There's no substitute for childlike questions in science

Science is driven by curiosities much like the questions children have that come out of their honest curiosities about the world.  Curiosities are worth developing throughout schooling through inquiry based learning.

Those of you who have been to the Guided Inquiry Design Institute in the past two years have heard me read aloud from this book  Lab Girl. In this novel, Hope Jahren, a geobiologist and author, has a way of telling a story that weaves story, science, and life together.  It's also filled with her expert knowledge of plants.  Things you'd never know and are fascinating bits about the plant world that will inspire more curiosities in you as you read.

Recently on BigThink she did an interview where she said that the childlike kid questions driven by curiosity are what are at the core of science.  

She says the wonderful thing about science is how surprising and pleasing it is to think about something you know, but you haven't "turned it over in your mind" in such a way as to examine it with new eyes.  I love this. 

Hope Jahren video on BigThink

Inquiry based learning like Guided Inquiry Design gives our students the opportunity to turn things they know over and over and look at many sides of things that they didn't know existed when they saw it only from one angle. 

Through the first phase of Guided Inquiry, we introduce our students to something somewhat familiar, a concept that resonates with them.  In the second phase, we design the experience so we offer some new information to help our learners expand what they know through experiences in the field, or science labs, or a visit to a museum, or by examining objects. Armed with some new information, having turned what they know over a bit, they then reach out to explore what it means to them and what might be interesting to them about these ideas they are turning over.  They identify a curious question, research that question, and create something to communicate their new understanding to the world. Through this process our students have opportunities in GID to engage in new ways of thinking about the world. 

Hope Jahren places a strong scientific value on the "childlike" questions that are driven from curiosities.  She says that buried deep down in the answers to those seemingly simple questions, like "Why don't trees like that grow at my house?" are applications to some new discovery about how to grow food, or use something in the marketplace, or for medicine, or in construction... The implications of those simple questions can be addressed by experts in different areas, and the knowledge gained from those core questions help many to apply the information to innovate.

In schools , of course, we are always reaching for the deeper better question.  Avid has offered a guide by leveling questions. These guides created by educators can be a helpful starting place.

But, I wonder if we can analyze questions differently.  What if we used interest and curiosity as one of our main measures of a great question?  Of course, we want it to be deep, which can be addressed by thinking about -
1. Can it be easily answered? Is the answer easily found and answered by a few simple facts?  If so, students may need a little more probing. into that question to let the curiosity bubble out.

But I think what's maybe even more important is....Is there true curiosity in the student's question? So, how do we get to, how curious is this student? 

Curiosity lies in their interest.

So we can think about:
2.  Does the student want to know about this? How much?
Is it related to their life in some way? How do we know?

But, how can you tell if it truly comes from students' curiosities... 
True curiosity lies in the Third Space- the question that comes out of my curiosities comes from my real life, has a connection to me, and the content we are talking about. In turn, I have a lot of interest in answering this question. 

So, asking kids to tell you, 'how interested are you in this question,' might help us to know how curious are they about it. You can simply ask if they are interested in this question.
Or, you can even have them rate it on a scale from 1 not so much  10 REALLY interested.  If we can get to the upper levels of this scale, I think we've nailed a curious question.

Jahren says there is no substitute for a curious question and they have great value to science, scientists and even experts in their field. 

So stay curious inquirers and have fun playing with this in your work with students.

Leslie Maniotes, PhD

Having an Inquiry Stance

Educators (teachers, librarians, and school leaders) who use an inquiry approach to teaching and learning in schools today have a leg up on those who don't.

Why?  Because inquiry requires that students ask questions and investigate  to learn from those questions.  Through that process students learn how to find, evaluate, and use information.  Some people call this information literacy.  Information literacy is one of the top literacies necessary for this time and age.  We can find all kinds of information so easily- the trick is to evaluate it and use it well (hint- good librarians are awesome at this!).  

Using an inquiry model, we can guide students to become experts of using information through all content areas.  Inquiry Educators take a step back to re-evaluate all their practices and see if they are aligned with an Inquiry Stance so they aren't imposing structures or old habits that might be counter productive to their students learning.

There are some things that traditional teachers used to do during research that would be counter productive to inquiry learning. (See the left column below.)

