Feedback


 * 1st Grade Feedback**:

I gained feedback about the 1st grade inquiry by teaching a condensed version to four home school students. They had very little prior knowledge of the significance of the 4th of July, and no experience with Mexico's Independence Day. Their understanding of the 4th of July was that their Navy Seal brother always tries to visit and sets off tons of fireworks. By connecting the celebration aspects of the holiday to the symbolism of the American flag the students were able to gain new knowledge of the 4th of July's true meaning. Focusing on the countries flags and how their colors and other components are symbolic of ideas and values created a connection to larger concepts. The students achieved greater understanding of history, and why countries celebrate independence days, by inquiring about the symbolism of flags. Their understanding of symbolism and their ability to connect the knowledge about holidays to the real world was evidenced through their creation of personal flags. The success of this lesson was evidenced by the fact that the students were able to share their new knowledge by explaining their flags to their mother. You can view their personal flags and narrations on the @Student Models page. As a school teacher or media specialist it would perhaps be beneficial to have a parent night in which students could explain and share their flags. Or, as getting parent participation is unfortunately often difficult, students could share their work with other 1st grade classes or kindergarten classes. Observing student's ability to share their knowledge with others will allow educators to determine what teaching strategies were successful and what areas need to be modified. Including the media specialist in these activities will allow him or her to assist in making observations and developing ideas for improving future inquiries.


 * 10th Grade Feedback**:

As 10th grade students are more mature learners a debriefing session with them would be a beneficial way to gain feedback. You can discuss the pros and cons of the inquiry activities and objectives. You can talk with students to develop new questions and ideas for modifying the inquiry, as well as, creating new inquiry experiences. The individual conference sessions that are conducted throughout the inquiry are also excellent opportunities to gain feedback and insight into student difficulties and successes. Meeting with the media specialist after the inquiry would allow for sharing challenges and discussing future collaborative inquiry experiences.


 * Some questions to consider or discuss with students**:

What was challenging? What was exciting? Are there better ways to move through the inquiry and synthesize information? What could be used instead or in addition to blogging? What other resources or materials can we use to obtain information? How did the individual and small group activities support the inquiry process? Did the inquiry adequately meet the curricular and information standards? Were the teacher and media specialist roles successful? Could changes be made to who does what or how it is accomplished? What components of the inquiry helped students weave concepts and make real world connections?