Double entry #8

Meaningful Learning

Some challenges to inquiry approaches to learning
One of the most significant challenges to the successful implementation of inquiry approaches is the skills and knowledge of the teachers engaging in this alternative form of teaching and learning (Good & Brophy, 1986). If the teachers do not know how to impliment this syle of teaching it can can be very hard to keep up with it.

"When teachers don’t fully understand the complexities of inquiry-based learning, they may simply think of this approach "unstructured," and may, as a result, fail to provide proper scaffolding, assessment, and redirection as projects unfold" ( )
Teachers must also be able to design and support inquiry-based lessons that meet a variety of criteria, such as illuminating key subject matter concepts, balancing direct instruction with inquiry opportunities, scaffolding the learning of individual students through modeling and feedback, facilitating learning among multiple groups, and developing assessments to guide the learning process (Blumenfeld et al., 1991)

On the student side, the might not have the prior knowledge and expierence to learn with this style."With respect to general academic skills, students may have difficulty developing logical arguments and evidence to support their claims (Krajcik et al., 1998).
overall, there are many things that contribute to the diffuclties this style of teaching has. It is much easier for a teacher to watch movies, hand out worksheets, and give students test. As we saw in this reading that doesn't work anymore. We need to be more involved and more educated on how to teach meaningful learning.

2.Make connections between project-based learning and three research based strategies (Choose strategies you have not already been assigned to read about). Give a brief explanation of the connections.

Project Based Learning is an instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation. These activities are designed to answer a question or solve a problem and generally reflect the types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom. With working in groups known as cooperative learning, Project Based Learning allows students to reflect upon their own ideas and opinions, exercise voice and choice, and make decisions that affect project outcomes and the learning process in general.

Providing feedback- providing students with the right kind of feedback can help with their achievement in the classroom.Feedback has been shown to be one of the most significant activities a teacher can engage in to improve student achievement (Hattie, 1992). Rather than giving a letter grade in the grade book on a activity and giving it back to the student, active feedback on the students lets the student understand what they did well on and what they could do to make it better next time. Engaging with the student is a grate way to help a student succeed.

Cooperative grouping- Effective cooperative learning occurs when students work together to accomplish shared goals and when positive structures are in place to support that process (Johnson & Johnson, 1999).Students help each other learn and encourage individual team members' success and it also includes Interpersonal and small-group skills, including communication, decision making, conflict resolution, and time management.
This strategy works with project based learning because students get to be more engaged in a activity. They're not just sitting individually in their chair doing a worksheet they are working together to achieve a goal.

Simulations and games- this strategy helps students learn in a different way, since we know that children learn in different ways this stratgy should be used. Providing students the opportunity to visualize and model improves their chances for understanding. Simulations enhance this potential by making modeling dynamic. Games and modeling activities can elicit curiosity, create a demand for knowledge, and enable students to discover knowledge through exploration (Edelson, 1998).

Getting students up and moving around engages themselves into a activity to work with others,be active, have fun, and be more alive in class. Rather than a lecture and a test, getting students up and moving with a game or a simulation will allow for more knowlege gain.





Barron, D. B., & Darling-Hammond, D. L. (2008). Teaching for meaningful learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, a Wiley imprint. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-teaching-for-meaningful-learning.pdf

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. (2005). Integrating technology into research-based strategies. Retrieved from http://www.netc.org/focus/