Educators who use an inquiry approach, like Guided Inquiry Design assume an inquiry stance when planning and thinking about what activities, assignments, resources, and mindsets to use with students. (See the right column below.)  

Look at the chart below. Where do you stand?  Is there anything that you might want reconsider? 

EDUCATORS Who Take an Inquiry Stance 

Don’t	Do
DON'T  Think that students have their question at the beginning of the work.	Collaboratively design engaging experiences that allow students to become curious, interested, and knowledgeable before they get to the big questions. GID in Action Open & Immerse
DON'T Ask for specific the number and type of sources on the paper/project (Your paper will have 10 references)	Focus students on gathering multiple sources and perspectives on information.  Focus on the depth of understanding to determine if students need more information sources.
DON'T Constrain the types of resources required. (Your paper/project will include 5 database articles, 4 newspaper articles, and 3 primary sources.)	Recognize that the resources will be organically dictated by the question that the student asked
DON'T Only curate resources for students  (and not allow them to search on their own)	Have students  searching for,  evaluating  and curating their own sources for information and research
DON'T Set students off to identify their question on their own - (Here's a list of topics- pick one and go do your research!)	Confer with students about their question once they have had some time to explore their own interests in the topic
DON'T Assess students based on the product alone	Observe students interactions during the process to guide them. Recognize signs like optimism, frustration, procrastination, increased interest, clarity, lack of confidence, increasing confidence, sense of accomplishment (Kuhlthau, 2004)

Inquiry is Essential for Learners Today

Think about it.

You are taking a walk and you see something that makes you wonder- what kind of plant, or bug or animal is that....
You're planning a trip and are looking for the best route, or best restaurants along the way.
Or you hear or read about something you aren't sure about...
Or your mother calls and tells you about a diagnosis your father just got from the doctor, it's an odd sounding diagnosis, one that you've never heard of.

What do you do? You pick up your phone and search. What comes up? Some articles, maybe images, perhaps some blogs or newspaper articles, or a general article from wikipedia.  How do you know which ones are worth reading?

It depends! It depends upon the question you asked and the information available. For example, with the medical information, we know we'd get reliable information from a reputable institution like the Mayo Clinic or John's Hopkins University.  WebMD might have some information, but we might want to cross check that with what's listed on the Mayo Clinic site.
We do this every day.  ALL the time.

So, if we do this all the time as adults, are our students learning that this is how we learn?  Are we giving our students opportunities to ask questions, search for information to understand their questions and learn from them?  Are we allowing them to search the internet and library resources to answer their own questions?  Are we giving them opportunities to mess about in the information context to figure out what is worth reading and paying attention to and not? Are we giving them tools to handle themselves well in this information context (how to find and evaluate information sources)?

I'd argue that today this is one of the essential learnings that we should be teaching all our children and we really miss this opportunity all the time.

If not we are missing a huge opportunity to teach students how to learn from information.  If we are teaching them facts that they can get easily from a quick search on their device and off the internet, like what are plate tectonics, or when was the civil war we are doing them a HUGE disservice. They can find that information so now we can be asking them deeper questions and they can ask deeper questions that they are interested in learning about.

How do we learn today? We learn by asking our own questions, seeking information to understand those questions and creating meaning for ourselves.

We learn through inquiry, folks.  Inquiry is really important for our students to be engaging in within the school context.

If you agree, and want to learn more come check out Guided Inquiry Design, a complete program for learning standards based content, the skills described here, and so much more.

Thanks for reading.
Leslie Maniotes, PhD
@lesliemaniotes

Are we killing their interest in reading with nonfiction?

First, let me introduce you to Hank, the cat who frequently visits my family and hangs out on our patio with us at our house. Hank's a funny, funny fellow. He's very curious and loves to nibble on bare toes...  Everybody say, HI HANK!

I love cats, not really when they try to nibble on my toes, but most of the rest of the time! But, I'm allergic. So, we can't have a cat of our own. As a result, my daughter and I really look forward to his random visits to our home. There's a long story about how we know his name is Hank, we didn't name him that, but I'll spare you that now, and get on with the topic at hand.

