A Unique Opportunity To Explore Perspectives And Possibilities For Inquiry-Based Learning

Chapters International is thrilled to announce an exciting opportunity for educators, happening next April in beautiful Thailand.

The Kaleidoscope of Inquiry Conference brings together 4 globally renowned educators who will invite participants to take a deep dive into the transformative potential of inquiry-based practices in classrooms, staff rooms and communities at large. Our presenters reflect a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences from teaching preschool through to senior secondary schools and universities. They have worked around the world in a range of settings and bring unique perspectives on the ways in which inquiry can be harnessed for powerful learning.

We hope you can join us.

Kath Murdoch

Trevor MacKenzie

Anne Van Dam

Sara K. Ahmed

In the inquiry classroom, we aim to nurture learners who see themselves as capable, curious, resourceful individuals with a strong sense of agency. There is growing evidence of the importance of nurturing the kinds of dispositions and skills associated with agency. Being curious, adventurous, resilient and coupled with the skills of self-management, collaboration, thinking and communication are amongst what we can think of as ‘assets’ for learning. Growing these assets in our learners helps set them on a path to independence and a love of learning for life.

These skills and dispositions do not grow by chance – they are best developed through an explicit, thoughtful, embedded approach that embodies an inquiry stance. The role of the educator is pivotal not only to what young people learn but to the image they have of themselves as learners. In this wonderfully interactive and motivating workshop, Kath will draw upon her vast experience of introducing her ‘learning assets’ to schools all over the world and sharing really practical ways to effectively embed skills and dispositions for learning into our work with children and their families.

This workshop will be very relevant to educators working with the IB Approaches to Learning and Profile Attributes but will also be designed to support any educators who have a framework for ‘learning to learn’. Those participants yet to develop such a framework, will walk away with a template for introducing one and a strong repertoire of strategies to support implementation.

Over the course of 2 days, participants will:

• Be introduced to a variety of frameworks for learning to learn and deepen their understanding of skills and dispositions for independent learning

• Take a deep dive into the skills and dispositions associated with self-management, collaboration, research, thinking, communication and contribution

• Participate in and design learning tasks to explicitly develop skills associated with assets for learning

• Explore ways to use the ‘language of learning’ in daily classroom discourse

• Learn how to design ‘split screen’ learning intentions and build learning engagements that focus on the how of learning – not just the what

• Explore a range of texts we can use to promote skills and dispositions for learning

• Consider how the micro skills associated with each learning asset can be scoped out and gradually strengthened over time

• Consider approaches to assessment in relation to these assets for learning

• Learn how to weave the teaching of these skills and dispositions into a unit of inquiry.

Inquiry as an approach to teaching and learning has long been regarded as a powerful means not only to engage students, but as an approach that builds the critical skills and dispositions for learning alongside a commitment to developing deep understanding across the curriculum. Inquiry is more than a way to plan and teach a ‘unit’. It is a stance taken by teachers and learners and a ‘way of being ‘ in the classroom that is truly transformative.  Skilled inquiry teachers know how to nurture and strengthen learner agency. This approach to teaching ignites a zest for learning driven by curiosity and collaboration as students explore questions of significance.

This two day, highly practical workshop is designed explores both the pedagogy of inquiry (how we teach) and the ways in which we can design learning experiences that support and challenge learners as inquirers.  The emphasis in this workshop is on the role of the teacher in the context of inquiry – as artful facilitator and responsive learning designer.

Over the course of the two days, we will explore the following:

Day 1: a focus on pedagogy

·      The teacher as inquirer: activating prior knowledge and tuning into students’ thinking

·      Growing learner assets: creating a culture of inquiry into learning itself

·      The learner as active investigator: designing opportunities and building the skill set for researching/gathering information

·      Cultivating curiosity and sharpening our questioning skills

·      The role of the environment in stimulating, supporting and documenting inquiry

Day 2 : a focus on design

·      Designing for inquiry learning at both lesson level and unit level

·      Designing to meet the needs of all learners – an emphasis on inclusivity

·      How to plan more responsively  - how co-planning can nurture agency

·      Using cycles of inquiry to support planning

·      The role of concepts in framing a powerful inquiry

·      Moving from shared to personal inquiry

·      Tips for collaborative planning and documentation

*Note: for those teachers who have previously attended Kath’s ‘Teaching and Learning through Inquiry’ weekend workshop, this workshop includes some of the same content BUT Kath has built on and refined many of the components to reflect new thinking and recent experience in partner schools.

