What Now? Reflecting on Inquiry

 Now that I am in the final stage of my inquiry based learning, I feel... 

• Knowledgeable on the supports available for ELLs
• Confident in my kew found knowledge of ELLs
• Better equipped to work with and teach ELLs
• Better about comprehending the various barriers and challenges that teaching ELLs may come with
• That I have a strong understanding of the steps needed to make use of community partnerships in order to support ELL

Moving forward - Whats missing? 

    Although I feel more knowledgable on this topic and I was able to use real world connections in relation to reaching out to organizations in my area (Kingston Ontario) I am still unsure of the obstacles and challenges that will occur. More specifically, because the majority of my research has been hypothetical, in the sense that I have yet to implement it into my teachings, I worry that there remains various gaps in my learning and understanding of community outreach. This being said, moving forward I would like to talk to more people (teachers) about the struggles that community outreach may have in relation to policies and real world application. Investigating the different challenges that may occur in relation to community partnerships and ELLs will allow me to plan and organize various programs based on the needs of my students. 

    Finally, after critical reflection I have a very good understanding of applying inquiry based learning in the classroom, specifically in relation to the benefits is has for my students. This project revealed the importance of questioning, reflecting, and exploring in relation to student centred learning. I would love to use inquiry based learning in all subject areas when appropriate, but specifically in social studies, as I feel as though there are so many avenues and topics that my students can pursue based on their own interests and abilities.