Lesson 3 and 4

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In between lessons 2 and 3 I found a PD opportunity that had sessions directly related to inquiry at Maples Collegiate called Camp Curiosity. I attended two sessions, one that was entitled “Project Planning as Problem Posing and Provocation”. It was mainly about implementing open spaces as a method of collaboration and provocation. 

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“Open Space Technology (OS) is a simple and powerful approach to meetings, consultations, conferences, or unconferences and to ongoing leadership that creates the conditions for enthusiastic performance, creativity, collaboration and personal commitment.

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Each joins topics of interest and receives written reports of all discussions. Usually, priorities are set, action plans are developed and action groups are identified. Participants leave with new insights, new energy and a sense of moving forward” (Gibeault, n.d.). 

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The video to the upper left demonstrates open spaces in practice with both students and educators. 

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So, as students were at various points in the process, I asked for some of either their topics or a draft of their inquiry question in order to utilize them for the open spaces process. Students provided me with six topics/questions. 

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I jotted down the topics/questions on chart paper and students circulated around the room adding their thoughts to the papers. I also added questions/comments to provoke further thought/reflection. The process was not timed and ended when it seemed appropriate to do so.

We completed the process a second time with six more topics/inquiry questions. I then posted the students' contributions on the wall of the room in order for students to be able to refer to them to further their thinking throughout the process. We will add to the wall as more students hone in on their topics of inquiry.