Seastar Education and Innovative Global Education are thrilled to announce a very special in person workshop in Singapore

During this 1.5 day workshop, Kath and Tania will draw on their extensive experience of working with schools around the world to support inquiry based teaching and learning

The focus of the workshop is on principles and practices to enhance the planning process. As the school year begins in many parts of the world, many teachers are returning not only to face to face teaching but also to face to face planning in collaborative teams. Ideally, this process is creative and dynamic and can be a powerful professional learning experience in itself.

The workshop will focus on:

Introductions, intentions and invitations 

Key principles for inquiry planning 

Making the most of a cycle of inquiry 

Planning with a focus on conceptual understanding

Planning for authentic, collaborative assessment 

Pitfalls and pivots in collaboration: strategies to enhance the quality of collaboration in our teams 

IN-PERSON

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

Inquiry as an approach to teaching and learning has long been regarded as a powerful way not only to engage students in their learning, but to challenge them to think more deeply and apply skills and understandings to new contexts. Many of us like the idea of an inquiry approach but feel less confident with how to use it effectively in the classroom. This two-day workshop is designed to develop participants understanding of inquiry as a stance, inquiry as a pedagogy and inquiry as an approach to designing for learning.

DAY 1 (9:00 AM - 4:00 PM)

Day 1 of this workshop focuses on what we actually mean by an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning using practical examples from classrooms all over the world. Our first day is all about pedagogy. What does it mean to teach this way? How do inquiry-oriented teachers, teach? What are the key pedagogical practises and how can we include them in our day-to-day teaching? We will explore how to cultivate curiosity, question for deep thinking, release responsibility, observe, listen and notice and build skills and dispositions for lifelong learning.

DAY 2 (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM)

This half-day examines processes for designing journeys/units of inquiry. Kath will take participants through her well-known cycle of inquiry and how this cycle can support collaborative and individual planning and teaching for deep understanding. Examples of powerful inquiries will be shared with a focus on authentic contexts, conceptual understanding and involving learners. Teachers will walk away with some action they are planning to apply to their classroom/role.

ONLINE FOLLOW UP (2 HOURS)

We will meet online a few weeks after the workshop. This will provide participants with the opportunity to share their experiences, get feedback and receive further advice on teaching and learning through inquiry.

Throughout the workshop, the following questions will be addressed:

• Why use an inquiry based approach?

• How can we adopt an inquiry ‘stance’ in our teaching across the day and across the curriculum?

• What is the role of the teacher in the inquiry classroom? Where does ‘explicit teaching’ fit into the picture? What does inquiry learning ‘look like’ in the classroom?

• How is the inquiry classroom organised? How do we curate the space?

• What does an inquiry-based lesson entail?

• How do we collaboratively plan/design extended journeys (‘units) for inquiry learning?

• What strategies can we add to our repertoire to strengthen our inquiry based teaching?

October 17th & 24th, November 7th & 14th 2023

Each Session is for 2 hours

17th & 24th October 2023
London 7:00 am | Zurich 8:00 am | Dubai 10:00 am | India 11:30 am | Hong Kong 2:00 pm | Melbourne 5:00 pm

7th & 14th November 2023
London 6:00 am | Zurich 7:00 am | Dubai 10:00 am | India 11:30 am | Hong Kong 2:00 pm | Melbourne 5:00 pm

For teachers who want to take inquiry further and who believe in the power of personal passions!

There has been growing interest in ‘personalised learning’ for many years now. Increasingly, schools are making arrangements to provide more opportunities for learners to learn to be self-directed and to have their needs and interests met through the curriculum. An inquiry-based approach is in itself, an approach that recognizes the importance of learner voice and choice and of linking new learning to the existing knowledge, experiences and interests of the learner. In this sense, inquiry has always been an approach that nurtured learner agency but this can be amplified when learners can pursue the questions, interests, problems and wonders that matter to them.

