This past week in Jasper Room we have begun our journey into the disposition of seeking. Our friends are continuously seeking the answers to many questions, their curiosity about the world is ever expanding and by participating in the process of inquiry allows them to expand their knowledge and to add elements of different topics into their schemas. Inquiry-based learning is an educational strategy that builds on something we all do: ask questions about the world around us. Children are particularly curious and full of wonder. As educators, we can harness that natural curiosity within the children and help them to learn and grow from those questions.

The inquiry process is connected to this process of asking questions. However, it is much more complex than merely asking questions and finding answers. It is a process by which we encourage children to find the information they are seeking, and then help them to turn that information into something useful and directly related to them.

Inquiry is about expanding the minds of our children, beyond the basic content of the curricular framework. Ideally, what we want to do as educators is use the inquiry process to help children create personalized learning experiences. This involves asking the questions, then seeking, organizing, changing and communicating that information to broader audiences.

Inquiry is:

• * Child-centered – it is about personalizing teaching practices to meet the needs and curiosities of the children.
• * Personalized – it allows for the child to input into the planning process, and it helps children to present their findings in new and creative ways.
• * Educator-guided – it is about educators using the strategies that help children to investigate their curiosities in meaningful ways to them
• * Integration of technology – it allows children to use various technology to seek out, collect, collaborate and present their new knowledge. Ex. Books, search engines etc….

We will be closed Monday Feb 20th for family day.

Enjoy your long weekend!