Reflection, The Path of Inquiry Leads to Knowledge
January 21, 2013 at 1:08 am | Posted in E1, H1, H2, O1, O2, P1, P2, Reflection | 1 CommentTags: Edu 6526, Induction, Music, Pedagogy, Reflection, Teaching, Teaching Strategy
Posing questions to students is indeed a strategy of teaching. Asking students questions is an alternative teaching method to either lecturing or preaching to the students. By asking the students questions, they learn to dig in their brains for answers or pose more questions which lead to answers and learning. In Models of Teaching, the authors argue “complex, inquiry-oriented models of instruction have turned out to be the best educational medicine for students who start school slowly or who later have the poorest learning histories” (Joyce, Weil, & Calhoun, 2009, p. 99). Inquiry can be the best approach for a particular learning objective.
In the spirit of in inquiry, we can be led down paths to knowledge. I learned there are numerous teaching methods, in fact there is at least an entire textbook’s worth of teaching methods, but the best approach is to learn many and not just one. The more methods one has, the more ways we can approach teaching on a daily basis. Teachers should pose this question each time they have a new lesson “what method will help my students learn the best?” After taking the students learning abilities, the lesson objective, the amount of time allotted, one should be able to decide on the right method. If that approach does not work, try another method which is the beauty of having alternatives. Letting students ask questions as well as posing questions are both methods of discovering knowledge.
This week’s readings have led me to add the method of questioning to my own personal pedagogy when I become an elementary music teacher. After a number of examples of this method working I can only see the benefits of pushing children to seek the answers and pose further questions about the world around them. I can imagine a time where I will play a song for the class through the mp3 player and have them all close their eyes. I will ask a plethora of questions like: What do you hear? What does it sound like? How does it make you feel? Is it loud or quiet? Does it have voices or instruments in it? What do you think it is for? Have you heard something like this before? I can ask so many questions and always hear something new and different for every child’s mind is unique. I can’t wait to engage my future students to expand their world by doing something as simple as starting the class with a question.
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I enjoyed reading your post, you have a clear understanding of the value and practice of inquiry as a teaching strategy. It is exciting to me too, the unexpected learning that will likely occur when students are asked to ask! The inquiry could go on and on, especially when we (or them) start to ask, why? Art and music are going to lead that direction often I expect, because the nature of our fields compel the audience to desire deep understanding of the meaning (and we will help guide them). Thanks!
Comment by susannajones— January 21, 2013 #