Jen Hedman
Grade 5?
Rochester, NH
December, 2010

Journey with Inquiry Based Instruction and Technology

The way students are taught and how they learn have shifted over time. The use of inquiry based science is foreign to many veteran teachers, and most likely scary. By using inquiry in my class I have noticed a huge difference in the attitudes of the students when it is science time. Instead of moans and groans there are cheers and smiles. If for some reason we don't get to science, the students are very upset and ask when we will be making it up. Inquiry takes the focus away from the teacher and puts it onto the student so they are in charge of their own learning.

My journey through this program has made me a better teacher in all academic areas. I have learned that I need to ask the why questions more often, and then wait and listen to the students explanations. Using the crayfish this semester with my class was probably the best thing I have ever done. I didn't know what to expect, and was worried when the crayfish kept dying. Yet, the kids loved observing, journaling and researching why and how they could fix it. When we concluded the unit with comparing and contrasting the crayfish and the lobsters I could really see how much they enjoyed working with the crayfish and that they learned a lot by exploring on their own. Science is an area where most special education students shine. Using this inquiry method allows them to be hands on and really take their learning to a new level. It is nice to see them helping out the higher achieving students, and being taken seriously when they have a suggestion

When the Flip Camera was introduced, I was very nervous that I would be judged in a negative way. I was wrong. Having the opportunity to record my lessons has been so valuable to me. It is a great tool to reflect and learn about my own teaching. I am able to see what the students are doing, listen to what they are saying, as well as, see where I should ask more questions throughout a lesson or investigation.

When the students are being recorded it captures their attention and they seem to be more attentive and ask more questions. I have found they love to watch themselves and are able to learn from each other. There is a layer of interest when watching the videos that isn't there when using our textbooks. I would like to carry over videoing lessons to other subject areas and see if it would capture their interest and spark a flame for learning as it has done in science.

I am so grateful that I have been able to be a part of this grant for the past three years. I have learned a lot about teaching science and about myself as a teacher. I enjoyed our sessions at Rivier College and learning from everyone else in our group. I think that sharing a videoed lesson from our own classes was very beneficial, to see how others at your grade level are teaching and borrow ideas from them of what works well. The most important outcome of this project is that I have gained much more confidence in my abilities as a science teacher, and teacher all together.