What does inquiry look like?

The first question in last night’s #pypchat on Twitter  brought a wonderful range of answers from educators across five continents…

What does inquiry look/sound/feel like?

Vibrant, alive, expect the unexpected. – Jane

Kids engaged, talking, creating, observing, collaborating.- Linda

Students taking existing knowledge to a higher level. Busy, chaotic, exciting. – Chris

Collaboration, energy, hands on, thinking out loud, curiosity. – Annette

Inquiry feels challenging and complex – there is no easy answer. – Pogo

Inquiry is more about asking good questions than coming up with the answers. – Maggie

Doesn’t look centralised (not about the teacher), feels purposeful, sounds active. – Steve

Synapses firing, minds crackling, people leaning in. – Dean

Puzzled looks and aha moments. – Nathan

Teachers learning alongside students. – Tanja

I asked the same question of some articulate 11-12 year old learners this week…

We start off being puzzled and gradually develop understanding as we inquire. – Taylor

Although we are one class, everyone has their own way of learning. – Gabi

Inquiry makes your mind bigger and you want to explore more. – Jaye

We’re encouraged to ask questions, we have choices and we get really involved in our learning. – Tommy

If everyone was doing the same thing, we couldn’t learn from each other. – Sam

We’re not given sheets, we’re given possibilities. – Noa

It’s easy for us to describe inquiry because we live it. Does it sound like chaos to those who don’t?