A Seminar for Primary Teachers
Presented by Kath Murdoch

Inquiry as an approach to teaching and learning has long been regarded as an effective way not only to engage students in their learning but to challenge them to think deeply and apply skills and understandings to new contexts. Many of us like the idea of an inquiry approach but feel less confident with how to actually use it effectively in the classroom. This workshop is designed for teachers who are newer to inquiry or those who wish to refresh their understanding of the approach and update their pedagogy.

This highly practical, interactive day will explore the following questions:

• Why use an inquiry based approach?
• How can we adopt an inquiry ‘stance’ in our teaching across the day?
• What is the role of the teacher in the inquiry classroom? Where does ‘explicit teaching’ fit into the picture?
• What does inquiry learning ‘look like’ in the classroom?
• How is the inquiry classroom organised? How to we curate the space?
• How can we use an inquiry approach while remaining accountable to the curriculum?
• What does an inquiry based lesson entail?
• How do we collaboratively plan/design extended journeys (units) for inquiry learning?
• How can an inquiry approach help us make connections across the curriculum?
• What strategies can we add to our repertoire to strengthen our inquiry based teaching?

Come along and enjoy inquiring into inquiry!

A 2 Day Seminar for Primary School Teachers
Presented by Kath Murdoch

Participants will leave with a treasure trove of strategies, resources and insights into the use of a quality, inquiry based approach to teaching.

About the workshop

The learning landscape is rapidly changing. For teachers in the 21C, adapting to this changing landscape requires new ways of thinking and new instructional strategies that really build students' capacity as learners. An inquiry approach has long been recognized as a powerful way to equip students with the skills, strategies and dispositions needed for independence and creativity in learning. The Australian Curriculum also recognizes the need to engage students in active exploration and promotes the development of inquiry skills in history, science, geography and other areas. Contemporary inquiry practices, however, go beyond the "unit of work" and weave their way across the curriculum. Quality inquiry teaching helps both teachers and students navigate their way through abundant information, rapidly changing technologies, shifting community priorities and the need for both personalized AND collaborative learning.

Through interactive tasks, viewing of videos, work samples and planners as well as access to resources and research-based strategies participants explore the following questions ...

• How can we create classrooms where inquiring into LEARNING is central to all we do?
• How can we use an inquiry approach across the curriculum?
• How can we personalize inquiry for students while maintaining a manageable routine?
• What frameworks and scaffolds can we use to 'anchor' student learning and guide our practice?
• How can we create contemporary contexts for real inquiry into relevant questions for students?
• How can quality thinking routines and strategies help build capacity for learning?
• How do we ensure we involve students in negotiating aspects of their learning while maintaining clear learning intentions and meeting curriculum expectations.
• How can we use technologies to engage students in authentic inquiries and to build our own personal professional inquiry networks.

Through this 2 day workshop, participants will gain:

• A deeper understanding of how to use contemporary, inquiry based approaches in the classroom
• A broader repertoire of quality teaching strategies and techniques to help build students' skills as inquirer
• Greater familiarity with and understanding of a model for designing powerful units of inquiry with conceptual underpinnings
• Strategies for planning and teaching that encourage students to become increasingly independent as inquirers
• Ideas for assessing growth in students' understandings and skills in the context of inquiry
• Opportunities for reflection, collaboration and planning
• Knowledge of the resources (particularly on line) available to support teaching and learning through inquiry

Register a Group & Save
Register 5 or more delegates and pay $560 per person

2 Day Workshop Program
Registration 8.30am – 9.00am Seminar 9.00am – 3.00pm

Click on Seminar title for full details