Most classes that I have taken at the graduate and undergraduate level have provided a good amount of structure..I haven't had such free reign for a project in awhile.. Sometimes, the less structure the harder it is..I am still trying to sift through ideas for my inquiry project..
Speaking of inquiry though, the open endedness of inquiry is kind of a new concept to me. As an elementary school teacher in a school with low ISTEP scores, there isn't much if any, room for the flexibility that inquiry projects require. While federal mandates, such as "No Child Left Behind" have provided a good sense of accountability, it leaves very little room for flexibility in scheduling and curriculum. As I have been completing the readings, I find the models of Inquiry inspiring, but hard to imagine at my school. It is my hope that the models, and examples and practice that we get in this class become more realistic to me, the classroom teacher, as the semester goes on...........
For now...I will start to brainstorm topics of interest to me..and hope that I am inspired soon..
*travel, travel and more travel* Europe*Australia* National Parks*Alaska*Museums* US History*Dogs*Gardening*Cooking*Sewing--i wish I knew how to knit, or at least sew a button on!* Reading biographies, best sellers, historical fiction and kid books*
That's the extent of my train of thought today....
City by the Bay
August 09
Zugspitze..highest point in Germany
July 08
Our Greek Odyssey
July07- our honeymoon
You're right, the last decade schools have been structured and restrictive. It's led to higher test scores in some cases, but limited creativity and stifled a passion for reading and learning. It's hard for both teacher and students to let their minds go free and flexible.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work. Annette :-)
I am sure you have been thinking about your topics. I see several topics I am interested in as well! As I look at your list, a couple directions come to mind:
ReplyDelete1. Maybe you could consider gathering information from others about great books? With your passion for reading, you could ask others (adults and kids) for book suggestions - including why they think it is a great book, what genre it is, etc. Use this info. to help you decide which book(s) are next to be read and why. You could use other sources to validate the opinions you gather. Maybe even explore options for getting the books....
2. If you go the sewing route, maybe you could locate YouTube tutorials for sewing. I know my sis-in-law just used a video she found to try a new knitting pattern.
I am interested to see what you pick and where it takes you!
"Watching" was a difficult stage for me. I had to allow for myself to try and process all of my ideas in the way that Virginia Rankin recommends: by "relaxing, reading, reflecting on reference materials, popular materials," and by taking intial notes to simply find a way to get started.
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