C124 (Application): Using Personal Inquiry in our Practice

Good day to my fabulous thinkchat family.  It’s me again, Lu Gerlach, your host, and welcome to confession #124, where we will explore how to use personal inquiry in our practice.  Every time that we loop back with an application series, it has helped me to grow as a practitioner and consider my own actions. 

For this episode, we are returning to Kath Murdoch’s book, Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning.  This episode will be a three-part process to stretch us, since it’s been a while since exploring the book. 

Step 1:  Reflection on our Personal Inquiry

​Kath’s work around personal inquiry emphasizes the importance of fostering curiosity, independence, and critical thinking skills in learners. To challenge our thinking, let’s begin by considering the following reflection prompt:

• Reflect on a recent experience where you felt a strong sense of curiosity or wonder. What sparked your interest, and how did you pursue your inquiry? 

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• Consider the ways in which this experience pushed you outside of your comfort zone or challenged your existing beliefs. 

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• How might you replicate or build upon this process in other aspects of your life or work to continue stretching your thinking and fostering a mindset of ongoing curiosity and inquiry?

Model

• Something that has piqued my interest has been the journey from primary/elementary school and the things we need to put into place, so each phase is smooth and easy for learners to navigate.

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• To push myself out of my comfort zone, I participated in the IB DP Math Symposium in Stuttgart, Germany.  With a wonderful team (Taylan, Merve, Shannon), we presented our project on scaffolding the MYP command terms into the PYP through math and science.  

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• I am implementing the use of command terms to drive my workshops and teacher consultations.  I want to model the process directly and implicitly with everyone I come into contact with.  Let’s do this!

Now, it’s your turn to complete step 1 of our challenge!

Step 2:  Choice Menu

​Now, let’s look at this choice menu below and choose 2-3 areas that you would like to deepen your reflection above. 

This one you get to do on your own, because it’s different for each of us and I don’t want to influence your decision. 

Explore and Wonder
Describe the initial spark or curiosity that led you to choose a particular topic or question during your personal inquiry. What fascinated you about it?

Investigate and Inquire
Share the steps you took to explore your chosen inquiry. What research methods did you employ, and how did you approach the inquiry process independently or collaboratively?

Create and Present
Reflect on the creative aspects of your personal inquiry. How did you express your understanding and what did you create or present to showcase your learning?

Reflect on Challenges
Identify challenges you encountered during your personal inquiry. What obstacles did you face, and how did you overcome them? How did these challenges contribute to your learning experience?

Connect to Personal Growth
Consider the ways in which your personal inquiry experience is connected with your personal interests and passions. How has this experience contributed to your personal and intellectual growth?

Extend Your Thinking
Explore how your personal inquiry extended your understanding beyond the initial scope. What new ideas, skills, or perspectives did you gain, and how might these extensions influence your future inquiries or projects?

Future Inquiry Planning
Based on your personal inquiry experience, outline specific strategies or approaches you might adopt in future personal inquiries. How can you apply the lessons learned to continue stretching your thinking?

​Step 3: Reflect on the Process

• What are some new aha moments from this reflective process?
• What have you learned about yourself as a learner?
• How will you incorporate personal inquiry into your practice?