Kindling Curiosity: Knowledge through INquiry Driven Learning Experiences

To ask questions that interest me.
To explore freely within a supportive structure.
To dig deep into existing research.
To develop my own experiments.
To do something meaningful with what I learn.

I wish I had had an opportunity like this growing up.

Our high school students have this unprecedented opportunity: a inquiry driven project based learning experience in which they select a specific topic of their own choosing related to an overarching school wide theme.

We know what Thomas Friedman said is true: "Nobody works harder at learning than a curious kid." In offering students the time and place to pursue an interest in depth, we know they will hone some of the necessary school skills of complex reading, research, writing, speaking & listening.

Through this learning experience we've dubbed Kindle, we are convinced they will practice and apply skills for critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, communicating, and collaborating. They will exercise their creativity, initiative, productivity, and their ability to direct their own learning.  These are essential skills for life in the 21st century workforce; we are building a solid foundation.

Students are asking challenging questions about real problems.  They are digging deep into the available research, asking additional questions to move their ideas forward.  They will take what they've learned and use it for good, whether to improve their own lives, their community or a larger audience.

This work is daunting, not just for students, but also for teachers.  Facilitating student work may sound easy, but it's not.  Teachers probe with questions that help students clarify their ideas and seek appropriate resources and expertise.  Teachers channel student interests toward realistic accomplishments, narrowing and enlarging ideas as needed.

Freedom -- to select a topic, a format, a product -- is daunting, as well. Students - and teachers, too - are unaccustomed to such freedom to direct their own learning.  Where do I start? What do I do? This moves us out of our comfort zone.

Such an undertaking will not be without challenges and frustration.  It will not be easy to steer every student toward a successful, interesting learning path. It will not be easy to have 100% of students fully engaged all the time.  It will not be easy to produce projects of value.

But then, nothing worth doing is easy.  That's why Kindle is so important.

Students need this opportunity.  They need teachers who are committed to a different way of teaching and learning. They need teachers who will support their efforts, teachers who will ask difficult questions, teachers who will encourage them when they're ready to quit, teachers who will celebrate their small successes along the way, teachers who, despite their own frustration, are willing to give it another shot, to stick with it, to persevere in the face of adversity.

After all, this, too, is part of the learning we hope to accomplish through Kindle.

In a Nutshell
Inquiry and project centered learning provide students with an avenue to gain essential skills. Working through frustration - persevering - is essential to

any learning activity, for teachers and for students.

What are your go-to strategies for helping students overcome difficulties in the learning process?