minutes per student.

The topic of the In-Class Presentation will be: “How have my understandings of one or more aspects of Inquiry evolved through this Inquiry Project?” And/or “How will I incorporate Inquiry into my teaching practice based on what I learned during this Inquiry Project?” This presentation will incorporate an artifact of learning. Students may draw on poetry, art, music, objects, images, favourite quotes and reflections, homemade video, audiorecording, or other symbolic forms. Each presentation is intended to be a creative “snapshot” that brings your written Inquiry Project to life, not a summary. Your presentation in Part II must include insights drawn from at least 2 required and recommended course readings/resources, plus inspiration from the following: elder teachings and other cultural teachings, examples in your professional practice and personal experience, class activities, and conversations with peers or your instructor. This presentation corresponds in part with the Phase 5 Written Inquiry Reflection assignment.

Recommended Artifacts of Learning for In-Class Interpretive Presentations:

  • Story
  • Poetry
  • Maps
  • Elder teachings
  • Course reflections
  • Art
  • Music
  • Objects
  • Image
  • Collage
  • Favourite quotes and reflections
  • Homemade video
  • Audiorecording
  • Sample assignment, assessment, or student product example

I realized the importance of listening skill in language development. It promotes social-emotional development and mindful thinking, which can reduce anxiety and depression in students. It can also help students build relationships because as they engage themselves in conversation, their peers are more likely to view them as open and interested.
 When I decided to teach ‘a skill’ through inquiry I was a bit confused about its implementation. The main challenge was about the previous experience of the students.In inquiry based learning- learning has to draw on, build on, and be relevant to a learner’s previous experiences, I identified that those experience were limited. ‘Does everything have to be based on what you already know? If so, how is new learning even possible?’. The main task was to overcome this challenge. Cultural mismatch was yet another challenge. In a classroom where the students are from various backgrounds, I was anxious about many of the learning activities in the class room. Inquiry-based learning may work for some learners, but others, especially those from marginalized groups need access to the societal codes for knowledge in a more direct fashion (Delpit, 2006). Learning independently as with inquiry-based learning, may work in some ways, but success in modern societies depends upon certification of skills taught through an organized procedure. It’s difficult to certify learning when it is individualized, extended, and embedded in life beyond the classroom. According to Cole, McDermott, &  Hood (1978), that cognitive psychology actually requires ecological invalidity in order to develop precise and replicable findings.
I experienced the success of my project as follows- the learning activities nurtures passions and talents of students. When children are passionately engaged in learning, they became empowered and felt more in control of the information they take in. In fact, being actively involved allows them to grow more focused on the subject and develop a strong connection with what they enjoy.
The main realization which happened to me during the project was that – It increases the motivation and engagement of the students. By being engaged in their learning, children are more likely to be more motivated to continue learning new information and skills.It allows them to develop research skills. Research skills are something that children will need all throughout their life, and developing them early in an engaging way will enable them to enjoy the research aspect of learning both in school and on their own.
If I were to do plan this project again the main factor, I would allow different students to engage in different inquiries. I may also give students a choice between group and individual work. This helps to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach that may alienate some students. The next thing would be asking  students to present their own questions after giving them a list of curriculum goals. Once students understand what they’re supposed to be learning, they may surprise me with novel mastery strategies. In inquiry, we ask questions for the creative possibility of seeing things differently for more enriched, novel, vital, or deeper meanings (Heesoon Bai,2005). I believe this independent, student-driven approach to learning often works well with frustrated and disconnected students.
The major learnings that happened to me as a teacher during this project was that inquiry-based teaching focuses on moving students beyond general curiosity into the realms of critical thinking and understanding. Teachers consider it as a “Pendulum Phenomenon”, since it keeps teachers and students oscillate from one technique to another( Clifford and Friesen,2005). A teacher must encourage students to ask questions and support them through the investigation process, understanding when to begin and how to structure an inquiry activity.Using methods such as guided research, document analysis and question-and-answer sessions, the teacher can run inquiry activities in the form of:Case studies, Group projects, Research projects, Field work and so on. Whichever kind of activity you use, it should allow students to develop unique strategies for solving open questions. inquiry-based learning actively engages students in the learning process. Students aren’t just hearing or writing what they are learning. Instead, students get the chance to explore a topic more deeply and learn from their own first-hand experiences.They retain 75% of what they do compared to 5% of what they hear and 10% of what they read. Inquiry-based learning allows students to better understand and recall material by actively engaging with it and making their own connections. Sitting in a classroom taking notes isn’t always the most effective (or fun) way to learn. Rather than memorizing facts from the teacher, inquiry-based learning enhances the learning process by letting students explore topics themselves.