Culture and Inquiry Learning

Using the Wikipedia article on Inquiry Learning (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquiry-based_learning) as a reference point will make it easier to explain why I believe that cultural diversity is a pivotal element in a truly inquiry-based learning environment. To displace cultural diversity from the inquiry mix in my mind would be to sabotage the process altogether.

From Wikipedia to describe the core of inquiry as a concept…
Characteristics of inquiry-learning
-Inquiry learning emphasizes constructivist ideas of learning. Knowledge is built in a step-wise fashion.
-Learning proceeds best in group situations.
-The teacher does not begin with a statement, but with a question. Posing questions for students to solve is a more effective method of instruction in many areas. This allows the students to search for information and learn on their own with the teacher’s guidance.
-The topic, problem to be studied, and methods used to answer this problem are determined by the student and not the teacher (this is an example of the 3rd level of the Herron Scale)

My point of view is weaving culture (the thing each of us has been constructing since the minute we were born) and inquiry acknowledges the above points.

I am, therefore I think.

Original art posted at Deviant Art by ~pslv3r

So 2012 is upon us. 2011 was good for me, but I’m hard on myself… looking back, I probably accomplished more than I think. My tendency is to look at what I’ve done, and realize first what more I could have done, or how much better I could have done it. I am critical; not so much of others or other things, but really toward myself and my goals, projects, jobs or whatever. As I reflect on the things I got done last year, I’m starting to think it really doesn’t matter what I accomplished last year; what matters is what I’m going to do this year.

This year I’m not setting any goals or resolutions because at the end of the year I’m going to look back again and feel like I could have done more. This year I’m going to look forward and make a deliberate effort to simply keep doing what I do, every day, to the best of my ability… and I’m going to be happy with that. I have so many projects and collaborations on the go… more than enough to keep me busy, and I may find more, but that’s OK because I’m going to look at all of them in the same way. I’m going to be less focused on achieving the goal, and so much more focused on enjoying the goal.

This year, instead of looking at progress as a means to successful ends, I’m framing it as a process to extend, refine and strengthen learning. I’m going to view progress as a fractal representation of different sorts of knowledge and skill attainment. There is always room to improve. I’m going to accept (embrace, really) that I will always be learning, and that there will always be something to learn.

I’m going to do this by focusing on four words: Respect; Understanding; Relationships and Responsibility. These are the words that form a circle around me; a learning circle. They represent my hope as a learner. I am, therefore I think.