Inquiry and Project-Based Learning

The process of learning is probably something that most, if not the majority, of people don't think about that they do on a daily basis. But there are two important various types of learning, that if we are able to understand the easier it will be for our students to be able to become more effective in the classroom.

Inquiry-Based Learning is the means in which information is finally processed for students. It's common that people can memorize without actually learning anything, and as teachers we are trying to work out students up to the point where they are able to actually learn. There are many different essentials that help students learn, for example organization and rules. Chaos is not really good for anyone in the learning atmosphere. As a teacher when a students comes to you to ask you for help on this homework, sometimes we might want to go back and check the answers on our master sheet. Well when all the papers all over your desk, you are taking time for that student as you are trying to search for your papers to find the answer, or the explanation.

Project-Based Learning is learning that the students obtain through activities. This sort of learning helps students learn in a different way. It requires the teacher to instruct the activity, and then it kind of put it on the hand of the students in groups to work together. This helps a lot of times because when a students doesn't want to ask the teacher a questions because they think it might be "dumb" they are able to ask their peers. A lot of times they will realize that it is a common question that they share, that way the group is able to ask together. For teachers Project-Based Learning helps us out, because we are able to help 4 or 5 groups of students rather then 10 individual students.

There are benefits to all types of learning!! And the more strategies that we are able to come up with the more comfortable we will become in the classroom. Here is a paper that I previously wrote explaining Project and Inquiry-Based Learning, with an example for an activity for both that can be used. I made some words italicized and bold to make it easy to locate the different topics throughout the paper! I hope you enjoy!...