Shared Inquiry Essentials On-Demand
Designed for teachers, this asynchronous course prepares you to begin using the Great Books Foundation’s Shared Inquiry™ method of learning through reading and discussion with students at all levels. Participants will learn questioning strategies that keep discussions lively and focused and improve students’ reading, critical thinking, writing, and oral communication skills. Practice writing interpretive questions and using follow-up questions to involve students of all ages and proficiency levels. See how interpretive activities support student learning and enable students to learn more across the curriculum. This course includes up to 10 hours of self-paced instruction in the following areas:
- Introduction to Shared Inquiry
- The Shared Inquiry Sequence of Activities
- Experiencing Shared Inquiry
- Leader Preparation
- Leading Shared Inquiry Discussion
- Classroom Implementation
Participants are encouraged to contribute to the discussion forums throughout the course and take part in the Shared Inquiry Community.
As part of the course requirements, participants will need to submit a lesson plan and classroom reflection after conducting a story unit with their classroom. Those who complete the asynchronous modules, required coursework, and reflection will be eligible for a Shared Inquiry Leader Badge and Certificate. To learn more about the Great Books Foundation’s badges view our credentials.
We recommend completing this course within 45 days of starting.
New! Advanced Courses On-Demand
Beginning this fall, you will be able to complete our two most popular advanced courses on-demand:
- The Power of Student Questions
- Implementing Junior Great Books Nonfiction Inquiry
The Power of Student Questions
This course will help you teach students how to pose better questions, identify different kinds of questions, and focus on the questions that will best help them build their understanding of the selection. You will learn how to stimulate students’ initial curiosity about a specific text and guide them to become active partners in inquiry. The process begins with the sharing questions activity and can lead to students helping to choose effective questions for Shared Inquiry™ discussion and for expository writing or research after discussion.
After this course you will be able to:
- Help students express their initial reactions to a text in the form of questions
- Teach students how to recognize different kinds of questions
- Use the power of students’ questions to engage the class in exploring answers and sharing their ideas, both during discussion and in writing
Implementing Junior Great Books Nonfiction Inquiry
This course prepares participants to use Junior Great Books® Nonfiction Inquiry materials effectively in the classroom.
The workshop includes interactive, hands-on:
- Demonstration of Nonfiction Inquiry reading strategies and discussion
- Reflection on the elements and benefits of the Shared Inquiry activity sequence
- Introduction to, and practice with, using follow-up questions to deepen students’ thinking about texts
- Time for questions about implementation and troubleshooting
Participants will receive a PDF highlighting key strategies, and will be ready to implement JGB Nonfiction Inquiry in their classrooms.
Learn More About Advanced Courses and What’s Coming Next!
We will continue to bring new professional development opportunities to you through our Shared Inquiry Learning Center. To find out what’s coming and when it will be available, please get in touch with the Great Books partnership manager for your area!