Concepts of Educational Inquiry Summary
by Jen Barr
This was a foundational course in the MAED program. It focused on what education really means, what is worth knowing, and the processes of inquiry involved in answering these questions. The course looked at methods of inquiry from several different perspectives through a multitude of resources through the use of hypermedia. The five areas of educational inquiry that were explored were philosophical thought, theories of intelligence and cognition, teacher research, learning out of school, and ethnographic participant observation. In the beginning of the course, inquiry was defined by Dr. Weiland as "the ways that people search for knowledge of teaching and learning, organization and leadership in schools, local and national policies, and their consequences, and more." This was the launch point for the rest of the course.
To begin, we looked at the philosophical and historical foundations of education and the questions that arose from various scholars as they engaged in inquiry. Perspectives from Socrates, Rousseau, Michael Oakeshott, and Nell Noddings were included. We then looked at the works of John Dewey in more detail. We read about the role of experience in teaching and learning, as well as dialectical thinking, defined by Dr. Weiland as "seeing experience structured by the conflict and reconciliation of opposites." We began to explore the debate on what should really be taught in schools, core knowledge vs. cultural literacy and what role creativity and nurturing have in the classroom. After looking at the philosophical and historical implications of educational inquiry, we looked at the roles intelligence and cognition have in education. We spent a good deal of time considering Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. In addition to intelligence, we looked at whether motivation, personality, and emotion should be included when judging how and why we learn. Putting these together, according to Gardner, attaches the mind to the body. Also important to this line of thought, was the role of culture and context in inquiry. There must be recognition that individuals perceive the world differently according to their unique contexts.
To look into teacher research, we read Vivian Gussin Paley's The Girl with the Brown Crayon: How Children Use Stories to Shape Their LIves. Through Paley's work, we learned that teachers can improve their practice through their own careful inquiry and reflection. Paley makes use of story-telling and journaling to take an honest assessment of her classroom practices. This line of thinking then led us into whether learning only occurs inside the classroom. We learned that inquiry can occur individually through the use of narrative and story-telling. Further, the life history or biography of ourselves and others can be a rich resource for learning and inquiry. We looked into Philip Cusick's idea that reading is essential to lifelong learning in his book A Passion for Learning. This section ended with a consideration of Ralph Waldo Emerson's views of learning in "Self-Reliance."
We ended our exploration into inquiry by considering ethnographic participant observation and multiculturalism. We looked at this through the lens of Mary Catherine Bateson and her book Peripheral Visions: Learning Along the Way. In this section, we considered the individual as his or her own object of inquiry. The way the world is experienced and how it can be directed inwardly was the focus of this type of inquiry. Self-reflection is an essential component in individual inquiry, and must be honest and comprehensive in order to be effective. Cultural, informal, and lifelong learning are important dimensions to this domain of inquiry, as well. We also learned that through both formal and personal writing, it is possible clarify and consider our thoughts and ideas.
Overall, this was an excellent course that opened my mind to what educational inquiry truly is. It gave me the opportunity to reflect upon what learning truly means and to consider my own ideas on what should be learned in schools. As I moved through each unit, I took the opportunity to apply it to my own practice as a dental hygiene instructor. The course prompted me to consider the individual needs of my students and the roles their experiences and contexts play in how I teach. I saw the need to include journaling and reflection into my daily routine as a means of learning how I can continue to do better. And, I learned how important it is to consider multiculturalism both in and out of the classroom. My teaching has truly benefited from my taking this class.
by Jen Barr
This was a foundational course in the MAED program. It focused on what education really means, what is worth knowing, and the processes of inquiry involved in answering these questions. The course looked at methods of inquiry from several different perspectives through a multitude of resources through the use of hypermedia. The five areas of educational inquiry that were explored were philosophical thought, theories of intelligence and cognition, teacher research, learning out of school, and ethnographic participant observation. In the beginning of the course, inquiry was defined by Dr. Weiland as "the ways that people search for knowledge of teaching and learning, organization and leadership in schools, local and national policies, and their consequences, and more." This was the launch point for the rest of the course.
To begin, we looked at the philosophical and historical foundations of education and the questions that arose from various scholars as they engaged in inquiry. Perspectives from Socrates, Rousseau, Michael Oakeshott, and Nell Noddings were included. We then looked at the works of John Dewey in more detail. We read about the role of experience in teaching and learning, as well as dialectical thinking, defined by Dr. Weiland as "seeing experience structured by the conflict and reconciliation of opposites." We began to explore the debate on what should really be taught in schools, core knowledge vs. cultural literacy and what role creativity and nurturing have in the classroom. After looking at the philosophical and historical implications of educational inquiry, we looked at the roles intelligence and cognition have in education. We spent a good deal of time considering Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. In addition to intelligence, we looked at whether motivation, personality, and emotion should be included when judging how and why we learn. Putting these together, according to Gardner, attaches the mind to the body. Also important to this line of thought, was the role of culture and context in inquiry. There must be recognition that individuals perceive the world differently according to their unique contexts.
To look into teacher research, we read Vivian Gussin Paley's The Girl with the Brown Crayon: How Children Use Stories to Shape Their LIves. Through Paley's work, we learned that teachers can improve their practice through their own careful inquiry and reflection. Paley makes use of story-telling and journaling to take an honest assessment of her classroom practices. This line of thinking then led us into whether learning only occurs inside the classroom. We learned that inquiry can occur individually through the use of narrative and story-telling. Further, the life history or biography of ourselves and others can be a rich resource for learning and inquiry. We looked into Philip Cusick's idea that reading is essential to lifelong learning in his book A Passion for Learning. This section ended with a consideration of Ralph Waldo Emerson's views of learning in "Self-Reliance."
We ended our exploration into inquiry by considering ethnographic participant observation and multiculturalism. We looked at this through the lens of Mary Catherine Bateson and her book Peripheral Visions: Learning Along the Way. In this section, we considered the individual as his or her own object of inquiry. The way the world is experienced and how it can be directed inwardly was the focus of this type of inquiry. Self-reflection is an essential component in individual inquiry, and must be honest and comprehensive in order to be effective. Cultural, informal, and lifelong learning are important dimensions to this domain of inquiry, as well. We also learned that through both formal and personal writing, it is possible clarify and consider our thoughts and ideas.
Overall, this was an excellent course that opened my mind to what educational inquiry truly is. It gave me the opportunity to reflect upon what learning truly means and to consider my own ideas on what should be learned in schools. As I moved through each unit, I took the opportunity to apply it to my own practice as a dental hygiene instructor. The course prompted me to consider the individual needs of my students and the roles their experiences and contexts play in how I teach. I saw the need to include journaling and reflection into my daily routine as a means of learning how I can continue to do better. And, I learned how important it is to consider multiculturalism both in and out of the classroom. My teaching has truly benefited from my taking this class.