My daughter is always asking me about why Hank’s tail wags, and what does this mean or that mean. So she seems to be pretty curious about cat behavior.

So, we're at home one Saturday and I see this short  article from National Geographic come across my feed and I open it up and start reading it aloud.
I read, "Do you know what your cat is saying when it meows at you? Researchers in Sweden are trying to give us a better idea by identifying melodic patterns in cat meows: Is your cat hungry or really hungry?"

Hearing this, my daughter GROANs in protest.  She says, "Stop reading that. That sounds like another one of those Achieve 3000 articles we have to read.  Blah blah blah..."

I tried to tell her, "Yes, but this one is interesting to us! Don't you want to know what different cats' meows mean?" But the tone of the non-fiction piece has already completely repelled her.

This exchange got me wondering.

Are we killing our students’ interest in reading with how we teach non-fiction?

Are we destroying their interest in reading about the world?

For the past few years her school has been using this great program called Achieve 3000. It purports to be "the leader in differentiated instruction." I don't think that's an apt description of what it is, but I still think it's a great tool.  It's supposed to support student proficiency with academic texts and increase non-fiction reading.  I went to the parent meeting about it at the school where they described it. When I heard about it, I was excited.  Basically, it is a set of non-fiction texts available at differentiated levels. The titles were searchable by topic. Each title was offered at the student's reading level, adjusting the text, for the capability of the student!  Wow! I thought, "How wonderful!"  

Of course, in my mind, I am thinking of the best case scenario, students discovering their interest in Guided Inquiry and having access to articles that they can read about topics of their choice on a regular basis!  AWESOME!  

I'm thinking, as this is introduced to the parents that evening, that this will lift a huge barrier for teachers and librarians working over time to try to find resources for each student's level. (a question I frequently get from participants of my GID workshops) This program and programs like this are game changers for students interaction in inquiry based learning.

But, then I hear the down side, the way it is used.  Each child has to complete a certain number of readings from the program each week. Fine OK, AND answer the quiz questions at 80% or higher on each piece they read (proof that they read it and accountability).  I find out that there isn't much choice about what they read.  They just have to read a certain number (self paced?).  (Sound like the same structure as Accelerated Reader we've been doing that since the 90's... So the only thing that has changed is that they are reading it on the computer, and it adjusts to match their reading level.  And it’s mostly non-fiction. So a few changes from Accelerated Reader.

My daughter used to love to read non-fiction.  It was a strength of hers. It seems like that has been beaten down by a lack of choice.  Maybe there is choice on what they can read, if so there has been a lack of guidance in how to use choice, if that choice was available to her.  The prescriptive measures  of X amount each week that are supposed to ensure proficiency, haven't helped her learn about her world.  

Why do people read non-fiction? To learn something, not take a quiz. So schools are using the program to check reading more non-fiction off their long list of to do's.  I know the teachers are well intended.  I know that practice is good, but if we are generating these attitudes, the practice may become counter productive as a life skill.  

 I am disappointed to know that in this climate of seeking proficiency for the Common Core we just may be killing any desire to read for meaning.  Knowing that the potential for matching student with interest and appropriate level text is lost in this. The formulaic use of the tool is a misuse of this technology and the power of it to transform learning and provide students with choice in a meaningful context.

With some small changes in the program, the same objectives could be accomplished with much greater effect. But it's all a matter of priorities and perspective.  Hard to change a system where people say, we do great on the tests, why mess with "something that works."  

We've all got to push past the test score and think about how we can be doing even better for our students.

Leslie Maniotes, PhD

Oh yeah, we do inquiry!

When I talk to educators, I often get this response,

"Oh yeah! We do inquiry! 

How else could we pass the Common Core tests?"

But what does "doing inquiry" mean to people who answer that way? It's in all the standards. So maybe that's why educators see it that way.

• It's in the NCSS standards. "Inquiry is at the heart of social studies"
• It's in the Common Core ELA and Math
• It's in the AASL standards (for now)
• It's part of NGSS in the investigations and research

It's in every standard, but how are people doing it?  I've come to realize that inquiry learning can mean a lot of different things to different people. 

