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Blog Post 7

    This course has helped me  develop a new way of thinking about inquiry based learning.  At the start of the course I had the idea that inquiry based learning was just asking questions.  Through each unit of the course I came to realize that inquiry based learning was so much more.  There are abilities and  skills associated with inquiry, which each have an important place in a students education. 
     I began to understand that there are different types of questions, investigable and non- investigable questions.  It is important that we teach our students the difference.  And also teach them how to change non-investigable questions into investable ones.  This way students are able to work on their ability to answer their own questions through research and experimentation.
     I have explored the many ways to utilize web 2.0 tools to foster inquiry.  Sites like Kahoot, Quizizz and Poll everywhere can be great ways to gage what a class already knows about a subject and what they are confused or have questions about.  Sites like Canva and google docs are great ways for students to create end of the unit,  summative assessments.   And communicate what they have learned with others.
    Most importantly I learned how to develop an inquiry based learning unit that I will be able to utilize in my classroom.  By doing this I learned about the 5E's, engage, explain, explore elaborate, and evaluate.  I plan on using the 5E method to create a unit plan to use in the classroom in the future.
    I plan to create a inquiry based learning unit plan where I teach my students about living and non-living things.  I would like to have all the lessons in the unit be student centered.  Some lessons I have planned are having students sort pictures  living and non-living things into three piles, living, non-living and undecided.  I will then have students attempt to defend their reasoning.  This will be a way to engage my students  and also help them to formulate questions about living and non-living things.
    I am very happy with all that I have learned throughout this course.  I believe it has helped me to grow as an educator.  I look forward to using all that I have learned in the classroom to enhance my  students' learning. 

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