Inquiry & CMP Research

Google turned up a few different sites that were worthwhile in learning what is meant by "inquiry-based learning." Wikipedia was naturally helpful and described the difference between "inquiry-based learning," and "open learning." (The latter basically being students exploring without an educational goal or end in mind...risky...) The site that I felt put it into a good group of words was this one by MSU. It used "five E's" to discuss inquiry-based learning (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation). This connects well with the CMP model of Launch, Explore, Summarize...in a simpler and more to the point manner.

The CMP seems to be on the right track with mathematics education. The idea of a cohesive stream of learning is a positive that isn't taught well currently. Getting lessons to segue from one to the next is something that I often struggle with between units (likely because I'm teaching an integrated curriculum, but nonetheless aggravating at times...).

The goal of the CMP is simple...get students to investigate mathematical concepts and learn lessons for themselves in realistic contexts. The practical application is I think one of the missing links between where we want our mathematics students to be and where they are now.

Based on my teaching thus far, and the evaluation process of CMP lessons, I'm not doing badly at the "explore" section. I spend the majority of my time when not instructing floating around the room. One of my goals for the year was to spend less than 5% of class time sitting down...and let me tell you, it is already paying dividends! Although much to my surprise, we're not that far off from the end of the first quarter.

When compared with the traditional "direct instruction" model, there are correlations that can be seen between direct instruction's "instruction, guided practice, and independent work" and inquiry-based instruction. When the teacher is simply "instructing" students how to work a particular type of problem, the inquiry teacher is posing a question to students that will lead them to a problem. When the direct teaching is having students work through guided practice, the inquiry teacher is having students explore the problem and work through a problem. In this stage, many of the same things are happening: the teacher floats around the room and helps students when they need it, they ask leading and open-ended questions, etc... The real difference is in the last portion. When the direct teacher is having students do independent work to reinforce the learning, the inquiry teacher is having students explain what they learned. This promotes higher-order thinking skills as well as deeper learning of subject matter.

When I was fourteen years old, I won my first national title in trap shooting. It was only when I was twenty-one and acting as the shooting sports director at a Boy Scout camp and teaching rifle shooting every day that I had the deepest understanding of the subject matter (although I was no slouch seven years earlier...)

I think that I should add a goal for my teaching this year, something realistic that I know that I can attain if I work at it. For at least 50% of the lessons that I teach, have students explain to me either verbally or in writing, what it is that they learned and how they can apply it.