Instructions to students: Please delete the assignment description below, and replace with your own work, or if you wish to keep it here as a reference, simply move it down and add your work at the top of the page.
Phase 2: Investigate: Inquiry Project Brainstorm
Holistic Assessment / 10
Due: Friday, February 12 by midnight in student website.
Description: The Inquiry Project Brainstorm will consist of a 1000-word brainstorm (paragraph, mind map or other format) for your inquiry project based on a K-12 BC Curriculum topic, or other education curriculum, as discussed with your instructor. Projects will take up a wide variety of curriculum subject areas, and interdisciplinary projects are welcome. This project can be theoretical or practical, and very wide-ranging (ie a yearlong inquiry plan for the classroom) or very focused (ie a weekend workshop). The level of detail and focus will be reflected in this choice. At this stage, students will describe the possibilities they see within the topic, and propose some emerging ideas for how they might invite learners (K-12, adults, or other specific group) into the topic that they have been studying.
Required Elements for Inquiry Project Brainstorm:
- Key highlights from your Topic Exploration, and some refined key questions for inquiry within the topic of study.
- A description and broad strokes plan for your proposed Inquiry Project, along with possibilities and concerns that you may have about the proposed project.
- A short list of relevant Learning Principles from BC Curriculum: K-12 Core Competencies, Big Ideas (Understand), Learning Standards for Curricular Competencies (Do), Learning Standards for Curricular Content (Know), and First Peoples Principles for Learning for the grade level(s) that you anticipate working with. Students may use alternative curriculum as necessary, in consultation with your instructor.
- An explanation of your current understandings of inquiry-based pedagogy related to your topic and proposed project.
- Images and diagrams, educational supports, and topic resources are welcome and encouraged. Please include as appropriate.
- Research notes and APA citations for at least three required and recommended resources from course readings related to inquiry-based pedagogy, plus three new outside resources related to your project topic.
Possible Project Brainstorm Ideas:
- An original “inquiry project” for K-12 (or other) learners for implementation in a classroom.
- A re-imagined “unit plan” that takes an existing plan (from one’s own work or other source) and shows how it can be re-imagined for inquiry.
- A series of inquiry-based class resources, teaching strategies, assessments, and inspirations around your topic of interest.
- A field trip or resource-based project design.
- A research project that engages community members and/or professionals in the field, to gain practical understanding, and/or to test and develop an approach to inquiry, such as a class resource, assessment strategy, or a lesson or project design.
- A workshop or online resource for professionals in the field.