Antioch C.C. District 34

Staff Development Plan for 2004-05

Mastering Content Through Inquiry-Based Learning

We have retained Emily Alford, Ed.D. as our trainer and consultant for the February 18 Teacher In-service date to provide staff development opportunities for all of our teachers in the area of instructional differentiation. Mrs. Alford will be working with our teachers in small groups to develop grade level interdisciplinary units that cross the content boundaries of social studies, science, reading, and language arts to create thematic units that will be implemented this year. The workshop dates for thematic unit development include: November 16, 23, 30 and December 2, 7, 9, 10, 13. During these workshops:

Teachers will restructure a unit for which they have responsibility using the elements of inquiry-based learning. The opening activity will provide insight into the stages of inquiry (one of the engaged learning models).

Teams of teachers at each grade level will link the unit to district curriculum and Illinois Learning Standards. Additional design elements to be addressed are: mapping the unit topic, providing a context for student learning and an authentic connection to real-time issues, developing performance outcomes, teaching and learning events and assessments.

Technologies that support information literacy will be selected as tools for students to access, organize, analyze or communicate information.

We believe that Inquiry models will be a highly successful instructional modality enabling us to differentiate instruction and to structure knowledge and learning in a way that will: (1) pose relevant problems to learners; (2) use “big ideas” and concept-based curriculum to structure learning; link service learning to current unit topics; and (3) value student decision making and points of view and (4) involve students in activities to develop leadership skills and knowledge.

There will be two means of evaluating the effectiveness of this plan for teacher training. Our teacher workshops will have an evaluation component at the conclusion of the training. Additionally, each grade level will have developed an interdisciplinary thematic unit aligned to the state standards ready to implement during second semester of this school year.

For information on the Inquiry Unit Development Teams and units they will be developing, click here. Teams are using an Integrated Curriculum and Instruction Design during these inservices. Click here for a blank tempate of the design.

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