When our school first took on this challenge of STEAM-focused instruction last year, there were a lot of nerves. A lot of us were overwhelmed by terms like "STEAM" and "inquiry," as we immediately envisioned massive building projects, Lego robotics, and a host of other projects that we assumed would require either expensive materials or a level of expertise that we didn't have.
As the year went on, however, many of us began to realize that we were already doing so many of the things that were expected of us in a STEAM- or inquiry-focused classroom. Why? Because we were connecting to our students, giving them the opportunity to ask questions, and providing them with resources to find answers that they wanted to know. That's the whole point of inquiry: to encourage our students to ask questions and enable them to make discoveries on their own. We still made many changes to our instruction, because once we realized what our students needed, we wanted to do an even better job of it. As fifth grade decided to "re-vamp" our units from previous years to include more opportunities for inquiry and discovery, I worked harder on lesson plans AND in the classroom than I had in years. And I loved it! It was a lot of work--and, yes, it did require me to give up a certain amount of control in my classroom--but it also got me excited about teaching these topics again. Even better, the level of excitement, motivation, and success I saw in my students was amazing. Their response to our inquiry-based units convinced me that it was worth the risk and effort.
Now that I am in a new position at our school, I love that I get to help other teachers work on these types of units all the time. We are all definitely still learning about how to best meet the needs of our students, but I see the fear of STEAM/inquiry slowly starting to melt away. I haven't heard the question "But is it STEAM?" in quite a while, because we are all starting to understand that we don't have to do magic to "do STEAM." All we have to do is allow our students some freedom to find out more about the things that really interest them. And, yes, we can still do that while teaching the content that is required. What kid doesn't want to know more about the crazy creatures at the bottom of the ocean...or what really happens when you get trench foot...or what happened to the first dog in space? We start by getting them "hooked" on some aspect of a topic we're learning, and then let the wondering begin!
One thing that I really enjoy about inquiry in the classroom is how easily we can base it on our reading. When we were planning our 5th grade units, we started every lesson with a short, shared reading about some fascinating/shocking/gross detail of whatever topic we were covering. It worked EVERY TIME. Not only were they hooked, but the questions my students asked were so impressive and insightful...and enough to keep them interested, often throughout the entire unit. One thing that I have really enjoyed about my new position this year is that Heather and I have been able to do some planning together. We've put together several school-wide, inquiry-based events, and we always keep the focus on literacy. This month, we're really excited to bring a STEAM Family Night to our school. We'll read The Popcorn Book, by Tomie de Paola, allow our students and families to ask and answer questions based on their reading, give them some time to share what they've discovered, and help them to collaborate with our other families using Padlet. It will be a great way to remind everyone that inquiry doesn't have to be intimidating--all we have to do is inspire our kids enough to make them wonder, and allow them the freedom to investigate. No matter what we call it, it's what we should always be striving to do for our students.
Ashley, I completely agree. It is vital that we move away from teachers always taking center stage and dominating the classroom. Students are capable and will often impress you if give the chance to explore their interests, problem solve, and show you what they've learned. It's hard for many to give up their perceived control in their classroom. For these teachers, it's important that they understand that being the only person speaking in the room will likely never lead to permanent learning for any child. I'm excited to see how the STEAM night goes with families involved.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley,
ReplyDeleteOne of the characteristics I admire most about you as a teacher is the ways that you work to involve students, teachers, and parents as active contributors to their own learning. I agree with you 100% that true learning occurs when the learner is in charge of their own questioning and has ownership over their learning process so then the outcomes are theirs - they made it, created it, built it, understood it!