Julia Sansom

Reflection on Dr. Walls Presentation on Inquiry

Science instruction is an area of elementary school instruction that has always
made me nervous. I found it refreshing that Dr. Wall began his seminar on inquiry-based
instruction by pointing out that many elementary school teachers feel the same way. I
found Dr. Walls presentation to be very helpful in the area of conceptual-based science
instruction. Dr. Wall was presenting on the idea of inquiry in science education. By
definition inquiry is known as asking for information. I know, as a pre-service teacher a
large portion of me loves the idea of students asking for information, but at the same time
student inquiry makes me very nervous, especially in the area of science.
I learned through Dr. Walls presentation that student inquiry is nothing to fear.
Teachers need to have a very comprehensive understanding of the content they teach but
they do not have to know everything. Dr. Wall pointed out that in order for teachers to
bring inquiry-based instruction into the classroom, teachers have to let go of being the
sole information providers. In todays society students desperately need to know how to
research, wonder, think critically, and ask questions. These skills and mindsets can begin
in the classroom. As I pondered on this idea, I thought back to Making Thinking Visible.
This whole idea of inquiry is very prevalent in this book and is seen in strategies such as
see-think-wonder. I realized education is most definitely moving towards this type of
instruction.
Dr. Wall pointed out that with the new science standards that are based on
engineering principles, this idea of inquiry would be even stronger. Dr. Wall also
discussed the importance of creating experiences for students through the use of
experiments and discrepant events. This confirmed what we often discuss in class, which

is the importance of creating hands on time for students to explore their thinking,
problem solve, and ask questions. The experiences help students have deeper
understanding of important concepts, and help them retain important information. I
reflected back to then many examples I saw of inquiry based instructional at Trace
Crossings Elementary School. The curriculum and instruction at Trace is peppered with
problem-based learning opportunities, and time for learning through discovery. It has
been very helpful to see a consistent example of successful inquiry-based instruction on
the elementary school level.
Overall, I found this presentation to be a helpful confirmation that science
instruction must prompt students to question, think critically, and offer time for the
students to experience science through hands on learning.