Inquiry learning is especially important in my personal classroom. This is the first year of "real" school for my students, and they are naturally very curious and excited about exploring both school and the world around them. They are also experimenting with different levels of self-sufficiency when it comes to life in general, as well as in their own learning. Through academic readings and reading classmates blogs this semester, this class has opened my eyes to the way I teach. I was not actively promoting an inquiry learning environment before, because I considered my children too young and still in need of so much help. I realized I was only stifling them. Instead of rushing over to tie their shoelaces as they struggle with them and turn them into knots, I need to let them explore more. Let them knot their laces until they're a mess. Let their wobbly block houses fall down instead of showing them the exact way to make a solid structure. Let them break a few rubber bands to find out exactly how far they'll stretch. My students have plenty of natural curiosity that hasn't been crushed yet, so I'm going to let them use it! I also need to "extend" even more of my lessons with technology. I've been downloading a bunch of new math and word game apps onto their tablets. My goal is to teach a short lesson on a word family or numbers over 20, then let them explore these concepts more fully on their tablets. They seem to enjoy their tablets over listening to me anyway ;)

For my Mini-Lessons, I'll probably be focusing on 5th grade history. I lovelovelove teaching Civil Rights, as it creates such interesting and deep conversations in the classroom. I'm thinking of having the students research a Civil Rights activist and deliver a speech as that person, advocating for equal rights. It would require learning some research skills, and it would really open the door for inquiry based learning, as they decide how to best emulate their subjects. What did they wear? How did they sound? Were they quiet in their rebellion? Did they yell and protest and call people to action? I think the students would really get into it. I'll assess them on a presentation rubric, which would be given to them ahead of time.

Revisiting Goals

As I was reviewing my learning goals, I could see they needed a little bit of tweaking.

• Goal #1 - To learn even more Web 2.0 tools to add to my professional repertoire. I learned of several last semester, and I'm always looking to find more! I'm also hoping that now I'm more comfortable with them, I'll be able to use them more efficiently and with more confidence. 

While a good goal, it's pretty vague. To narrow it down a bit more and ensure a growth mindset, I'd like to modify it to say

• Goal #1 - To learn even more high-quality, education related Web 2.0 tools to add to my professional repertoire. I learned of several last semester, and I'm always looking to find more! I'm also hoping that now I'm more comfortable with them, I'll be able to use them more efficiently and with more confidence.

Learning more Web 2.0 tools isn't necessarily beneficial in itself. I've been exposed to many while searching for tools for projects in both this class and others, and I've found many that I did not care for. I would try to still use these tools, but ended up wasting a lot of time on them, trying to make them work for me and my particular topic. In order to be efficient and keep growing, I need to make sure that I'm focusing my attention on high-quality resources. If a resource isn't working for me, I need to be willing to abandon ship and move on to another one. Focusing my attention on tools that are more specific to education would also help utilize my time for wisely.

• Goal #2 - To find more ways to incorporate technology with Pre-K age students. A lot of the Web 2.0 tools I've discovered on my own have been more geared towards much older students. I think it's important to start them young! They're already pretty advanced with their parents smartphones and tablets by the age of 4, why not incorporate more technology into their school lives, too?

While I am reasonably sure I'll continue to teach Pre-K until I (hopefully) find a job as a media specialist, I need to be more open to all elementary-focused tools, because you never know where you'll end up as a teacher. I'd like to modify it to say

• Goal #2 - To find more ways to incorporate technology with elementary school students. A lot of the Web 2.0 tools I've discovered on my own have been more geared towards much older students. I think it's important to start them young! They're already pretty advanced with their parents smartphones and tablets by the age of 4, why not incorporate more technology into their school lives, too?

In order to maintain a growth mindset towards this course, I need to continue to revisit and revise my goals throughout the semester. I need to actively work towards these goals and create checkpoints along the way to make sure I'm on track.

Letting Go

Sigh. I'm ashamed to admit that I definitely, without a doubt, over-scaffold my students' learning in the classroom. My main excuse is, "They're 4 and 5! They need my help!", but I know I'm not making the best teaching decisions when it comes to their autonomy. It's easy for me to forget that they actually have any autonomy, to be honest, when they can barely tie their shoes or spell their names.

I think I've known for a while, deep down, that I was over-directing them, but the "Great Teaching Means Letting Go" article really made me see it. And now I have to face it. Whinnnne. My sweet babies!

But, truthfully, it's time. Especially as we ease into the last leg of the school year. They need to be better prepared for Kindergarten where hopefully their teachers will also strive for their autonomy in the classroom.

I have a prime example from today, actually. My students, particularly the girls, have always had some trouble getting along and solving their arguments effectively. They run to me, and I walk them through the steps of solving disagreements. Every single time. Sometimes I find myself thinking, "Haven't we gone through this about a million times, and yet they don't remember?!" But, like the article pointed out, I've never just sat back and watched them try to do it on their own. Without teacher help. Without guided, word-for-word, "now you say this", help. It's definitely time to let them go, if nothing else but for my sanity.

By reducing my scaffolding in both social and academic areas, my students have the opportunity for more inquiry based learning. I think I can ease my way into a less-guided classroom by starting with our technology based lessons. Most of my students can probably use our iPads better than I can, anyway. I need to cut out the over-direction before the lesson and just see what they can do when they start up their apps. I think I'll try this tomorrow with our new ABC app, and see what happens! They'll probably be able to understand the game without any directions from me at all, or find different ways to play that I hadn't thought of. I could also back off while they play "classic" roles in the Home Living center, like "doctor" or "police officer". I find myself showing them what a doctor would do, or how a police officer would act, instead of just letting them work through it. Laying out new math manipulatives during small group time and just watching what they do with them would be beneficial, too. Do they sort them by color? Size? Do they count them? Group them into 2s?

From there, I'll work on not helping them so much with their other issues.

Baby steps, people.