Digital Inquiry                 Megan Burton Home        Learn More        Standards        Inspiration        About the Author

Our Beliefs Make a Difference

​As all teachers know, our current educational system includes a myriad of obstacles to overcome. But we are clearly in this profession because we want to make a difference somehow. I believe that if we DO believe in our students, our colleagues, ourselves, and our students goals... that we will be willing to work through the educational system, through the daily fatigue that comes from trying to do too much, through our own fears and vulnerability, through our students' struggles and "ah-ha's"... to merely keep trying... every day. 
​
I believe that 21st Century Teaching and Learning is as much about our willingness to keep trying as it is about using technology. When we're preparing our students for a world that is changing exponentially, we need to most of all be willing to consider new ideas, new ways, new processes, and provide opportunities for our students as we show them that we DO believe in them!​
"Do you believe in me?... Do you believe in my classmates? Do you believe that EVERY one of us can graduate high school ready for college or the workplace?... We need you to believe in us, your colleagues, yourselves, and in our goals."  -Dalton Sherman

A Culture of Inquiry for All Students

Inquiry requires that students (and their teachers) believe in their abilities to learn for themselves. True learning is messy as students learn to make sense of the world for themselves, with their varying background knowledge, abilities, and skill sets. More about my own experiences here.

Have We Done the Research We Ask Our Students to Do?

When we ask our students to look up information, it's helpful for teachers to recently experience the research process we're asking our students to go through. One solid way to do this is to choose one of the most difficult topics that we're asking our students to research. As we look up information for this, we can see what current struggles our students are going through and help them find ways to overcome those challenges.

​When I conducted the same research I had asked my students to do, I found that they were justified in their frustrations. Here is more information about how this experience shaped my action research.

Evolution in Guiding My Students Through Their Research

When supporting students' research, I've learned that less instruction is better... that students should understand what's expected, try to meet the expectations in their own ways, and then get support as needed along the way. This is different than walking students through each step along the way. As students are working, teacher and peer feedback and self reflection help them refine their work much more than if they are trying to meet a prescribed method of research. More information about how my Research Guides have changed over time is available here.

More Inspiration...
Picture
Research
Picture
Design Process
Picture
Support and Next Steps
Check out my Innovative Learning Blog as well as writing from some of the people who have inspired my journey with student inquiry: