Circle of Inquiry

The circle of inquiry illustration, Marsha Pincus presented to us today, made the inquiry process clearer for me. The dissonance forms the question which leads to the looking and the searching in order to make sense. From that sense, action is taken. The action taken will bring you back to the dissonance because new questions will be formed. She was very passionate about teachers being meaning makers and not "functionaries." She embraced the power of networks (such as PHILWP) and believes the networks, the research and our interaction with our students results in inquiry into classroom practices. After reading her article, Learning from Laramie, I found her intellectual journey very interesting. "This process of inquiry allows me to raise questions; search for answers both inside and outside of my classroom; make sense of what is happening there; and develop new ideas, stategies, and curricula. In short, I can have and active intellectual life that is linked to my teaching, each feeding the other." Thanks Marsha, your presentation will help me in my journey into inquiry.