Igniting Inquiry Conference

Who knew that an online IB workshop would completely change my life.  I met Denise Kraft while leading the Your Exhibition workshop with her team.  That group of educators was so special and I've made bonds with several of them since the event.  Sometimes, you just meet people who put in a smile in your heart that stay for a long time.  

Move forward a year, Denise meets my friend Mondrea Mitchell through her school's verification visit.  One thing leads to another. I'm invited to help plan an inquiry conference with Kath Murdoch. 

Everyone is on a different part of their inquiry journey, so if you haven't heard of Kath Murdoch, it's okay.  Legend is a word I'd describe her.  When I first began my PYP journey, I was completely lost.  I can still hear my colleague Karen Roddis tell me repeatedly to make learning more inquiry-driven and to use more conceptually driven questions.  I didn't know that any of that meant until I took a workshop with Kath in the fall of 2014.  Within two days, the shackles of confusion left my eyes and I finally understood what this inquiry-based learning was all about.  No surprise, I had been doing it wrong, but it was part of my journey in becoming better. 

I'll never forget that learning opportunity, because it began the change within my mindset of how education could look and feel.  Since that moment, I've had a chance to be guided by Kath and her books, The Power of Inquiry and Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning.  This past summer, Kath gave me permission to podcast my thought s and reflections about her book after participating in a book club.  To have a listen, click here. 

I've had the pleasure to engage with Kath online and meet her in-person at the Crafting Inquiry conference in Portland in October 2022.  What a treat!

In 2021, I received a message on Twitter from a woman named Misty Paterson.  She had seen some of my posts and wanted to connect with a like-minded person.  Soon, our friendship blossomed and I knew that she was a keeper. 

Pedagogically, I realized her brilliance when I received a copy of her book Pop-Up Studio:  Responsive Teaching for Today's Learners.  I participated in a book club, which opened up my eyes to Misty's ability to weave ideas together to share a unique story.  

A couple weeks ago, I was able to participate in an Edu-retreat with Misty in Brussels.  This was a transformative experience, because I saw ideas from the page come to life in real practice.  I know that I will continue to learn new ideas at the upcoming conference. 

I've had the chance to learn and explore with the two other inquiry leaders, Mondrea Mitchell and Michael Medvinsky in a variety of capacities, but mainly as good friends and thought leaders.  They are both modest in their abilities to craft ideas that make me pause and reflect.  Every time I engage with these two, I walk away feeling full of new ideas that I had not considered before.  Truly blessed.