Inquiry based learning can be a very effective form or teaching. It involves questions generated from the interests, curiosities, and perspectives/experiences of the learner. When learning is based off of your own inquiries and questions, learning is more enjoyable. When learning is enjoyable and fun, it is effective (making learning fun is a consistent theme throughout my blogs).
Inquiry based learning will also take a lot of pressure off of the teacher. As an educator, there is a tremendous amount of planning always involved. This is especially true in the old school, boring, monotonous methods of direct teacher based instruction. Preparing lecture for every day requires lots of work, and can be physically exhausting. It will also bore your students to death. Teachers should consider giving their students guidelines for research and class, and holding class discussions. Students should play a significant part in their own learning, with the teacher being present for guidance, assistance, and to facilitate discussion.
Using podcasts can be very effective for your classroom. First off, there are tons of educational podcasts that can be used for the classroom. I was unable to post a podcast within this blog, due to the limited technology of my ancient computer. Regardless, students should be familiar with how to use and create podcasts. Podcasts can be used in place of class presentations. Many students are terrified to speak in front of people. Having them create podcast could ease this fear. Podcasts can also be used as prep for substitute teachers, engaging with parents, helping absent students, and making school announcements. Thousands of free podcasts can be found here
Inquiry based learning will also take a lot of pressure off of the teacher. As an educator, there is a tremendous amount of planning always involved. This is especially true in the old school, boring, monotonous methods of direct teacher based instruction. Preparing lecture for every day requires lots of work, and can be physically exhausting. It will also bore your students to death. Teachers should consider giving their students guidelines for research and class, and holding class discussions. Students should play a significant part in their own learning, with the teacher being present for guidance, assistance, and to facilitate discussion.
Using podcasts can be very effective for your classroom. First off, there are tons of educational podcasts that can be used for the classroom. I was unable to post a podcast within this blog, due to the limited technology of my ancient computer. Regardless, students should be familiar with how to use and create podcasts. Podcasts can be used in place of class presentations. Many students are terrified to speak in front of people. Having them create podcast could ease this fear. Podcasts can also be used as prep for substitute teachers, engaging with parents, helping absent students, and making school announcements. Thousands of free podcasts can be found here
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