Thinking How

"Inquiry" is defined as "Seeking information by questioning." Individuals carry on the process of inquiry from the time they are born until they die. Educators must understand that schools need to go beyond data and information accumulation and move toward the generation of useful and applicable knowledge.  In the past, our country's success depended on our supply of natural resources. Today, it depends upon a workforce that "works smarter."

Comparison of traditional and inquiry approaches of learning

Element	Traditional approach	Inquiry approach
Focus	Mastery of content	Using and learning content as a means to develop information-processing and problem-solving skills
	Learning about things	Learning things
	Thinking what	Thinking how
Role of teacher and student	Teacher centered where teachers focused on giving out information about "what is known." students are the receivers of information, and the teacher is the dispenser	Student centered, with the teacher as a facilitator of learning
Assessment	The importance of "one right answer."	Determining the progress of skills development in addition to content understanding
Main concern	Preparation for the next grade level and in-school success	Preparation for life-long learning
System style	Closed system where information is filtered through layers to students	Open system where students are encouraged to search and make use of resources beyond the classroom and the school.

The Teacher in the inquiry – based – learning plans ways for each learner to be actively engaged in the learning process, understands the necessary skills, knowledge, and habits of mind needed for inquiry learning, is prepared for unexpected questions or suggestions from the learner, prepares the classroom environment with the necessary learning tools, materials, and resources for active involvement of the learner. Asks questions, encouraging divergent thinking that leads to more questions, values and encourages responses, alert to learning obstacles and guides, asks many Why? How do you know? And what is the evidence? Type of questions and makes student assessment an ongoing part of the facilitation of the learning process

Students in the inquiry – based – learning look forward to learning, seek to collaborate and work cooperatively with teacher and peers, are more confident in learning, demonstrate a willingness to modify ideas and take calculated risks, ask questions (verbally and through actions), use questions that lead them to activities generating, observe critically, sort out information and decide what is important. They use indicators to assess their own work and reflect on their learning with their teacher and their peers

Our modern society is faster paced, globally networked, technologically oriented, and requires workers who can problem solve and think critically. Today, much learning, if not most, occurs after formal schooling. Our schools must change their approach to education to produce students who can thrive in the modern world. Inquiry learning can turn information into useful knowledge