Reflection from Uganda by Bridget Glover – Workshop Administrator
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” — Benjamin Franklin
“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.” — Jiddu Krishnamurti
I have always liked these 2 quotes. And after supporting and attending my 6th Inquiry in Action Workshop, they have additional meaning to me.
I have had the privilege of watching and listening as the consultants developed, executed, modified, and continue to improve this workshop. Three great educational minds came together to share their wisdom through a workshop, but along the way, they have learned so much from each other.
These consultants don’t just believe in the pedagogy of Inquiry, they LIVE in an Inquiry mindset! They know that there is ‘no end to education’. They are curious….they have agency…they question with intentionality… they are purposeful about their pace… they seek out mentors. They know that by “getting involved” with each other and the workshop participants that that is how they will truly learn. They had deep discussions after the workshops and observed each other to make better connections with the through lines. They bubbled with excitement after observing each other; anxious to share their observations, their wonderings, and their new connections.
This is a workshop about ‘the pedagogy of Inquiry across grades and content areas”. But I have come to believe that it is a workshop about how to better live! It is about how to be a “student in life”… a more dynamic way of showing up in the world…. a way to engage in the world to construct knowledge and continue to grow.
Summary of the Uganda workshop:
Day one was a day of observation in classrooms and then reflection and note taking. Day two brought debriefs, discussions, connections and meaning making. But all this learning would loose it’s meaning if it is not put into action. So, we concluded the second day with the consultants asking the participants to use the Padlet to set a goal for themselves to head back into the classroom. They chose a through line and wrote down how they intended to make a change either in a particular lesson plan, or in how they teach across the day. The consultants are excited to see their followup comments and find out how they are doing!
The participants in Uganda were a special group! They were fully engaged, curious and motivated to learn. ISU was an incredible host school that went above and beyond, even having a teacher band entertain us at the Friday Cocktail Hour! It was lovely! BIG thank you to the entire ISU staff and all the participants that attended!
Below are a few quotes from our feedback form after the workshop as well a a gallery of pictures! We hope to see you at a future workshop!
What I found most useful was the lab sites and how clearly they were connected to the throughlines. That really helped me see the bigger picture and understand how everything fits together. I also really valued the explicit demonstrations of application. Seeing how ideas can be put into practice made the learning much more concrete and easier to transfer into my own context.
Observing the experts in action in a real class environment rather than in theory. This created a real time picture of how i can run my lessons, how i can plan ahead and how i can review and improve what is already happening in my class.
What I found most useful was having the opportunity to share ideas with educators from different schools. Watching the lab sites was also a powerful learning experience for me, as they modelled the throughlines of inquiry in a clear and authentic way.
I think it goes without saying that being able to be in the classroom and to watch Matt, Kath, and Megan teach was extremely useful. Will be looking for more workshops like it.
Seeing inquiry in action with the world experts, within real classrooms, not just as theory. The opportunity to notice, connect, and question alongside others was particularly powerful.
What I found most useful was seeing inquiry in practice, especially how effective questioning can support and extend students’ thinking. I also found the focus on building from students’ language and introducing vocabulary gradually very helpful. It showed me how small changes can make a big impact in the classroom
Something I plan to take forward into my practice is using more intentional questioning to support children’s thinking. I will begin lessons with open-ended prompts such as “What do you notice?” and build on children’s responses to introduce key vocabulary. I also aim to create more opportunities for discussion and reflection so that children can explain their thinking and become more independent learners.
I have a lot of take aways that I will be implementing in my classroom. Firstly, I already started with the Question Quadrant technique in my classroom (posted as a comment on my Padlet post). I also plan to implement the “What do we do first?” with a stack of mentor texts at the beginning of the next writing unit as the start of the immersion phase. Another thing I want to implement is the Forced Association Technique regularly. Lastly, I want to start including the “Discuss” phase at the end of every math lesson, something I have not done regularly.
