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Benjamin Zerante's picture

Symposium Response

I think this morning was a great opportunity to discuss what inquiry based education looks like and whether or not it is feasible to introduce in all classrooms. I really enjoyed hearing the debates and discussions, and everyone brought very interesting points to the table. I think it is important to remember that teachers do have a lot of power. We may face pressure from administration and any number of other outside sources, but when the door closes our students look to us as leaders and instructors. If we believe that inquiry is important, I think it is crucial that we incorporate it into the classroom. This is also a gradual process. It may take several years before I feel comfortable running an inquiry based curriculum. In the end though, I think it is a disservice to my students to just go with the flow of education law and teach to a test with a scripted curriculum. There has to be a balance. I still want my students to do well on standardized tests, but I don't think that desire necessitates buying into a system I don't believe in.

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