• It can be as simple as getting students to ask more questions in a lesson.  
• Or using specific techniques that support questioning, as in the Document Based Questions technique.  Or using the famous Harvard based Question Formulation Technique 

But I'm writing today to tell you that inquiry can be something much larger than that.  It can become the way in which you look at learning, as an endeavor in curiosity and discovery.

There is much more power when inquiry is applied as a complete approach to learning. I've argued time and again that not all learning is suited to an inquiry approach, some direct instruction is necessary. But, I would also argue that most CAN.  

Inquiry has the power to transform how teachers teach and how students learn and, in turn, how they view the world.  

When we look beyond the technique and into inquiry as a model for teaching and learning in the information age you realize that deeper learning is worth the effort.

When using inquiry as a model for deeper learning these are some values you hold to be true:

Inquiry is a mindset.  

Teachers need content area expertise, but students today are much better served when they learn that they can find information for the questions they seek, rather than look to the teacher for right or wrong.  Teachers that facilitate learning, reject the transmission model, and recognize that students must construct their own meaning. Constructing our own understandings, makes learning "sticky."  That's the learning that stays with us, for years to come. 

To be a facilitator of learning requires an inquiry mindset.  Rather than telling, it requires encouraging students to go find out (independence and self-direction). Facilitators of learning, in this way are responsible for guiding students to know the most reputable places to look for information and how to evaluate the truthiness of the information. (This is MUCH easier with the help of a school librarian - your in house expert on information.)

Deep learning takes time and work.

Rather than a quick fix or technique alone, inquiry is a process.  It's a way of learning that sparks curiosity and interest over time.  If we are looking for deeper learning, critical thinking, and construction of meaning, our students need time to build understandings and ask questions.  They need time to apply basic ideas to more complex ones, over time.  This doesn't happen in a lesson. Learning builds from one experience into the next, adding on new information and adjusting previous misconceptions along the way.

Students need time to understand and then ask deep questions worthy of research and deeper inspection.  They need time to gather information and create something spectacular to share their findings.

Real questions are the best motivators.

Inquiry learning (through Guided Inquiry Design) starts with concepts and builds knowledge through questioning. Real student questions rarely have content boundaries and sit in neat academic areas. They often reach beyond the academic borders or disciplines and blend ideas and aspects that are more like real life.  Like this real student question from an inquiry unit in a psychology and literature class in high school. 

“What is stress? What physical and emotional impacts are there due to stress and what are ways to cope with it?”

It's authentic, because students ask questions that are their own.  Questions of deeper inquiry like this come from students' personal experiences and are blended in with the content of the inquiry in something called an educational Third Space (BhaBha, Maniotes).  This student is highly motivated to find out the answers to these questions because they are not only helping them understand the content of the course, but are deeply connected to understanding their life.

And as for the Common Core, through using an inquiry approach students not only learn the ELA standards mentioned above, but they apply these skills through their authentic investigation of this topic they've determined as they compose, collaborate, and create to think and share ideas.

Intentional Instructional Design gets better results.

This kind of inquiry doesn't just happen, but requires using a framework to design a unit of study over time that builds knowledge.  Through inquiry based instructional design teachers work together to prioritize learning objectives and larger concepts worthy of study, choose powerful learning experiences, and select timing of these experiences that will enhance the learning.  The Guided Inquiry Design framework was created to help teachers to accomplish a high level of inquiry. Because inquiry learning can feel loose and unwieldy, structures that guide learners can result in higher level student questioning and outcomes.  Trust in a research based process really helps.

We teach students not content.

One thing people are discovering more and more is that we teach students, not content.  When you see yourself as a facilitator of inquiry, then the focus is on students, their interests and the learning process they are going through. As a teacher, you are there to guide this learning, and usher them through.  

The research has shown us that emotions are closely tied to the learning process. Through deeper inquiry learning students will have a sense of discomfort or uncertainty.  Facilitators of inquiry have relationships with the students and know how to coach students and guide them through the challenges to help them persist to accomplish something bigger than they could on their own.

So, are you doing inquiry? If so, to what level are you striving?

I urge everyone to reach higher in their practice, and don't settle for checking the inquiry box off their list.  It's worth investing in deeper inquiry, because, this list here, is only the beginning of what deeper inquiry can do for you and your learners.

