I have walked a very winding path this semester, not quite sure where I would eventually end up. I had had some experience of inquiry learning, and it was already a passion of mine; however, (as usual) I still had much to learn. The openness of inquiry learning, and its respect for the student was what had originally enticed me, but these two aspects were also its challenges when working in more traditional, teacher-centred schools. Moving into a more consultative position in a new school, and moving into a high school setting, has prompted me to become more reflective and to distill the essence of what I believe education should be about.
My teaching philosophy has changed over my professional life, but the ideas of:
· working together
· making connections / understanding the big picture
· following topics of interest
· learning “just in time, rather than just in case” (Cook, 2010)
· developing interpersonal skills
· and a concept of social justice (Lupton, 2016)
will always be “just right” for me.
Questions that keep me wondering:
· How can I persuade more teachers to work with me, other teachers and specialists (eg Teacher-Librarians) to develop cross curricular units of inquiry?
· What links does the Australian Curriculum have between subjects? And how much flexibility can we infuse into the secondary curriculum?
· Given that many schools are developing open flexible learning spaces, is this the opportunity that I can seize to convince teachers to abandon closed, silo teacher-centred units?
· How can high schools develop more learning sessions rather than lessons in spite of perceived timetable limitations?
And still the big one:
How can we ensure that all learning, for all students, for all time is within their Goldilocks Zone?
Hi Anni,
I really enjoyed looking through your website! I especially like your final reflection piece and how you've taken the time to really consider what it is that drives you with education, and what you want to know. I love the questions you're asking as they are questions that I would love to know the answer to as well. A very enjoyable read and all the best with your inquiry journey!
- Angelique
Hi Anni. I really liked the level of detail you shared about your current position in the school and your role in the process of implementing this unit of work. I found the design of your site easy to navigate and visually pleasing. I am interested to find out how other teachers in your school respond to cross-curricular units with an inquiry base as it is a secondary school. Thanks for sharing your ideas and learning!