The core practice of professional scientists is inquiry, often referred to as research. If educators are to prepare students for a role in the professional scientific and technological community, exposing them to inquiry-based learning is essential. Despite this, inquiry-based teaching and learning (IBTL) remains relatively rare, possibly due to…

In this inquiry study, teachers will explore the concept of "critical literacy" and its implications for classrooms. Each study group will reread cultural texts--media, print, commercial--to consider how teachers, as well as the younger learners they teach, are "positioned." This new awareness provides the opportunity for…

In this introductory inquiry study, teachers will explore why the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Reading Initiative is developed from the theoretical position of "teaching as inquiry." Teachers will live through several learning projects, identify important issues in practitioners' teaching lives, and read the work of…

In this Inquiry Study, participants will learn about or refine their understanding of the components of a quality reading program, or what some teachers organize as Reading Workshop. Participants begin by living as readers themselves and then explore how to create supportive contexts for the learners in their classrooms. The use of a variety of…

In this Inquiry Study, participants will explore the process of reading expository texts--the strategies participant/teachers use to make sense of them, and how expository texts are similar to and different from narrative and other types of texts. Participants will then examine aspects of expository texts, such as text structures, vocabulary, and…

In this inquiry study, teachers will explore the concept of English Language Learning and its implications for classrooms. Individually and in small groups, teachers will have opportunities to read, talk, and reflect about current issues regarding linguistic diversity in classrooms and schools, including bilingual/multilingual, ESL, and language…

In this inquiry study, teachers will learn about or refine their understanding of the components of Reading and Writing Workshop. They will begin by living as writers themselves and then explore how to create supportive contexts for the learners in their classrooms. Video footage from a number of classrooms will serve as a series of possibilities…

In this inquiry study, teachers will explore ways to encourage the development of adolescent readers as their learning expands to include more difficult and varied content. Teachers will examine the strategies used by proficient readers and conduct inquiries into how these strategies may best be taught to adolescents. Teachers will consider how…

This book is a guide to an approach to professional development in which one's own teaching is a field of inquiry. The book explores the nature of the university teacher's inquiry and the importance of questioning personal and intellectual values in university teaching. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction to the Enquiry"; (2) "The…

The ENVISION professional development model uses active teacher involvement in inquiry and inquiry-based teaching to enhance teachers' understandings about inquiry-based study of local environmental problems and teaching science using inquiry. Teachers also design and implement professional development for their school-based colleagues about…

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Reading Initiative and this Inquiry Study: "Exploring Visions of Literacy" invites study groups to embark on a professional journey no individual can fully predict. Through considering the visions of several leading literacy educators (B. Cambourne, M.A.K. Halliday, J. Harste, S.…

This book presents multiple assessment formats and strategies appropriate for inquiry activities for both indoor and outdoor education. Chapters 5-8 feature examples of disciplinary assessment practices for biology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences. Other contents include: (1) "A Rationale for Assessment"; (2) "Developing New Assessment";…

In this inquiry study, teachers will learn about the writing process and ways to improve virtually all facets of students' writing. Teachers will carefully examine their own beliefs about writing and the value of their own written literacy that can be modeled for students. Teachers will build professional communities in which they will interact…

This guide introduces the skills and dispositions necessary to participate in educational action research. It targets teachers, administrators, college faculty, graduate students, state professional organizations, and state administrators. Chapter 1, "Understanding Action Research as a Tool for Professional Growth and Organizational Development,"…

The final result of this inquiry study will be the compilation of a Literacy Portfolio on a targeted reader. The data included within the portfolio will come from strategies and tools teachers were introduced to in Year One of the Reading Initiative and for which teachers gathered data both on themselves and on younger learners. The study revisits…