We're busy in The Exhibition

Hi!

"The Migrationers" out on a student-planned field trip.

The schedule in the 5DC classroom has been full to the brim with action.  Of course the main focus at the moment is the Exhibition which is into its fifth week.  Including this week, this leaves us with three full weeks to complete research, organize interviews, organize data and prepare a way to present the findings.  Students have been working diligently over the last four weeks sorting through their ideas in coming up with the best ways to conduct their research.

Each group is given a section of "wall space" on which to 

display their progress and current stage in the inquiry

process.  

I have been meeting groups individually to ensure that they are on track to succeeding with their goals.  Currently, all the groups are at various stages of their work.  What I enjoy most as an educator during the exhibition is watching students' minds function and problem solve.  Group dynamics is a large factor in a group's progress, and many students use the interactiveness of group work to bring out their strengths (of course, there is a small minority of students who also use this group setting to "coast").

Here, Olivia is browsing through the wall belonging

to "The Quadruplet Domestic Helpers".

Most groups are out on the hunt for PRIMARY RESOURCES in the form of interviews, museum visits, etc.  Some groups have approached a stage in their research where the resources, or their questions have been exhausted.  From here, students are encouraged to inquire into what they can "do" with the knowledge that they have acquired.

The exhibition is focused not so much on the final product or the amount of knowledge a student gains at the end.  Instead, as a full-fledged student-led inquiry, the focus is spread out throughout the ENTIRE PROCESS.  Each day of the exhibition is an opportunity for experiencing something new, reflecting on oneself and learning something valuable that will be useful as a student in future years.