Double Entry Journal #7

What are some challenges to inquiry approaches to learning?

"Thomas (2000) identifies five key components of effective project-based learning. It is: central to the curriculum, organized around driving questions that lead students to encounter central concepts or principles, focused on a constructive investigation that involves inquiry and knowledge building, student-driven (students are responsible for designing and managing their work), and authentic, focusing on problems that occur in the real world and that people care about."

Teachers have to be able to think on their feet and know their subject matter in a very up to date manner. This kind of learning forces us to have the proper information to solve problems and come up with the best ways to go about it. In order to do this we have to keep up with all the global information that can be shared on our specific subject or project. This information changes constantly with new technologies, studies, etc. We have to be able to feel comfortable with the projects the students select and we have to acquire a very wide knowledge base to be able to help our students.

It can also be hard to fit the types of approaches of learning and have them match up with the CSO's mandated by our state boards of educations. Teachers are constantly under pressure to keep up with test scores and cover CSO's, some feel if they take any extended time away from focusing on preparing the students for these tests then they will not succeed when it comes time to take these tests. Most teachers are not prepared or comfortable to teach outside of the normal style of giving information to the student and the student receiving the information and trying to draw meaning and remember the information. Also, teachers will have to be very aware of all the different learners in their classes and be able to help them through inquiry approaches to learning. This can be very hard as there is usually only one teacher to go around a classroom and provide feedback and assistance.

Source
Baraon, B. (2003, August 01). www.edutopia.org. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-teaching-for-meaningful-learning.pdf