Inquiry Model

Why is the BCTLA's "The Point of Inquiry" my favorite model?

• I like how straightforward it is - the words are easy to understand and explain to K-6 kids.
• I like how it's created by and for BC teachers (and acknowledges the role of the teacher librarian).
• I really like the star visual and the idea that all phases are interconnected. It would be easy to use this visual with students and explain how "Reflect" can be touched upon at every step, for example, and not just at the end (the star actually does not have an end!).
• I also really appreciate how this model has already been translated into French, so it's ready to use with all students at my school!
• On the BCTLA website you can also find a colorful poster/graphic (in English & French) that would be a great reference to post in the library and in classes (see below).
• There are lots of useful teacher resources connected to this model  (i.e. planning packages; lists of learning outcomes by grade level; examples of tech tools to use with each phase; instructional strategies and assessment ideas; etc.). 
• See links below, which include BCTLA's guiding document The Points of Inquiry: A Framework for Information Literacy and the 21st Century Learner,  as well as a Planning Package for K-6,  a Collaborative Planning Guide for teacher librarians, and an Information Literacy Planning Sheet.

Here's a booklet I created to guide students through an inquiry project, using BCTLA's      The Points of Inquiry model.

Version française!

I created this Piktochart poster during the Queens course Teaching through Inquiry.

Teacher's Role in Inquiry

"Committed 21st Century educators observe how their teaching, as well as student learning, has evolved as a result of our information-rich society. They:

• move to the side and work to guide or "scaffold" the learning
• provide feedback that empowers students to move more deeply into their learning
• encourage students to have more authority over their own knowledge and inquiry
• are actively engaged in learning, assessing, and teaching
• ensure new learning takes place in active, collaborative, and social contexts, real or virtual" (Ekdahl, 5)

Copied from p.5 of the BCTLA's The Points of Inquiry: A Framework for Information Literacy and the 21st Century Learner.