Bringing inquiry into the educational experience is even more important in the modern age of technology and information overload as questions make us the critical consumers of information that our world demands. And how we model our own use of questions to parse the world can have a huge impact. Frequently in my classrooms, students came in with stories from the news and would share with the class.

The desire to move toward a more inquiry-based culture of learning is the first step toward making it real in your school. The next step is to reevaluate the systems and structures outside the classroom that shape the learning environment. For inquiry to be a core value it needs to be a foundational component not just in the classroom but in every aspect of the school, including leadership.

Finally, inquiry-based learning is not something that all students transition to smoothly at first. Many students yearn for the trappings of the traditional teacher-led classroom where the rules and norms feel more in step with what they’ve come to expect from school. When a school decides to prioritize inquiry, it is important to remember that students need help recapturing the questioning skills of their preschool days.

A school culture that is built on inquiry has a different feel than the traditional environment in some powerful ways. And if  that school culture of inquiry gets paired with modern technology tools and resources, the educational experience becomes even more dynamic. FIrst, students are allowed to pursue topics of their own, and they demonstrate their learning in personal, relevant and meaningful ways.