A New Idea

Introduction: Writing Inquiry-based learning is a learning style approach to teaching. Its premises include the requirement that learning should be based around student's questions. Inquiry based learning requires students to work together to solve problems rather than receiving instructions on what to do from the teacher. The teacher's role in an inquiry learning environment is to help students discover knowledge themselves. Inquiry learning is a form of learning where the student has an active role in deciding what they want to learn about. Progress is measured by how well students develop ideas and analytical skills. My essential question is my unit plan is Why is it important to write?This is a good question in my opinion because its a question that emergent writers to experienced writers or students ask. The process of writing begins in the early child hood stages for example prekinder and kindergarten. Students are learning that writing is a
tool that they will need to use. Most begin by writing their own names or alphabet. The
importance of why writing is so essential becomes more apparent thought out time
because it serves as a way of communication and ultimately in school a way of
assessment. In my unit plan inquiry based learning is used based on what the learner wants to write about and what questions will be answered in there writing. My unit questions are Can I write ?, Why do i have to learn to write?, and How do I know if I'm writing well? The use of Project Based learning and the need for it in my unit plan is apparent based on the fact that children are motivated by things that interest them. The writing process can entail "PBL" by incorporating the use of technology to display writing.

Blogging as a Tool in the Classroom:In my future classroom, I can envision my students using blogs in just about every subject that can be taught. The subject of writing is an obvious one in which students can use the tool of blogging to post journal entries or complete essays as well. Students can use blogs as a way to reflect and re evaluate their writing. The idea of an online journal can be more appealing than the normal pen and paper routine. Blogging in this area can be useful in peer evaluating and correction of mistakes. Ideas can be bounced off on another as well as collaborative work can evolve from blogging. Math and science are closely connected because they both use formulas to complete a finished product. Students can blog about science experiments or math problems and create links to display actual things they have worked on. History or social studies can use the tool of blogging as well. History is a set of events that never change and derive from true facts. Students in my future classroom will use blogs to reenact the past by creatively writing about historical figures of their choice. They will be able to tell about an individual and their significance in history by not only using words but hyper links and videos to make their writing come to life. In the following link (http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/), it is said that most students are comfortable with blogging already. "It's part of their culture". Children actively use "myspace" and "facebook" websites to post things about themselves and write about their hopes, fears and most of frustration. Blogging can be used as an outlet for students for not only frustrations but as well as a creative way to complete their homework. By using blogging in the classroom you are using a medium that the child is knowledgeable and most of all comfortable using.