Blog 6: Inquiry Based Learning/Mini-Lesson

Inquiry-based Learning

Inquiry-based learning is a type of learning that stokes the intellectual curiosity within the students.  It allows students to learn about a topic authentically with a deep understanding of what they are learning.  Technology is integrated to allow students to control what they learn, how they learn it and allows opportunities that would not be present without the use of technology.  The teacher acts as a facilitator to ensure that students are learning the material and to help ensure student success.

Mini-Lesson

Authentic Learning
In 7th grade social studies, we learn about Africa's geography and environmental factors that lead to them having a water shortage.  Through the course of a mini-lesson, I would like students to brainstorm and try to find ways that would help Africa with their water shortage issue.

Deep Understanding
Students have preconceived notions about what the geography of Africa is like.  Their initial thoughts are that all of Africa is a desert or that it is all grasslands where lions, elephants and other animals roam.  I want my students to understand that Africa is a very diverse continent with varying ecosystems. 

The Importance of Assessment
I plan to use a variety of assessments through the course of the mini-lessons from Quizziz to blogging.

Technology
Students will be using technology to blog about what they are learning, read the blog post of others and reach out to experts in the field.  This will allow students, as Langwitch stated in her blog "Get Over It", the opportunity to "collaborate across time and space".  It will also enable students to extended their learning outside of the school building as stated by Keren-Kolb in her "Engage, Enhance, Extend" article..

Performances of Understanding
Students will be able to select their blog topics and have them made public on their blog.  Students will offer advice to other students and comment on their work.

Connecting with Experts
Students will be able to view work from experts on this subject.  They will also be given the opportunity to reach out to experts in the field through the course of the mini-lessons.


Learner Success
Students will have the learning chunked into manageable parts.  Students will be given feedback about their work through the course of the mini-lessons.  Students will be able to choose how they use technology in order to show their learning.

Growth mindset

In reflecting on my initial goal for this course (INSERT GOAL!!!), I think that I have picked a goal that aligned well to this week’s resources.  I want students to be able to exercise the 3 components of digital fluency laid out in the article “Digital fluency: towards young people’s critical use of the internet” by Miller and Bartlett including Net-savviness, critical evaluative techniques and diversity.  What struck me is that this article was published in 2012, and not much has changed in the digital fluency capabilities of students.  If anything, it feels like it has gotten worse. 

In the video “The Power of Belief-Mindset and Success”, Eduardo Briceno discusses the differences between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.  People with a growth mindset see failures and mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow and intelligence as something that can be developed, while people with a fixed mindset believe that intelligence is fixed.  Briceno states that people with growth mindsets become more proficient at the skills that they are working on than those with growth mindsets.  My goal is to take this approach to information fluency skills for myself and my students.