Guided+Inquiry+Book+notes

Please put notes for your chapter of the book here!
** Guided Inquiry—Learning in the 21st Century  ** ** Chapter 5---Resources for a Rich Learning Environment ** 1.  High quality resources are a stimulus for inquiry learning. 1.1  A rich learning environment begins with a collection of high-quality resources inside the school. 1.2  This collection is enhanced by a wide range of resources outside the school such as public libraries, local museums, selected sites and services, various sites, experts, and the World Wide Web. 1.3  Different types of resources provide different kinds of information which leads to a more thorough investigation into a topic. Different types of resources also provide different experiences for learning. 2.  Different Ways of Knowing 2.1  Howard Gardner’s “multiple intelligences” explain that each person has some combination of eight different kinds of ability. A wide variety of resources offer opportunities for students to employ their multiple intelligences to experiencing different ways of knowing and learning. 2.2  Using a variety of resources allows students to have a chance to excel in accordance with their own innate talents. They also have opportunities to stretch their abilities and develop new ways of learning. 2.3  Guided Inquiry draws on a range of resources from the library, to the Internet, to the community. 3.  The School Library as an Inquiry Lab 3.1  The library needs to function as an active inquiry space where students and the instructional team can work together to extended periods of time. 3.2  School libraries should be flexible spaces with movable chairs and tables to be arranged for all kinds of learning activities 4.  School Library Resources 4.1  The school library collection is the foundational resource for inquiry learning. The collection is made up of books, general encyclopedias and other reference materials, including special encyclopedias, dictionaries, and atlases, as well as a selection of magazines, videos, computer software, and other multimedia materials and licensed databases. 4.2  In Guided Inquiry we often begin with a compelling fiction story that raises many questions and leads to “tell me more” topics. A film or a trip to a site can be used as a starting point. It is essential that the starter inspire and motivate students to want to find out more. 5.  Resources Outside the School 5.1  When students make use of varied resources such as the Internet, museum, community resources, experts, and object based learning, the school becomes a vibrant workplace in which learning is connected to the world outside the classroom. In this way, Guided Inquiry engages students in strategies and understanding for lifelong learning. 5.1.1  Using the Internet for Guided Inquiry—the instructional team selects high-quality resources from among databases, Web sites, and online libraries and makes them available to students. Students learn to distinguish between reliable and unreliable resources. 5.1.2  Public Libraries—three major aspects of public library services enrich inquiry learning: the collection, the facility, and the staff. The public library collection enhances the school library. 5.1.3  Museums—they are places for lifelong learning. When students do not learn to access these rich resources during their school years, it is less likely that they will turn to museums later in like as places for enrichment or learning. A museum may be thought of as a resource in three ways: as a collection, as exhibits, and as programs 5.1.4  Museums on the Internet—all accredited museums have a mission statement that will give you a good idea whether a particular museum studies the subject that is relevant to a particular inquiry 5.1.5  Object Based Learning—objects can create a valuable link to the world outside of the school and so they are a natural way to encourage “third space”. The use of object in inquiry helps make an abstract idea concrete. 5.1.6  Community Resources—the local environment can provide many resources for bringing the outside world into the school to enrich the learning environment. This is crucial to the relevance of learning. The school. should not exist in a vacuum without a connection to the community. Taking students out and bringing experts in helps students connect between what they are learning and life beyond the school. 5.1.7  Museums as Community Resources—in Guided Inquiry, a field trip is integral to the inquiry process. Exhibitions tell their stories through objects, images, photographs, and text written by experts. 5.1.8  Creating a Link with the Community—a class could visit government offices, local businesses, or utilities but the Guided Inquiry Team and students should meet to decide the purpose for their trip and prepare for their work. 5.1.9  Bringing in Experts—the advantage of using an expert rather than written sources is that students can interact with the person, asking questions and carrying on conversation. Experts can also be used for more long-term projects, providing mentoring and apprentice opportunities. 6.  Using the Range of Resources for Guided Inquiry 6.1  The Guided Inquiry team first selects from a variety of media in the school library. 6.2  Next, the team considers sources outside the school that will enhance both students’ knowledge of the subject and their understanding of the range of sources available. 6.3  The Guided Inquiry Team selects relevant, high-quality data-bases and Web sites from the Internet. 6.4  The Guided Inquiry team introduces students to a range of rich learning resources and guides them through inquiry learning. The varied sources enliven the project and help to prepare students for the kind of inquiry they will encounter in the world outside school.