Teachers who use an inquiry based approach are committed to helping learners ‘learn to learn’ and to equipping them with the skills and dispositions to more independently investigate questions, problems, issues and interests. But what opportunities do we give learners to do this both within and beyond the “units of inquiry” we may develop? How can we enhance our inquiry program so learners have real opportunities to follow their passions and to truly inquire into those things that matter to them? And why is this so important? This workshop is all about supporting learners to design, pursue and assess their own journeys of inquiry and how these pathways sit alongside collaborative inquiries where learners are building understanding through shared investigations. Organised into x 4 2 hour online sessions across the weekend, teachers will explore a variety of ways to nurture agency through personal inquiry

We will explore the following questions with practical tasks and lots of recent examples from classrooms:

• Why is personal inquiry important? What’s our purpose?

• What is the teacher’s role in this and how can we apply quality conferring skills to scaffolding learner thinking in connection with their personal investigations.

• What does ‘personal inquiry’ look like as learners move through the school?

• How can we help learners identify their interests? How can we inspire wonderment and curiosity?

• How can we help learners design effective questions for their investigations?

• What skills and dispositions do learners need to make this work? How can we teach these?

• How can we involve learners in co-constructing criteria for routines, content and assessment?

• How can we involve the wider community and communicate the importance of this practice to parents?

POTENTIAL AUDIENCE:This workshop would best suit K-6 teachers who already have some understanding of inquiry and are using this approach in some form in their school.

New Zealand Literacy Conference

Lighting the Literacy Pathway

A four-day conference of inspiring and interactive experiences, focused on improving inquiry practices.

Chapters International is thrilled to announce an exciting opportunity for educators, happening in beautiful Vancouver, Canada on 22nd & 23rd April 2023.

The Kaleidoscope of Inquiry Conference brings together a group of globally renowned educators who, over 1.5 days, will invite participants to take a deep dive into the transformative potential of inquiry-based practices in classrooms, staff rooms and communities at large. Our presenters reflect a diverse range of experiences from teaching preschool through to senior secondary schools and universities. They have worked around the world in a range of settings and bring unique perspectives on the ways in which inquiry can be harnessed for powerful learning. While each presenter has expertise in the field of inquiry learning, this will be the first time they have come together to create such a special professional learning experience!

We hope you can join us.

A 2 Day Seminar for Primary Teachers

Participants will leave with a treasure trove of strategies, resources and insights into the use of a quality, inquiry based approach to teaching.

About the workshop

The learning landscape is rapidly changing. For teachers in the 21C, adapting to this changing landscape requires new ways of thinking and new instructional strategies that really build students' capacity as learners. An inquiry approach has long been recognized as a powerful way to equip students with the skills, strategies and dispositions needed for independence and creativity in learning. The Australian Curriculum also recognizes the need to engage students in active exploration and promotes the development of inquiry skills in history, science, geography and other areas. Contemporary inquiry practices, however, go beyond the "unit of work" and weave their way across the curriculum. Quality inquiry teaching helps both teachers and students navigate their way through abundant information, rapidly changing technologies, shifting community priorities and the need for both personalized AND collaborative learning.

In the true spirit of inquiry Kath has been working hard to develop an online workshop that will ensure teachers continue to have access to practical, professional learning that deepens understanding for classroom and online inquiry.

TIME INVOLVED:
4 x 2 hour interactive sessions with Kath over two days.

19th March & 2nd April 2023
There will be 2 sessions per day. Each session will be for 2 hours and an hour break in between.

IN-PERSON WORKSHOP WITH COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF BOOK + ONLINE FOLLOW UP SESSION

A workshop for teachers who want to take inquiry further and who believe in the power of personal passions!

During the 1.5 day workshop, we will investigate a range of ways that inquiry can be made more personally meaningful to learners. Importantly, this does not mean we abandon opportunities to inquire together. Both personal and collaborative inquiries can be woven into the school year.

An interactive, online workshop.

In the true spirit of inquiry Kath has been working hard to develop an online workshop that will ensure teachers continue to have access to practical, professional learning that deepens understanding for classroom and online inquiry.

Time Involved:
4 x 2 hour interactive sessions with Kath over two consecutive days.

Includes :
Certificate Of Participation For 10 Professional Development Hours.

A 2 Day Seminar for Primary School Teachers

Participants will leave with a treasure trove of strategies, resources and insights into the use of a quality, inquiry based approach to teaching.

An interactive, online workshop.

In the true spirit of inquiry Kath has been working hard to develop an online workshop that will ensure teachers continue to have access to practical, professional learning that deepens understanding for classroom and online inquiry.

Time Involved:
4 x 2 hour interactive sessions with Kath over two consecutive days.

Includes :
Certificate Of Participation For 10 Professional Development Hours.