Chapters International

Overview:

Trevor MacKenzie deepens our understanding of inquiry-based learning at the middle and high school years. In this highly engaging session, Mr. MacKenzie will challenge your mind to rethink the role of the teacher and the learner in the inquiry classroom. You will participate in activities that can be immediately applied to your practice. You will see and discuss DVD clips that will provide the skills and understandings necessary to adopt an inquiry approach in your classroom and school. You will learn specific, practical instructional strategies that engage the passions, wonders and curiosities of learners.

Objectives:

You will learn to answer questions like these?

How can we balance curricular standards, learning objectives and standardized assessment tools with a higher level of student agency afforded by the inquiry model?
How can we create a mindful transition into the inquiry classroom that supports the teacher and learner in this new learning ecosystem?
How can we create essential questions that can frame lesson and unit design?
How can we help our learners create strong questions asking skills in order to draft, research and answer their own essential questions?
How can we empower students with more agency over learning and have them explore personally relevant topics that lead to authentic and innovative products of understanding?
What are the various types of inquiry and how can these lead to a gradual shift of control over learning from the teacher to the learner?
What are provocations and how can these lead to research pathways and essential questions?
How can we mindfully support learners in inquiry by honing the skills, understandings and structures necessary to be successful in this new learning ecosystem?
What are the characteristics and understandings of the Inquiry Teacher and how can we develop these to better meet the needs of our students?

Agenda:

Day 1

9:00 - 10:15 Why Inquiry: creating personalized learning pathways for deeper learning

Reflecting on the role of the educator in the inquiry classroom - Activity
Characteristics of the inquiry classroom - Activity
Creating our digital wonderwall for the day - Activity

10:15 - Break

10:30 - 12:00 Writing clear and powerful essential questions - Table Task and Feedback

A close look at conceptual understandings - Activity

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch

1:00 - 1:45 Scaffolding Inquiry throughout your teaching area

The Types of Student Inquiry - Table Task and Feedback

1:45 - 3:00 Structured and Controlled Inquiry Design

Looking more deeply at the Types of Student Inquiry - Table Task and Planning
The remainder of the day is dedicated to lesson and unit design of a Structured or Controlled inquiry. Please be prepared to share out your lesson and unit design for the opening of tomorrow's session in a jigsaw activity. It is critical that all participants be able to share in the morning.

Day 2

9:00 - 10:15 Lesson and unit sharing and discussion from Day 1

10:15 - 10:30 Break

10:30 - 12:00 Supporting Our Learners in inquiry

The new role of the learner in the inquiry classroom
Transitioning into the inquiry classroom - Short Video Activity
Making Inquiry Powerful: reflecting on the learning conditions that currently exist in your school that support inquiry as well as identifying several to adopt - Table Task and Feedback

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch

1:00 - 2:00 Deepen Learning and Stir Curiosities with Provocations

The why and how of provocations
Provocation Stations - Gallery Walk Activity

2:00 - 3:00 Guided and Free Inquiry Design

Structures for providing increased agency over learning in Guided and Free Inquiry

3:00 - 3:30 Sharing and Close

Reflecting on the role of the educator in the inquiry classroom - Activity

Potiential Audience:

Middle to high school education

Trevor MacKenzie

Mr. Trevor MacKenzie is a practicing high school English teacher, inquiry learning coach and consultant who works with schools and organizations in their adoption of inquiry.

Trevor is the author of two books, Dive into Inquiry: Amplify Learning and Empower Student Voice c. 2016 EdTechTeam Press as well as Inquiry Mindset: Nurturing the Dreams, Wonders and Curiosities of Our Younger Learners c. 2018 EdTechTeam Press.

Trevor is an internationally recognized presenter in the area of inquiry-based learning with a focus on the middle and high school years.

Trevor currently lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada with his family. He and Sarah have two children, Ewan and Gregor, and a much-loved dog, Poppy.

Venue:
The Rotterdam International Secondary School
Bentincklaan 294, 3039 KK Rotterdam, Netherlands

9.00 am to 4.00 pm
Registration at 8.30 am
on the 23rd March 2019.