Leslie Maniotes, PhD

The Joy of Learning - Inquiry Based Learning

For my whole career, I have been interested in integrated learning where contents blend and merge in natural, authentic ways.  Teaching this way isn't straightforward or easy.  But, I think it is critical to engage learners in an autonomous environment.  Perhaps recalling how very little I learned in those environments where I was not engaged and just going through the motions (we sure can learn a lot from those non-examples!). 

Now that I think about it, inquiry based learning is something I have been working on for over thirty years- gasp!

because....

I am a learner! I constantly am looking for what's new to connect to, how to be better, and improve my practice and thinking.  I am a work in progress always and forever.  That's how I found the power of a twitter PLN, how I learned about technology tools, and how I continue my personal/professional growth.  By never being complacent, always reflecting, listening to others, and trying new things.

Inquiry learning is natural to me.  It is also natural learning.  It's a methodology that works within a process and with what we know about students and how they learn from multiple sources of information to make meaning of the world.  In some ways inquiry learning seems intuitive. The process, once you learn it can be. Guided Inquiry Design certainly is, because it is based on what we have learned, about patterns of human experience. To me it is kind of the human learning process. Humans in the natural environment learn from our own curiosities which drive us to build knowledge from what we know outward into the unknown. 

So, when educators tell me that they don't know about inquiry based learning, or constructivist learning, I twist my head in wonder.  I wonder how they are connecting content to the students.  I wonder if they are working to get students to learn about information and how to navigate the information environment. I wonder what structures are in place to ensure that all students are engaged.  I wonder if they are having fun teaching and if kids are having fun learning.  By having fun, I mean, are they excited and proud of what and how they are learning? Are they bursting with ah ha moments to share ideas and information with others?  Are they excited about pulling ideas and new information together in new ways to share with others? Or are there just assignments and must do's...

Inquiry learning, at the core, is simply learning from our own questions. But it's so so much more that just that.

Inquiry Learning is a true joy. The joy of discovery and wonderment that should not end at age 3 but extend deep into our lives.  In this way, it IS learning how to learn.

Leslie Maniotes, PhD

Authentic Learning Needs No Sparkle

Because we are teaching during a technological age, teachers often think that they need to entertain students to captivate their interests.  They create elaborate fun activities that mimic television game shows and reality events. Maybe it stems from the Pintrest age of crafting and setting up environments that are perfect play places.  Maybe it's from the cute lesson plans you can find on TPT.

I don't know what it is, but authentic learning needs no sparkle, no glitter, no gimmicks.

Natural, authentic curiosity is a magical powerful motivator.  Look at this image to the right.  I found this on a beach and couldn't help but wonder what is this?, why is it shaped this way?... The world around us is fascinating, when we open to it.  And believe it or not, so is our curriculum! Our standards offer great opportunities for inquiry, but you have to look at them with your own curiosity!

Inquiry based learning is intrinsically motivated. To draw out students interests, there's no need for gimmicks.  Here are three ideas to keep in mind when trying to Keep it Simple!

Three Ways to Keep it Simple

1. Kids are Curious!  All we have to do is be curious ourselves and share something interesting about that topic that we are trying to teach, and see what connections they have to it. Ask them what they think about it, what they wonder, what makes them think what they do... simple!

2. Let them learn through experience and rich resources about some basics on the topic. Get out and see something in your town!  Have an experience together, learn from doing something- make a piece of pottery, build something, go on a nature walk or a neighborhood walk, see a museum exhibit and talk about these experiences. With Open Educational Resources (OER) you can connect your students to the world like never before! Share interesting things with your community of learners like non-fiction videos of people actually doing things, to actual images of the past, to art from around the world.  Virtual field trips can take them to places where they can get some feel for what it's like, even if they've never left town. Simple, but powerful.

3. Maintain an inquiry stance. Keep asking questions.  Wonder together and take note of students wondering.  Write down all the questions along the way to show how much you value their authentic curiosities. Keep it simple.

Keep inquiry based learning simple and ground it in students own curiosities! There's no need for glitter or even bells and whistles, when you have the real thing.

Ain't nothing like the real thing (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, 1967)

Leslie Maniotes, PhD