To Practice Inquiry: Cognitive Apprenticeship [S1 E34]
Meet our friends Chris and Jeff!
In today’s interview, we just couldn’t get enough of our chat about curriculum, inquiry, and, yes, the Maine lobster catch (you’ll see!). Today’s chat will introduce our listeners to two brilliant minds in the education field making huge strides in bringing inquiry into the classroom. Join us as we talk about the journey of moving to a traditional approach to pedagogy and into an inquiry model, ways in which to avoid the common missteps many teachers make, and a game plan for tackling cognitive apprenticeship. This one’s LOADED with amazing ideas — we recommend grabbing your favorite flair pen and a notebook. It’s time to go back to class!
Just getting started with an inquiry approach in your classroom? Maybe start with one of these episodes before diving fully into this jam-packed, intermediate level episode!
Jeffrey Wilhelm
Jeffrey Wilhelm is Distinguished Professor of English Education at Boise State University and is the founding director of the Maine and Boise State Writing Projects. He is the author or co-author of 41 books about literacy teaching and learning, and has won NCTE’s Promising Research award for YOU GOTTA BE THE BOOK, and the David H. Russell Award for research for READING DON’T FIX NO CHEVYS into the literate lives of young men both in school and out, and for READING UNBOUND, a groundbreaking exploration of pleasure reading and how to promote it. His most recent publication is PLANNING POWERFUL INSTRUCTION: 7 MUST MAKE MOVES TO TRANSFORM HOW WE TEACH – AND HOW STUDENTS LEARN which explores how guided inquiry and cognitive apprenticeship approaches can inform planning and the implementation of instruction that works for equity, social-emotional learning deep engagement and transformed ways of knowing, doing, thinking and being. Jeff has devoted his professional career to helping teachers help their students and is particularly devoted to equitably assisting students who are considered to be reluctant, struggling, or at-risk.
Jeff’s philosophy of teaching?
I believe that we have to love our students as learners and enjoy them in their acts of evolving and becoming and embrace the journey of learning with all its productive struggle. I believe that all students can and will learn if provided the proper instruction in motivating contexts of use over time. I am committed to helping all learners learn to read, compose and inquire on their journey to becoming self-fulfilled and civically engaged democratic workers. Because of these goals, I am committed to being a thinking partner to teachers for how to help their learners fully actualize their potential through the use of guided inquiry/cognitive apprenticeship approaches.
Christopher Butts
Meet Chris: I'm a "utility player" in education because I've taught in a variety of capacities: English Learner Paraprofessional, 3rd and 4th grade classroom teacher, Adult ESL Teacher, Science Teacher at Migrant Summer School, Literacy Coach, Title I Co-Teacher, and currently a US History high school teacher (which is what I've wanted to teach since I took US History in high school). Jeff and I started working together in 2012 when I attended the Boise State Writing Project's Invitational Summer Institute. He's been a mentor to me in education and life in general since then, and we've worked together on several different inquiry-related topics. I'm currently learning more about the Community Resiliency Model and Social-Emotional Learning in general.
Chris’ philosophy of teaching?
Quality education is critical to the survival of our society. With that in mind, we should focus our efforts and designs on the students that our systems are failing to serve. We should measure our success according to how well we're serving the underserved. As a teacher, my role is to meet my students where they are at and help them move forward in whatever subject area we're studying. In order to do that you have to co-create a sense of community and trust by treating students with dignity and respect. In that sense, the classroom is real life, not preparation for real life. One of my students put it best about how I want to be seen as a teacher: "Mr. Butts, He's always on my case. He's always on my side."
Connect with Jeff: jeffwilhelm.wordpress.com or on Twitter at @ReadDRjwilhelm
Connect with Chris: @cbutts9980 on Twitter https://empoweryourteaching.com
