Enquiry learning

After having read the wiki site  EduTech (Schneider, 2010, accessed 15/04/10)  I have started to comprehend what enquiry learning really means. Due to previous studies I did have an understanding of constructivist theory which is helping in my grasping of the concept of project based or inquiry-based learning. What it means is that students are no longer given a set of facts to learn (although this may act as a  starting point), rather they are asked to create,  from their own understanding a product. This product could be of their own choosing or one given to them by the instructor.
In order to go through this process they need to be taken through some sort of information cycle. Here is the next question, which version of the cycle is my preferred one? This will be the subject of my next blog.
While I am on this subject I can say that after reading the above mentioned wiki, I feel that I am now starting to understand how to teach from an information literacy standpoint. This is why I have been able to construct an information literacy unit based on the gold rush. In this  unit, the children will be asked to use the sites which are on the wiki which I have put in a live feed from my delicious site; look at the gold rush from one point of view (women , men , indigenous etc) ; use a KWL chart to record their learning and note taking; write a bibiliography as they go along; write a diary entry on a what they have learnt about what life was like to be the type of person they have selected. It all sounds very involved when I say it like that!

This unit represents a huge leap in understanding and knowledge for me. When I compare it to what I was teaching last year it is an amazing change. Last year I did not understand how to incorporate information into the curriculum. I did not really understand what information skills were. Now I am starting to use my knowledge in my teaching. This process is facilitated by the expectations of the teachers at the school I am part of .