Inquiry

At our division's workshop on inquiry, we were asked the question "What happens when a student's questions and interest take them away from the content of the curriculum?". Afterwards, I reflected on the understanding of curriculum she and I had. She was concerned about covering the content in the defined provincial curricula, and I was focusing on the process of learning and the skills involved. Our different perspectives highlight a tension that exists as we look at curriculum. The inquiry approach plays with both perspectives in that the outcomes are defined, but can change as students and teachers work through the inquiry process. The
Galileo Network was an important influence in the creation of the revised curricula which has inquiry built into every subject. It will be a major shift for teachers to work their way through.

In working in the area of differentiation, they use an acronym KUDs to clarify the outcome or purpose for learning. As I work with it, it helps me to not focus only on the content or the process. Clarity in what we are teaching can only assist the learning the process.