Competencies, Inquiry with Rosie Harold, James Simons Montessori School

I have been lucky enough to learn from Rosie Harold  from James Simons Montessori School who is  an incredibly passionate  Teacher Librarian.  After spending the a day with her I knew we had to talk about Inquiry.   

Harold's first words were "I just trap them into inquiry."   Her goal is to get them to want to do get there on her own.   Using a consistant method  that is much like design thinking  she uses whatever "legal" means nessessary to get students asking questions and figuring out problems.   A modern and real life Miss Frizzle of sorts.   

Rather than go over each domain and how she meets the competencies she said I rather talk about a project and show you how I do it.   I am always up for that.    In December Harold hates focusing on one holiday.  She would rather the students are exposed to a global perspective.   She gave her lower elementary students a task with discovering a new celebration that they are unfamiliar with.   She will give them databases that students can use, butcher paper and whatever resources they can find in the library and off they go.   Graphic organizers are not needed here because she worries the kids will just fill in the box and be done with it.  She wants them to go farther, ask more questions and continue  going.   Harold encourages students to express their thoughts through pictures or mapping; really however kids can express themselves.  An example of this was one student was researching birthdays in China and found out that kids will always eat a bowl of noodles on a birthday for luck.   The student said I will show that with a fork and a tornado code with an Ozmobot.   The question was asked do they use forks to eat noodles like you do?   The student didn't know and dropped everything to go research forks and food in China.   

She posts the process on instagram and her website as the students from other classes want to see the work and critique it.   Students are asking for critique and wanting to give it on others work which in turn requires inquiry.   

In her space the motto is  we are never done, and failure is necessary .     

She works with other teachers in a more supplementary way as her schedule has changed making it harder to find time to collaborate outside.  So to help the teachers she makes sure she is very versed on what they are doing in the classroom and she tailors her activities to work with that material.   

Time is her only real challenge.  There is never enough time... but luckily students have been trained to remember we are never done and we can always come back.... so there are fewer tears and more questions.   Time seems to be the biggest challenge in all things library.   

Her biggest resources are her relationships and energy and after that  she loves Makey Makey, Ozmobots, and finding real world professionals to work alongside her students.  Recently she did a project where the students had to research bridges. After they took what they learned created blue prints to present to one of the designers of the Ravenel bridge. The students and the designer gave feedback on the students designs to find ways to make the design better.   

To meet the competency of  inquiry  takes planning and putting systems in place that work for both your program and patrons.   It is obvious that Harold found what works for her program and has grown for it.  After working with her  Curiosity  must be contagious because all I want to do is inquire.