on their science projects. First grade teacher Sally Bauer with students demonstrating how electricity makes a fan spin. Why Ask Why? continued This simple playground game also reflects the world of SCDS in the classroom? — it’s the questions that are fun and exciting. For more than 40 years, SCDS has been com- mitted to inquiry-based teaching. This approach is a core value stated in the Mission Statement and is thriving in every corner of the school. SCDS teachers are master practitioners and lifelong learners about the process of learning through questioning. “It works for our kids because they are willing to take risks in class, which is what inquiry requires you to K-3 Technology Teacher Alice Baggett works with a 1st-grade student do,” says Middle School Science on her design of a Native American village using Kid Pix software. Teacher Ellie Martino. She uses a number of inquiry methods in class, such as structured inquiry, which is able to dialogue with equally curious we allow them to build around their the most elementary of the tech- and capable peers about an idea. own interests through questions.” niques, guided inquiry, in which the This approach is not just for This method asks a lot of teach- teacher introduces questions and older students. Sally Bauer, who has ers in terms of preparation and ener- guides the students as they develop been at SCDS for 25 years, finds the gy. It is time consuming to think deeper questions, and open inquiry, technique equally effective for her through the right questions — in which the students are free to inquisitive class of 6-year olds. sometimes called the essential ques- explore a challenge by creating his “The inquiry approach is not tions — and it is risky because some- or her own questions. about memory, it’s about experi- times the class can take the lesson in “Typically,” says Martino, “our mentation,” Bauer says. “We are not a direction other than intended. But students want more freedom to looking for the right answer, instead K-3 Technology Teacher Alice design the questions. And they we are trying to solve a challenge in Baggett says that’s part of the beau- come up with things that are com- multiple ways. That sets us apart ty of inquiry-based teaching for her: pletely different from each other.” from other schools because many the kids are always coming up with Indeed, the inquiry approach does teachers expect assignments to be “other ways to do it.” seem well suited to the type of child done the same way. Here, we take “SCDS puts a great deal of faith who is motivated by the challenge into consideration that students in the teachers to make this work of asking, “What if…?” and then is have their own backgrounds, and and I love being trusted to make it happen,” says Baggett. “Yes, it takes a lot of energy to teach this “SCDS puts a great deal of faith in the teachers to way, and you have to be ready to go with the kids somewhere you never make this work and I love being trusted to make it anticipated. But being a teacher happen,” says Baggett. “Yes, it takes a lot of energy means being flexible.” Quinn Thomsen, who has taught to teach this way, and you have to be ready to go math at SCDS since 1994, says that he has had to develop many of his with the kids somewhere you never anticipated. own inquiry lessons over the years But being a teacher means being flexible.” because the resources for this style Kinetics PAGE 2 The McNuggets Problem: If you can order Chicken McNuggets in 3, 6, and 20 packs, what’s the greatest number you can’t order? For hints to solve the McNuggets problem, you may email SCDS Math Teacher Quinn Thomsen at [email protected]. Or, find the solution on the SCDS website at www.seattlecountryday.org ? of teaching in specific subject areas to work and then you build on it.” questions students to make sure are not out there. Many of the sta- Thomsen emphasizes, however, that they can defend their choices, ples of his curriculum were devel- while these may appear to be rationally explain their projects, and oped by him or adapted from other “games” it is the skill underneath answer questions. “If students can sources, including his sailboat race the activity and questions that is justify their answers, that’s great. lesson, a mathematical simulation being practiced. “The 4-4s is about Figuring out the answer is very about fractions and measurement; dividing fractions,” he says. “You rewarding for bright kids. That’s real- the McNuggets problem, a decep- must be able to divide fractions to ly cool,” she says. tively difficult problem that only solve it. So, there’s the big problem, At the same time, SCDS stu- requires basic addition and multipli- and then there is what you’ve got to dents will most likely move on to cation skills; and the 4-4s, about know to do the problem.” other institutions that will require order of operations and vocabulary, All of these SCDS teachers, and them to be accustomed to other with a hidden fraction component. many more, would be able to testify types of learning, so lectures, test- (See the McNuggets problem in the to the power and effectiveness of ing, and grading are also part of the upper right and challenge yourself.) inquiry, but few say they experi- learning process at SCDS. All of the “I spend a stupid amount of enced it themselves as students. teachers lecture a certain amount money buying children’s books and Martino was first exposed to and expect students to take notes. game books that I adapt to inquiry inquiry as a physics student at the “We do our kids a disservice if we theory,” says Thomsen. “And the University of Washington. “Inquiry don’t expose them to other styles of lessons evolve over time. The sail- works great for physics because teaching” Martino points out. “But, boat races were originally just for instead of just memorizing the for- I always try to incorporate their 4th grade and we did space races mulas, you investigate the situation insights and questions.” Thomsen for 5th grade, but they were too and apply the formula. It makes per- says that his “lectures” often turn hard and too abstract for most 5th fect sense.” Never a fan of math or into discussions. “I do some lectur- graders. Every year you play with chemistry, Bauer feels that she ing, and [the students] do some, and the parts of a lesson to get it would have done well in those sub- they take notes. And I get away with jects if taught with an inquiry it because what we are talking about approach. “I always loved puzzles is really interesting.” Baggett says but I was not good at math, and she lectures as well, just to convey that’s what math is – a puzzle. Why information, but “the talking doesn’t did I struggle with problem solving ever last too long.” SCDS students in math if I was so into puzzles? So in tend to respond to instruction and my class, I approach math through then action, as in 4th- and 5th-grade puzzles.” Science Teacher Dr. Meredith Some critics may ask, with so Olson’s class, which almost always many questions, challenges, and begins with a short lecture and note puzzles, how does a teacher know if taking, and then the much anticipat- a child really understands the materi- ed dismissal to the labs to work on al? Where’s the test? Thomsen says the day’s experiments. that in math it is easy to see concrete Inquiry is not a new approach to skill mastery because the students teaching. In modern times, educa- are involved and engaged. He says tional philosopher John Dewey was that the students will have “rapid fire actively promoting the approach at debates” or small group discussions, the turn of the 20th century, but and by listening to these conversa- SCDS is unique in its embrace and Doc “O” demonstrates a prototype of a tions and talking to each child, he is fine execution of this teaching style jack-up barge that the students will build themselves in class as part of the annual assured that concepts are learned. by talented faculty members for the Engineering Event in Science. Baggett’s approach is similar: she past 40 years. WINTER 2005 ? PAGE 3 people & places A Warm Welcome to Our New Faculty & Staff! ALICE BAGGETT is our new K-3 technology teacher. For as long as she can remember, Alice wanted to be a teacher. As a child, she begged her parents, both of whom are professors, to take her to work with them so she could write on the blackboards. Despite all this passion for teaching, Alice chose archaeology for her under- graduate major. After graduating from Oberlin College, Alice decid- ed to put-off graduate school in archaeology when she saw a poster for a new program called Teach for America. This organization sends non-education majors to cities in the U.S. with severe teacher short- ages. They sent her to inner city New Orleans where she caught the teaching bug. Since then, she’s always been teaching in one capac- ity or another, and for the past nine years she worked at The Open Window School in Bellevue, Washington. Although she switched her Alice Baggett graduate school dreams from archaeology to education, she does use her archaeology background when helping her three-year-old son excavate his room! During her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her husband (also a teacher), being outside, running, writing, creating multimedia art, and coming up with captions for The New Yorker cartoon caption contest.